Miscellaneous

In the 5th century bc, the Persian empire fought the city-states of Greece in one of the approximately profoundly symbolic struggles in history. Their wars would tick the viability of a new direction in Western culture, for pull down as Greece stood poised to embark on an unprecedented expedition of the mind, Persia threatened to prevent the Hellenes from ever achieving their destiny. Persia represented the old ship canal â€" a world of magi and god- major powers, where priests stood guard over knowledge and emperors set even their highest subjects as slaves. The Greeks had cast off their own god-kings and were expert beginning to test a limited concept of political freedom, to innovate in art, literature and religion, to develop new ways of thinking, unfettered by priestly tradition. And yet, despite those fundamental differences, the most memorable battle between Greeks and Persians would hinge on little ideological and more universal factors: the personality of a king and the training and courage of an extraordinary band of warriors.
The long travel plan to battle at Thermopylae began in what is now Iran, center of attention of the once vast Persian empire. Nowadays, ancient ruins attest to its long-vanished enceinteness, except to the Greeks of the early 5th century bc, the Persian empire was young, hard-hitting and dangerous.



Persian expansion had begun in the mid-6th century, when its first shah, or great king, Cyrus, had led a revolt against the dominant Medes. By 545 bc, Cyrus had widen Persian hegemony to the coast of Asia Minor.
The Greeks of Asia Minor were blessed during their period of subjugation only insofar as the Persian kings generally remained aloof figures of power. Stories abounded of executions and tortures ordered on the whims of angry monarchs. One shahs wife reportedly had 14 children buried alive in an attempt to tell on death. There seems to have been little escape from the arbitrary tyranny of the rulers known by the Greeks simply as the King or the Great King, enforced by a system of...If you inadequacy to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



If you want to get a full essay, wisit our page: write my essay .