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Show THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HONORS COLLEGE ACHAEMENID REDEMPTION:THE GREEK HISTORICAL TRADITION AND THE "THEORY OF PERSIAN DECADENCE" Adrian Bushman (Winthrop Lindsay Adams) Department of History University of Utah While conflict between Achaemenid Persia and the classical Greek poleis remains popular with modern scholars and general audiences alike, one must take note that relevant ancient sources remain notoriously one-sided. Pro-Greek accounts dominate our understanding of events between the times of Cyrus the Great and Alexander, while fragments of the ancient Persian perspective remain sparse at best. Throughout extant literary sources, a leitmotif of degrading Persians as inferior to Greeks generally prevails. To establish this premise, m a n y of the most prominent ancient authors and historians (including Herodotus, Xenophon, Plato, and Arrian), compare Persian and Greek soldiers, then assert that Persian employ of Greek mercenaries confirms that the Achaemenids needed others to do their fighting for them. This assertion is part and parcel of the standard Greek polemic against Achaemenid Persia, established to meet 5th and 4th century Greek political agendas. While this position may be contextually understandable, it presents a significant hazard today when scholars perpetuate these accounts as fact without an appropriately rigorous investigative method. However, objectively analyzing ancient works while considering potential biases of the authors suggests a startlingly different picture, and w h e n the historian refuses to mold ancient texts to tenuous preconceptions, fresh conclusions arise. An emerging scholarly trend pursues this objective, questioning the veracity of the yet-dominant historical opinion. By focusing on a balanced study of the Achaemenids, it becomes apparent that the Persian military was much more capable than either ancient Greek or the majority of modern historians admit. This thesis project seeks to carry the nascent view further by focusing on Achaemenid Persian infantry, specifically on Persian attempts to counter the Greek hoplite. It is the opinion of this study that properly contextualizing Greek mercenaries and analyzing native Persian soldiers will help dispel the stigma of Persian military inferiority. Through this evolving approach, we have much to gain; not only a greater historical appreciation for the fortitude and professionalism of Persian soldiers, but also for those w h o eventually dismantled the monolithic Achaemenid Empire. Hopefully, this result will help put a xenophobic pseudo-historical myth that has been perpetuated throughout history and still c o m m a n d s a sizable and influential following to rest. The supplementary photo is from the Alexander Sarcophagus of Sidon depicting Alexander the Great fighting the Battle of Issus. The sarcophagus is housed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. Photo credit: Adrian Bushman. |
