Persian Empire, The

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dec 2006 by Rata, Tiberius

The Persian Empire. By Lindsay Alien. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005, 224 pp., $39.95.

Lindsay Allen's book is a must read for the scholar who is interested in the Persian Empire, the rise of Alexander the Great, and the biblical books of Esther, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Daniel. The historical, geographic, and archaeological detail that permeates the book through the use of primary sources and archaeological data makes this work stand apart from its counterparts.

The first chapter, "The Roots of Persian Rule," is valuable because it shows not only the genesis of the Persian Empire that was anchored around Cyrus the Great, but also illuminates the embryonic stages of the Persians that originated in the land ruled by the Medes (p. 15). Alien brilliantly surfaces the political and religions tensions that existed and accelerated the rise and fall of Assyria and Babylon as these events paved the way for the ascension of the Persians as the world power of the day.

The second chapter, "Conquest and Politics," focuses on the military conquests and political strategy of Darius I (522-486 BC) and Xerxes I (486-465 BC). Most remarkable is Alien's use of primary sources to bolster her arguments and to give insights into Darius's rise to the throne amid political conflict. The use of archaeological finds displayed throughout the book are invaluable in clearly communicating relevant information with regard to Darius's military campaigns in Greece and his son Xerxes's accession to the throne. Alien's intellectual authenticity and scholarly integrity are displayed when she admits when supposed evidence cannot be corroborated easily instead of making statements that cannot be confirmed (p. 52).

The third chapter, "Royal Capitals," enumerates the different citadels that at one point became the capital of the Persian Empire. Towering at 1800 meters, Ecbatana (Hegmataneh) was a key city during the Achaemenid dynasty and served as summer residence for the court (p. 62). One of the most renowned Persian capitals was Susa, a political and cultural center for centuries (p. 65). Tablet fragments uncovered reveal that Darius I engineered building projects early in his reign and provide a glimpse into the multi-faceted cultures of Medes, Egyptians, Sardians, and Babylonians present in Persia. Both Xerxes and Artaxerxes II continued building incursions in the capital between Mesopotamia and the Zagros mountains. The best preserved of the Achaemenid palace complexes is at Persepolis, the citadel founded by Darius the Great around 518 BC (p. 72). Before Alexander the Great destroyed it in 331 BC the city was known as Parsa. Darius I, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes I built both palaces and royal residences. Windows into the Persians' religious practices and economic practices are seen in the Persepolis Fortification Tablets, a collection of cuneiform writings discovered between 1931 and 1939. Babylon needs no introduction for the ANE scholar, yet few would correlate Babylon with Persia (p. 81). And that is for good reason. Although the city was considered a prized conquest for Cyrus and Darius, Babylon spent extended periods of times rebelling against the Persian kings even during the reign of Xerxes. Alien closes this chapter by making the case that Pasargadae was the oldest of the capitals of the Achaemenid empire, built by Cyrus the Great around 550 BC. The Greek historian Arrian attests that the tomb of Cyrus was found in "the royal paradise in Pasargadae" (p. 85).

The fourth chapter, "The Rivals: Regional Rulers and Reflections of Power," is valuable because of its insights into the power struggles between Xerxes II, Sogdianus, and Darius II following the death of their father Artaxerxes I. Xerxes's reign lasted only 45 days before he was assassinated by his brother Sogdianus, who in turn was killed by his brother Darius II, also known as Ochus (p. 102). The chapter also mentions Darius's conflict with the Medes, one of the few incidents in his nineteen-year reign. His son Artaxerxes II reigned in his place, but not before he was challenged by his brother Cyrus the Younger in the battle at Cunaxa in Babylonia (p. 104). Cyrus was killed in battle, and Artaxerxes's reign was marked by successful building projects at Susa, Ecbatana, and Babylon. Militarily, he had success against the Greeks, but struggled with the Egyptians who successfully rebelled during his reign (pp. 108-9).

The fifth chapter, "Peoples, Communication and Religion," relays vital information regarding the religious practices and beliefs of the Persians. Persian kings were polytheistic in both their faith and practice. Darius worshiped Ahuramazda as well as other unidentified gods (p. 122). Besides Ahuramazda, Artaxerxes II worshiped Anahita and Mithras. The Persians were influenced greatly by the Zoroastrian religion, from which they borrowed purity laws and also fire and earth reverence (pp. 128-29). The biblical books of Esther, Daniel, and Ezra-Nehemiah testify to the fact that some Persian kings came to know about Yahweh through their connection with the Jewish communities. The Bible affirms that some of the kings recognized Yahweh as the Creator God, the One who is sovereign, and in control of history (Ezra 1:1-4; Dan 6:25-28).