Persian history and 0 A. D.

[espiesior]

Having read some of the articles on Persian history, I am very impressed by some of the research that goes into development of the different factions. I was hoping 0 A.D. would make an effort to steer away from stereotypes (particularly that relating to the Arab-invariance complex) and in deed you do.

However, I would like to point out that some of the information is somewhat outdated. The Persian world does not freeze after Alexander's invasion and the fall of the Achaemenid empire. By 1 B.C. already the Seleucid (Graeo-Persian) empire was reigning over land stretching from the Near East to modern day Afghanistan (where it met with the Graeco-Indian/Graeco-Buddhist cultures). Not to mention the Parthians were also uniting.

The Greek influence is apparent in the helmet-craft of the Parthian warrior from Nysa:

Wiki Commons

Various Graeco-Armenian and Graeco-Persian headdress styles:

Wiki Commons

In fact, the skip to the Sassanids does not happen until the 3rd century CE.

The Persian armies of course included many contingents from the various ethnic group (Near Eastern, Middle Eastern, and previously even Egyptian/Libyan) in the empire. However, the phalanxes of the Seleucids were invariably Graeco-Persian. Archers, elephants from the east supplemented the armies. Among the Sassanid armies the famous Persian light cavalries were vastly men from the warrior caste of Persians proper who were trained from youth for this purpose. As conflicts with Rome went on, the Persians even adapted many Western techniques of warfare and siege.

Note on elephants: they were used in war to strike fear and also to scare those playing dead in the carnage to attempt to flee (at which point they were killed).

Also: Though ancient Persia occupied areas that are now associated with Arabic-speaking countries, the "Arab" world was for a large part disjoint from the Persian and Near Eastern world at this point in time. Then again, at that time the people we in modern times call northern/Near Eastern Arabs were probably self-identifying as Aramaean, Judaean, etc.

-SR

Edited December 13, 2007 by espiesior

[espiesior]

Here is a link to a really nice Iranian website which re-envisions Achaemenid Persian warriors (scroll through the whole page to see all the diagrams).

http://www.iranchamber.com/history/achaeme...emenid_army.php

[FirePowa8]

Thanks for the information, espiesior.

The 0 A.D. Persians, however, are only meant to be represented by the Achaimenids. It's not as such ignoring the successor and later Iranian empires, but more to pinpoint a particular era and highlight it, I suppose. Just as the Hellenes don't have early chariots or late thureophoroi - they appear only as in the Classical era. And the Romans only as the Republic.

Who knows, we may see Parthians or Sassanids in a later version of the game.

[espiesior]

Sure, definitely... time period is crucial to give accurate impressions of history!

But sticking strictly to the "turn of the era" I think Achaemenids would also be vastly outdated (their civilization ended in 300s BC with Alexander). Seleucids and Parthians were the primary representatives of the Persian culture as of first century AD.

-SR

[feneur]

Well, not sure how apparent it is from the website etc, but our idea for the first part of 0 A.D. is to represent the 500 years before 0 A.D. and add the 500 years after 0 A.D. in a later version/expansion of the game.

[espiesior]

That sounds like an audacious task!

[feneur]

It sure is

[Ephestion]

Parthia, Bactria are all Hellenic territories. The people were hellenised but still ruled by a Hellenic lineage. Like Egypt and the Ptolemies so to were these other regions that were former Persia.