Thursday, December 29, 2022

HISTORY OF ACHAEMENID IRAN

Tentative diagram of the 40-hour seminar

(in 80 parts of 30 minutes)

Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

Tuesday, 27 December 2022

 

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To watch the videos, click here: 

https://www.patreon.com/posts/history-of-iran-76436584 

To hear the audio, click here: 

https://www.podbean.com/premium-podcast/historica/l3a5ypF8qTK2 

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1 A - Achaemenid beginnings I A

Introduction; Iranian Achaemenid historiography; Problems of historiography continuity; Iranian posterior historiography; foreign historiography

 

1 B - Achaemenid beginnings I B

Western Orientalist historiography; early sources of Iranian History; Prehistory in the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia

 

2 A - Achaemenid beginnings II A

Brief Diagram of the History of the Mesopotamian kingdoms and Empires down to Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau  

 

2 B - Achaemenid beginnings II B

The Neo-Assyrian Empire from Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE) to Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau 

 

3 A - Achaemenid beginnings III A

From Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) to Assurbanipal (669-625 BCE) to the end of Assyria (609 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau 

 

3 B - Achaemenid beginnings III B

The long shadow of the Mesopotamian Heritage: Assyria, Babylonia, Elam/Anshan, Kassites, Guti, Akkad,  and Sumer / Religious conflicts of empires – Monotheism & Polytheism

 

4 A - Achaemenid beginnings IV A

The Sargonid dynasty and the Divine, Universal Empire – the Translatio Imperii

 

4 B - Achaemenid beginnings IV B

Assyrian Spirituality, Monotheism & Eschatology; the imperial concepts of Holy Land (vs. barbaric periphery) and Chosen People (vs. barbarians)

 

5 A - Achaemenid beginnings V A

The Medes from Deioces to Cyaxares & Astyages

The early Achaemenids (Achaemenes & the Teispids)

 

5 B - Achaemenid beginnings V B

- Why the 'Medes' and why the 'Persians'?

What enabled these nations to form empires?

 

6 A - Zoroaster A

Shamanism-Tengrism; the life of Zoroaster; Avesta and Zoroastrianism

 

6 B - Zoroaster B

Mithraism vs. Zoroastrianism; the historical stages of Zoroaster's preaching and religion

 

7 A - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) I A

The end of Assyria, Nabonid Babylonia, and the Medes

 

7 B - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) I B

The Nabonidus Chronicle

 

8 A - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) II A

Cyrus' battles against the Medes

 

8 B - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) II B

Cyrus' battles against the Lydians

 

9 Α - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) III A

The Battle of Opis: the facts

 

9 Β - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) III B

Why Babylon fell without resistance

 

10 A - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) IV A

Cyrus Cylinder: text discovery and analysis

 

10 B - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) IV B

Cyrus Cylinder: historical continuity in Esagila

 

11 A - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) V A

Cyrus' Empire as continuation of the Neo-Assyrian Empire

 

11 B - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) V B

Cyrus' Empire and the dangers for Egypt 

 

12 A - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) VI A

Death of Cyrus; Tomb at Pasargad

 

12 B - Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) VI B

Posterity and worldwide importance of Cyrus the Great

 

13 A - Cambyses I A

Conquest of Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia: Sudan)

 

13 B - Cambyses I B

Iran as successor of Assyria in Egypt, and the grave implications of the Iranian conquest of Egypt

 

14 A - Cambyses II A

Cambyses' adamant monotheism, his clash with the Memphitic polytheists, and the falsehood diffused against him (from Egypt to Greece)

 

14 B - Cambyses II B

The reasons for the assassination of Cambyses

 

15 A - Darius the Great I A

The Mithraic Magi, Gaumata, and the usurpation of the Achaemenid throne

 

15 B - Darius the Great I B

Darius' ascension to the throne

 

16 A - Darius the Great II A

The Behistun inscription

 

16 B - Darius the Great II B

The Iranian Empire according to the Behistun inscription

 

17 A - Darius the Great III A

Military campaign in Egypt & the Suez Canal

 

17 B - Darius the Great III B

Babylonian revolt, campaign in the Indus Valley

 

18 A - Darius the Great IV A

Darius' Scythian and Balkan campaigns; Herodotus' fake stories

 

18 B - Darius the Great IV B

Anti-Iranian priests of Memphis and Egyptian rebels turning Greek traitors against the Oracle at Delphi, Ancient Greece's holiest shrine

 

19 A - Darius the Great V A

Administration of the Empire; economy & coinage

 

19 B - Darius the Great V B

World trade across lands, deserts and seas

 

20 A - Darius the Great VI A

Rejection of the Modern European fallacy of 'Classic' era and Classicism

 

20 B - Darius the Great VI B

Darius the Great as the end of the Ancient World and the beginning of the Late Antiquity (522 BCE – 622 CE)

 

21 A - Achaemenids, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and the Magi A

Avesta and the establishment of the ideal empire

 

21 B - Achaemenids, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and the Magi B

The ceaseless, internal strife that brought down the Xšāça (: Empire) 

 

22 A - The Empire-Garden, Embodiment of the Paradise A

The inalienable Sargonid-Achaemenid continuity as the link between Cosmogony, Cosmology and Eschatology

 

22 B - The Empire-Garden, Embodiment of the Paradise B

The Garden, the Holy Tree, and the Empire

 

23 A - Xerxes the Great I A

Xerxes' rule; his upbringing and personality

 

23 B - Xerxes the Great I B

Xerxes' rule; his imperial education

 

24 A - Xerxes the Great II A

Imperial governance and military campaigns

 

24 B - Xerxes the Great II B

The Anti-Iranian complex of inferiority of the 'Greek' barbarians (the so-called 'Greco-Persian wars')

 

25 A - Parsa (Persepolis) A

The most magnificent capital of the pre-Islamic world

 

25 B - Parsa (Persepolis) B

Naqsh-e Rustam: the Achaemenid necropolis: the sanctity of the mountain; the Achaemenid-Sassanid continuity of cultural integrity and national identity

 

26 A - Iran & the Periphery A

Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia, Tibet and China Hind (India), Bengal, Deccan and Yemen

 

26 B - Iran & the Periphery B

Sudan, Carthage and Rome

 

27 A - The Anti-Iranian rancor of the Egyptian Memphitic priests A

The real cause of the so-called 'Greco-Persian wars', and the use of the Greeks that the Egyptian Memphitic priests made

 

27 B - The Anti-Iranian rancor of the Egyptian Memphitic priests B

Battle of the Eurymedon River; Egypt and the Wars of the Delian League

 

28 A - Civilized Empire & Barbarian Republic A

The incomparable superiority of Iran opposite the chaotic periphery: the Divine Empire

 

28 B - Civilized Empire & Barbarian Republic B

Why the 'Greeks' and the Romans were unable to form a proper empire

 

29 A - Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) A

Revolt in Egypt; the 'Greeks' and their shame: they ran to Persepolis as suppliants

 

29 B - Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) B

Aramaeans and Jews in the Achaemenid Court

 

30 A - Interregnum (424-403 BCE) A

Xerxes II, Sogdianus, and Darius II

 

30 B - Interregnum (424-403 BCE) B

The Elephantine papyri and ostraca; Aramaeans, Jews, Phoenicians and Ionians

 

31 A - Artaxerxes II (405-359 BCE) & Artaxerxes III  (359-338 BCE) A

Revolts instigated by the Memphitic priests of Egypt and the Mithraic subversion of the Empire

 

31 B - Artaxerxes II (405-359 BCE) & Artaxerxes III  (359-338 BCE) B

Artaxerxes II's capitulation to the Magi and the unbalancing of the Empire / Cyrus the Younger

 

32 A - Artaxerxes IV & Darius III A

The decomposition of the Empire

 

32 B - Artaxerxes IV & Darius III B

Legendary historiography

 

33 A - Alexander's Invasion of Iran A

The military campaigns

 

33 B - Alexander's Invasion of Iran B

Alexander's voluntary Iranization/Orientalization

 

34 A - Alexander: absolute rejection of Ancient Greece A

The re-organization of Iran; the Oriental manners of Alexander, and his death

 

34 B - Alexander: absolute rejection of Ancient Greece B

The split of the Empire; the Epigones and the rise of the Orientalistic (not Hellenistic) world

 

35 A - Achaemenid Iran – Army A

Military History

 

35 B - Achaemenid Iran – Army B

Achaemenid empire, Sassanid militarism & Islamic Iranian epics and legends

 

36 A - Achaemenid Iran & East-West / North-South Trade A

The development of the trade between Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, Turan (Central Asia), Indus Valley, Deccan, Yemen, East Africa & China

 

36 B - Achaemenid Iran & East-West / North-South Trade B

East-West / North-South Trade and the increased importance of Mesopotamia and Egypt

 

37 A - Achaemenid Iran: Languages and scripts A

Old Achaemenid, Aramaic, Sabaean and the formation of other writing systems 

 

37 B - Achaemenid Iran: Languages and scripts B

Aramaic as an international language

 

38 A - Achaemenid Iran: Religions A

Rise of a multicultural and multi-religious world

 

38 B - Achaemenid Iran: Religions B

Collapse of traditional religions; rise of religious syncretism

 

39 A - Achaemenid Iran: Art and Architecture A

Major archaeological sites of Achaemenid Iran

 

39 B - Achaemenid Iran: Art and Architecture B

The radiation of Iranian Art

 

40 A - Achaemenid Iran: Historical Importance A

The role of Iran in the interconnection between Asia and Africa

 

40 B - Achaemenid Iran: Historical Importance B

The role of Iran in the interconnection between Asia and Europe

 

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Download the diagram here: 

https://megalommatis.wordpress.com/history-of-achaemenid-iran/

https://vk.com/megalommatis?w=wall429864789_8419%2Fall

 

 

 

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