The Persians: Lost Civilizations

Synopsis

During The First And Second Millennia Bce A Swathe Of Nomadic Peoples Migrated Outward From Central Asia Into The Eurasian Periphery. One Group Of These People Would Find Themselves Encamped In An Unpromising, Arid Region Just South Of The Caspian Sea. From These Modest And Uncertain Beginnings, They Would Go On To Form One Of The Most Powerful Empires In History: The Persian Empire. In This Book, Geoffrey And Brenda Parker Tell The Captivating Story Of This Ancient Civilization And Its Enduring Legacy To The World. The Authors Examine The Unique Features Of Persian Life And Trace Their Influence Throughout The Centuries. They Examine The Environmental Difficulties The Early Persians Encountered And How, In Overcoming Them, They Were Able To Develop A Unique Culture That Would Culminate In The Massive, First Empire, The Achaemenid Empire. Extending Their Influence Into The Maritime West, They Fought The Greeks For Mastery Of The Eastern Mediterranean One Of The Most Significant Geopolitical Contests Of The Ancient World. And The Authors Paint Vivid Portraits Of Persian Cities And Their Spectacular Achievements: Intricate And Far-reaching Roadways, An Astonishing Irrigation System That Created Desert Paradises, And, Above All, An Extraordinary Reflection Of The Diverse Peoples That Inhabited Them. Informed And Original, This Is A History Of An Incomparable Culture Whose Influence Can Still Be Seen, Millennia Later, In Modern-day Iran And The Wider Middle East. Origins: The Land And The People -- The Achaemenid Dynasty -- The Achievements Of The Achaemenids -- Cyrus The Great In History And Legend -- Persepolis: City, Throne And Power -- Thus Spake Zarathustra: Religion And Empire -- Paradise Gained -- Alexander Of Macedon And The Hellenistic Interlude -- Empire Revived: The Sasanids -- Islamic Persia And Persian Islam -- From Persepolis To Samarkand: The Persian Legacy In Central Asia -- Paradise Of Bliss: The Persian Legacy In India From The Timurids To The Mughals -- Cyrus With Golden Caviar: The Last Dynasty Salutes The First -- From Shahyad To Azadi: The Islamic Republic And The Ancient Legacy -- Lost In Translation? -- The First Superpower? -- Conclusion: Power And Paradise. Geoffrey Parker And Brenda Parker. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 192-203) And Index.