Discovering Cyrus: The Persian Conqueror Astride the Ancient World (Iran's Age of Empire) - Hardcover

Zarghamee, Reza

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1933823380 ISBN 13: 9781933823386

Publisher: Mage Pub, 2013

Synopsis

Some of the most fascinating human epochs lie in the borderlands between history and mystery. So it is with the life of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Persian Empire in the sixth century BCE. By conquest or gentler means, he brought under his rule a dominion stretching from the Aegean Sea to the Hindu Kush and encompassing some tens of millions of people. All across this immense imperium, he earned support and stability by respecting local customs and religions, avoiding the brutal ways of tyranny, and efficiently administering the realm through provincial governors. The empire would last another two centuries, leaving an indelible Persian imprint on much of the ancient world. The Greek chronicler Xenophon, looking back from a distance of several generations, wrote: "Cyrus did indeed eclipse all other monarchs, before or since." The vision of the Biblical prophet known as Second Isaiah anticipates Cyrus' repatriation of Jews living in exile in Babylon with these words of the Lord: "He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please."

Despite what he achieved and bequeathed, much about Cyrus remains uncertain. Persians of his era had no great respect for the written word and the most complete accounts of his life were composed by Greeks. More fragmentary or tangential evidence takes many forms--among them, archaeological remains, administrative records in subject lands, and the always tricky stuff of legend.

Given these challenges, Discovering Cyrus: The Persian Conqueror Astride the Ancient World is a remarkable feat of portraiture. In his vast sweep, Reza Zarghamee draws on sources of every kind, painstakingly assembling detail, and always weighing evidence carefully where contradictions arise. He describes the background of the Persian people, the turbulence of the times, and the roots of Cyrus' policies. His account of the imperial era itself delves into religion, military methods, commerce, court life, and much else besides. The result is a living, breathing Cyrus standing atop a distant world that played a key role in shaping our own. Cyrus the Great, Persian Empire.

About this title

About the Author

Reza Zarghamee brings multiple perspectives and deep knowledge to his account of the life of Cyrus the Great. Born in London in 1978 to Iranian parents, Zarghamee grew up in Boston. His immersion in the ancient history of Iran started early: At the age of thirteen, he began studying Old Persian cuneiform at the urging of Professor Richard Frye, a founder of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. Later, he took courses in Zoroastrianism and Manichaenism taught by another eminent Harvard scholar, Prods Oktor Skjaervø. He attended Columbia University, pursuing a double-major in history and biology, studying Persian language and literature, and graduating with honors in 2000. Three years later, he received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, where his writings included a comparison of ancient Near Eastern legal systems. Since then, he has practiced law at the firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP while continuing his scholarly investigations of the era of Cyrus. His extensive travels in the Middle East have taken him across much of the empire founded by that giant of history twenty-six centuries ago.

Reviews

British-born, American-Iranian attorney Zarghamee puts on his scholarly cap to profile Cyrus the Great, the famed sixth-century B.C.E. Persian conqueror and founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Acclaimed for ruling with a light hand in an efficient and benign fashion and introducing chivalry to warfare, the sovereign forged a vast realm that surpassed all previous Near Eastern kingdoms in its cosmopolitan makeup. Relying heavily on Persian archaeological and Greek literary sources, Zarghamee deftly examines Cyrus's religion, military (including the 10,000 Immortals), and extensive network of highways that facilitated trade. While this lengthy tome is well researched and thorough, it abounds in speculation and tangential evidence, as the author concedes, as well as an urge to predate Zoroastrianism and overstate its influence on Judaism, and utilizes anachronistic or imprecise terminology (Palestine instead of Israel/Judah, Old Testament instead of Hebrew Bible, etc.) that will needlessly confuse readers. Still, the work is fair, incisive, and detailed, and merits the attention of a broad readership interested in ancient history, religion, and imperialism. (Nov.)

Edition details

• Publisher: Mage Pub
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1933823380
• ISBN 13: 9781933823386
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 784