King Croesus, Last King of Lydia (Turkey), Who Was Renowned For His Great Wealth. Hi

INTRODUCTION
The Persian civilization developed in what is current Iran. It is a plateau in Asia,

neighbor to Mesopotamia, which was a witness to important historical events. This plateau,
which occupies 5,000km. In ancient times, it was the site chosen by two peoples to settle and
develop their civilization: the Medes (Median Empire) and the Persians (Persia) . The Persian
Empire began with the migration of Iranians, a group of Indo-Europeans out of central Europe
and southern Russia around 1,000 B.C.E. Persia is now part of the modern country of Iran, hence
the name 'Iranians' for the larger migratory group that lived in this area. The Iranians who
migrated to Persia were horse breeders and traveled with large herds of livestock. Their
movement into the region was gradual and took part over several generations. Throughout their
migration, the Iranians came into frequent contact with nomadic tribes who also lived in the
territory. Persia did a great amount of conquering other civilizations and they had a strategic
government system that was very effective.
PERSIAN RULERS AND HOW THEY EXPAND
The beginning of King Cyrus, the first King of Persians ruling started in 550 B.C Under
his rule the Persian Empire expanded into Median Empire which Cyrus successfully conquered
the Medes and united the Iranian people together for the first time. He was a very kind person,
considering he believing in recognition of local customs and Religions. Cyrus permitted Jews to
return to Jerusalem, resulting in the Jews being able to continue their rituals and reconstruct their
city and the second temple of Jerusalem. The Second Temple is the central Jewish place
of sacrificial worship from about 515 B.C.E. until its destruction by the Romans in 70 C.E., the
second temple in Jerusalem played a major role in the religious and national life of the Jewish
people.
King Croesus, last king of Lydia (Turkey), who was renowned for his great wealth. His
name became synonymous with wealth. Thus, Croesus is the subject of the simile "rich as
Croesus". Cyrus the Great of Persia, extending his vast domains, was soon threatening the
kingdom of Lydia. Croesus consulted the oracle of Delphi in Greece. The oracle replied: "If
Croesus goes to war he will destroy a great empire." So Croesus went out to meet the army of
Cyrus and was utterly defeated, he destroyed his own great empire.
The Lydians of western Anatolia under King Croesus took advantage of the fall of Media
to push east and clashed with Persian forces. The Lydian army withdrew for the winter but the
Persians advanced to the Lydian capital at Sardis, which fell after a two-week siege. The Lydians
had been allied with the Babylonians and Egyptians and Cyrus now had to confront these major
powers. The Babylonian empire controlled Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. From
the Mediterranean sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, Cyrus the Great
created the largest empire the world had yet seen.Cyrus passed away in a skirmish, trying to
protect his empire by fighting invaders on his territory. He left the thrown to his son, Cambyses.
King Cambyses, son of Cyrus expanded the empire by gaining control of Egypt. In
contrast to his father, he did not accept all religions. He treated the Egyptian religion very poorly.
An example of his horrid treatment towards Egyptian religion is that he had people under his
ruling burn pictures of Egyptian gods.He also killed the sacred bull of Apis, was an
important sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians. The actions of this King caused rebellion to
occur in the Persian empire. He ruled for 8 years before dying. After dying he left the thrown to
his heir Darius.
Darius was not a mediocre emperor of one of the largest empires of the world. Darius
was great! In addition to expanding his empire during his lifetime, he brought new ideas into
Persia.Under Darius the Great, the Persian Empire grew. He was ruler of a large amount of land
with many different groups of people. Quickly, Darius realized that the people who were not
Persian might have trouble serving him because he was so different from them. So Darius
created a new job,tax-collecting system,build royal road system and satrap, for each province.
Satraps were local rulers appointed by the king to govern individual provinces. Their job was to
enforce law and order, and to collect taxes and tributes. They worked with Persia’s army
commanders to defend the empire’s frontiers from enemy attack.
After the death of Darius, his son Xerxes ruled until 465 B.C. Xerxes was a cruel but
weak king who was also defeated by the Greeks in the Persian Wars. During Xerxes’ reign, the
Persian Empire declined. Although the empire continued for more than a century, it grew weaker
as it constantly faced conspiracies, assassinations, and revolts by the people who were burdened
with heavy taxes. Alexander the Great defeated King Darius III and the Persian army in
330 B.C. Darius was subsequently assassinated by one of his own followers. Although
Alexander retained the Persian system of government until his own death in 323 B.C. Darius’s
defeat marked the end of the Achaemenid dynasty and the Persian Empire.
Religion of the Iranian and how it quickly changed
The last empire of the Iranian is the Sasanian Empire. Sasanian Empire is arguably one
the most dominant and one the most influential empire back then, that no one thought that no one
in this world can destroy this empire. Sasanian empire is lead by the one of the most respected
King of Achaemenid, Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Great lead the Sasanian Empire as the last
empire before the Muslim enters the Iran and destroy everything especially their religion which
is the Zoroastrianism and replaced by Islam. (637-651)
Famous Symbols and Culture in Iran
There are six famous symbols in Iran which is the The Sun and The Lion, Goddess
Anahita, Mount Davamand, The Legendary Griffin, The Huma, and the Simurg. These symbols
define how good and positive the point of view of the Iranian is. It gives them so much
inspiration to remember the past and apply it in the present. There are some materials like metal
works that symbolizes how creative Iranian is. One of the example is the Oxus treasure from
Oxus river. Some architecture works example is The Naqsh-E Rustam, The ancient cementery
where filled of tombs of Achaemenid Kings and The elaborate rock murals depict equestrian
scenes and battle victories. Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay cylinder, now broken into several
pieces, on which is written a declaration in Akkadian cuneiform script in the name of Persia's
Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great.
Persian Language
Persian or also known Farsi is the current language of the Iranian. Persian
is a Western Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language
family. It is a pluricentric language primarily spoken in Iran. The ancient way of their language
is called Persian Cuneiform is a semi-alphabetic cuneiform script that was the primary script for
Old Persian.
ECONOMY
BAS-RELIEF LEADING TO THE APADANA (THRONE ROOM) DEPICTING SUBJECTS

BRINGING WINE TO THE KING, PERSEPOLIS
The early Persian economy was based on herding because the land was so poor for agriculture.
The Persians attributed their toughness to the meager lifestyle to which they had been acclimated
for generations. The sudden acquisition of the Median Empire, Lydia, Babylon, Egypt, and gold-
rich areas in India made Persia an economic powerhouse. It controlled the rich agricultural areas
of Mesopotamia, the grasslands of Anatolia, the trade routes in every direction, and rich deposits
of metals and other resources.
THE GATE OF ALL NATIONS

This illustration shows one of the entrances to the palace complex of Persepolis (Pārsa in Old
Persian), the capital of…Read more...
King Darius the Great instituted many economic innovations and reforms: systematized taxation;
standardized weights, measures, and monetary units (the first successful widespread use of
coins); improved transportation routes, including the 1600-mile-long Royal Road from Susa to
Sardis; improvements to an early version of the Suez Canal; royal trading ships; promotion of
agriculture; a banking system; and the promotion of international trade.
RELIGION
BAS-RELIEF OF A ZOROASTRIAN FARAVAHAR (GUARDIAN SPIRIT), PERSEPOLIS

The Persian kings and nobility were Zoroastrians, a religion named after its founder, Zarathustra
(called Zoroaster in Greek). Zoroastrianism was monotheistic centering on Ahura Mazda—one
supreme god who created everything material and spiritual. The powers of good and evil worked
on humans, who had to choose constantly between the two. An eternal afterlife, either of
pleasure or torment, was the possible result of Ahura Mazda’s judgment after death. These
concepts of monotheism, good versus evil, free will, and posthumous reward or punishment were
a departure from the polytheistic religions prominent in the area previously.
CULTURE
Iran’s culture is deeply intertwined with its long and rich history, especially from the Persian
Empire. Art, literature, architecture, and music have deep roots which are still visible today. In
fact, Persian artifacts can be seen in many leading museums around the world, such as the British
Museum and the Louvre. Iran’s society has also been strongly influenced by its neighboring
countries, such as Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Turkmenistan. Much of Iran’s culture
is reflective in its handicrafts. The art of carpet-knotting dates back centuries and is an important
industry. Another key art form is intricate metal and wood work, known as khatamakari or
minakari. These handicrafts are still alive and well, and antique versions can be seen in museums
while modern substitutes can be purchased at the bazaars. Art and literature thrived during the
Persian Empire and although they have been curtailed by rulers and religious restrictions since,
Iranian contemporary art is a proud tradition. There are many talented artists whose works can be
seen at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. The Tehran International Short Film Festival
showcases leading movie makers in Iran every October.

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INTRODUCTION

The Persian civilization developed in what is current Iran. It is a plateau in Asia,

Religion of the Iranian and how it quickly changed

Famous Symbols and Culture in Iran

BAS-RELIEF LEADING TO THE APADANA (THRONE ROOM) DEPICTING SUBJECTS

THE GATE OF ALL NATIONS

BAS-RELIEF OF A ZOROASTRIAN FARAVAHAR (GUARDIAN SPIRIT), PERSEPOLIS

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