Ancient Persia in Western history : Hellenism and the representation of the Achaemenid Empire

334 Pages·2014·0.84 MB·English

by  Samiei

Sasan Samiei completed his PhD in S Ancient Persia The Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the
a
Intellectual and Ancient History s Great in the sixth century BC, was at its height
a
at University College London and also ‘The Achaemenid Persian Empire has long been regarded in Western History the largest empire the world had yet seen,
n
holds an MSc in Economics from the stretching across Asia, the Middle East and
as the embodiment of the eastern “other”, representing
S
London School of Economics (LSE). everything opposed to Greek (“western”) ideals of freedom a North Africa. Because this first Persian Empire
He lives in Lewes,East Sussex. m fought a series of wars against the Ancient
and democracy – this, despite the fact that Persian belongs Hellenism and the Representation
i Greek city-states, it has often been cast in
to the same language family as most European ones. This e
of the Achaemenid Empire
i
opposition to the Hellenistic cultures of the
fine study focuses on the British archaeologist, Sir John
period. Ancient Persia in Western Historyis a
Linton Myres, who had examined the Graeco-Iranian
iA Sasan Samiei
measured rejoinder to the dominant narrative
world from an Indo-European perspective. Setting his n
that considers the Graeco–Persian Wars to be
analyses of anthropology, prehistoric archaeology, and n
merely the first round of an oft-repeated battle
Hellenism within the boundaries provided by Myres’ W
between the despotic ‘East’ and the broadly
multifaceted output, Samiei examines how the popular c
enlightened ‘West’. Sasan Samiei analyses the
picture of the Persian Empire continues to play a e
dominant role in contemporary historiography.’ si historiography which has skewed our
Amelié Kuhrt, Professor Emerita of Ancient History, te understanding of this crucial era – contrasting
UCL, and a Fellow of the British Academy the work of Edward Gibbon and Goethe, which
en
venerated Classicism and Hellenistic history,
r
with later writers such as John Linton Myres.
‘Modern historians pride themselves on their willingness to
nt
Finally, Samiei explores the cross-cultural
learn from the insights of other disciplines. But rarely does
encounters which constituted the Achaemenid
one encounter an historian so willing to engage in detail
HP
period itself, and repositions it as essential to the
with such a great range of other subjects. Sasan Samiei’s
doctoral dissertation, on which his book is based, was an ie history of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
outstanding example of a cross-disciplinary approach. His s
r
arguments are based on a remarkably wide set of readings t
in a remarkably diverse body of specialist literature.’ os
Stephen Conway, Professor of Modern History, UCL
i
r
a
y

Jacket design:BRILL
Jacket image: A detail from the ruins at Persepolis, the
ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, in present-day
Iran. Alexander the Great sacked the city in 330 BCin
consequence of which, as the author argues, the Achaemenid
Empire has come to be seen largely through the prism of a
Hellenistic world view, which in turn has influenced how the
West has understood Persepolis and the Persian Empire. www.ibtauris.com
SasanSamieicompletedhisPhDinIntellectualandAncientHistory
at University College London and also holds an MSc in Economics
from the London School of Economics (LSE). He lives in Lewes,
EastSussex.

ANCIENT PERSIA
IN WESTERN
HISTORY
Hellenism and the Representation of the
Achaemenid Empire
S S
ASAN AMIEI
Publishedin2014byI.B.Tauris&Co.Ltd
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Copyrightq2014SasanSamiei
TherightofSasanSamieitobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeenasserted
bytheauthorinaccordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Exceptforbriefquotationsinareview,thisbook,oranypart
thereof,maynotbereproduced,storedinorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,
ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,
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Referencestowebsitesandonlinecontentwereaccurateatthetimeofwriting.
InternationalLibraryofIranianStudies47
ISBN:9781780764801
eISBN:9780857736062
ePDF ISBN: 978 0 85772 414 4
AfullCIPrecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
AfullCIPrecordisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress
In memoriam of my great-great-grandfather Mirza Mohammed Ali Khan
Rahmat Abadi. A constitutional revolutionary, a parliamentarian
(1906/7–1909), and a democrat

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements ix
Preface xii
1. Introduction 1
2. Setting the Scene: Anthropology, Linguistics and
Romantic Hellenism in Victorian Britain 14
3. The ‘Race–Culture’ Debate: 1900s–1930s 48
4. The ‘Diffusionism vs. Evolutionism’ Theoretical Debate,
Gordon Childe and the Prehistory of Europe 79
5. Hellenisms Reassessed (1890s–1940s): Part I 105
6. Hellenisms Reassessed (1890s–1940s): Part II 147
7. Hellenisms and the Historiography of Ancient Persia 179
8. Concluding Remarks 235
Postscript 246
Glossary 249
Notes 257
Bibliography 296
Index 311

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The planning of this book goes back to 2006. My under- and
postgraduate tutors started the ball rolling by recommending me
for an MPhil place at the University College London (UCL). My
thanks must therefore go to Jacek Rostowski (Professor of
Economics, and the current Economic Minister of Poland), and
Peter Howlett (Professor of Economic History, London School of
Economics and Political Science).
Throughout my time at the UCL, Ame´lie Kuhrt (my first
supervisor) was always at hand to offer learned advice. She read my
work with the greatest of care, and when she offered guidance for
various improvements, her proposals were always exquisitely
judged. Moreover, when she challenged some of my outlandish
ideas and assumptions, she probed me gingerly, and was gentleness
itselfinhercriticisms.IbelievethatAme´liehasmouldedahistorian
with much improved reflective and analytical faculties. And for
that, as well as for many other acts of kindness, I am eternally
indebted to her.
My meetings with Stephen Conway (my second supervisor) were
usually over lunch; the financial burden of which, more often than
not, was incurred by him. This was only part of his wonderful
generosity. He read everything that was asked of him and provided
very helpful suggestions in how to improve things. The value of his
continuing and enthusiastic support is truly beyond measure. I am