Background Guide EagleMUNC Boston College Model United Nations Conference Chair: Anna Ringheiser ringheia@bc.edu Website: www.eaglemunc.org March 18-20 2016
PERSIAN EMPIRE BACKGROUND GUIDE Introduction Delegates of the Persian Empire, My name is Anna Ringheiser and I am thrilled to be your chair for this committee in the fourth annual session of EagleMUNC. I am a sophomore at Boston College, majoring in international studies with a concentration in ethics and international social justice. I am also minoring in Islamic civilizations and societies. Outside of Model UN, I enjoy the Eagle Political Society, the Real Food Club, and fangirling the notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I have been deeply involved in Model UN since my freshman year of high school, going to conferences at nearby colleges here in Boston and serving as President of my school s club. As a sophomore here at BC, here for my second EagleMUNC, I am honored to serve as your chair for this exciting committee. In this committee, we will be working through one of the most impactful events of ancient history- the Peloponnesian Wars. While many know these wars as being between Athens and Sparta, the Persian Empire had a decisive role in shaping the outcome. While the Peloponnesian Wars are often seen to be of ancient times, they certainly affected the modern divisions of East and West. I encourage all of you to come prepared with a background in the history surrounding this committee and with strong positions. This guide is to serve as a background for your own research and preparations. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions regarding the committee. I look forward to working with you all and making this EagleMUNC a phenomenal experience for each and every one of you! Anna Ringheiser BC Class of 2018
Historical Background The origins of the Persian Empire can be traced back from 2000 B.C., with the peoples of northern and central Asia. From these people, the Aryans turned east towards the Indus River valley and began a civilization of their own, as the Medes turned westward toward Elamites. The Persians, a people of nomadic cultural tradition, remained on the fringes of the near east. The Persian Empire became the largest empire in antiquity in term of square miles, and even the Greeks recall the treasures of Persian kings as more good things then all the rest of the world put together. At its height, the Persian Empire stretched as Far East as Bactria, Sattagydia and the Indus. According to Herodotus, the nomadic Persians had only three simple goals in educating their sons: to ride a horse, to draw a bow, and to speak the truth. The Persians are remembered by history as a noble, anti-intellectual, and martial people. With its system of local rulers, or satraps, each ruling over satrapies, local cultures could maintain their customs and peace would be kept so long as they continued to pay their dues to the king and rebellion did not break out. However, Persia s weakness lay not in its scale of government, but in its choice of enemies.
Persian Empire, 500 B.C.E. The Persian Empire was itself formed when Cyrus the Great overtook King Astyages of Media, who dominated much of Iran and eastern Anatolia. Cyrus the great, born in 580 B.C., had military savvy combined with humanist politics. According to legend, King Cyrus of Anshan was sentenced to death by a former king nervous about the child s destiny, but was able to make his way back into the court after being raised by farmers since he had both Median and Persian heritage. Cyrus led a revolt against the Medes and overthrew them around 550 B.C., before turning against Lydia in the west in 546 B.C., followed by Babylon in the south in 539 B.C.
Cyrus is hailed as great not just because of his military savvy, but also because of his political and humanist appeal. In Lydia he was greeted as an enlightened conqueror. In Babylon he was remembered as a savior for freeing the Jews and settling them in Jerusalem. Wherever he conquered, he respected local traditions and religions enough to let them continue, leaving an example for future Persian rulers that allowed the widespread empire to last as long as it did. Though Cyrus died in battle in 530 B.C., he started the Achamenid dynasty on a strong course. Cyrus the Great (c. 580-530 B.C.) Cambyses, son of Cyrus, succeeded him for a short time before his son-in-law took the throne. In 525 B.C. Cambyses invaded Egypt. While he was away controlling Egypt, his brother Smerdis took control of the throne. Darius, holding that the man claiming to be Smerdis was in fact an imposter, killed him and assumed the throne. During the reign of Darius, Persepolis became the new capital. While the way Darius assumed the throne spawned some revolts across the empire, Darius continued the work of Cyrus to connect, consolidate, and develop the empire.
In the year 515 B.C., he began the construction of a stone highway from North Africa to India, stretching over 1500 miles that was to be called the royal road. Part of this plan to connect the far-flung reaches of the empire included building a gateway to North Africa and a 130-mile long canal to link the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Darius also reformed the military in terms of conscription and training. He standardized the Empire s weights and measures, and sponsored a mission to explore the Indian Ocean. Darius formed twenty large provinces, called satrapies, where provincial treasury officials, secretaries, and garrisons answered directly to him, instead of the satraps, in order to prevent rebellions. Persian Empire localities, c. 500 B.C.E. The strength, continued growth, and proximity of the Persian Empire began to frighten the city-states of Greece. In 478 B.C., the Ionian rebellion began the direct conflict between Greece and the Persian Empire. In particular, the region of Ionia was seen as dangerous because of its capacity to draw mainland Greece into the fray. Geographically, Ionia seemed a
natural extension of Persia s vast land empire, however culturally the Ionians were linked to the Greek-speaking people of the Aegean Sea. The Ionians turned to the Spartans and Athenians for help. Even though the Athenians agreed to aid them, the rebellion failed and Darius wanted to punish the Athenians who aided the treacherous Ionians. The Greek World During the Persian Wars (500-479 B.C.E.) In 492 B.C. and 490 B.C. Darius made attempts on the Athenians and failed. In 492 B.C., Darius attempted to invade mainland Greece, but returned because of a storm that ruined most of his fleet. In 490 B.C., the Persians meet Athens and Corinth at the Battle of Marathon. The Greeks were outnumbered ten to one, however they won a decisive victory, ending in the retreat of the Persians. Although the Greeks were smaller in number, their
martial tradition, familiarity with the local land, reliance on duplicity, and a refusal to join combat unless ideal conditions were met helped them overcome the Persians. With the death of Darius in 486 B.C., King Xerxes assumed the throne with intentions to avenge his father in Greece. The Greeks had also been preparing, with the creation of the Greek League against Persia in 481 B.C. Command of the army was given to Sparta, while that of the navy to Athens. The Greek fleet numbered around 350 vessels and was thus only about one-third the size of the Persian fleet. In 480 B.C., Xerxes attacked Greece via land and sea, defeating the Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae and sacks Athens. However, also in 480 B.C., the Persians were defeated at the battle of Salamis, and with winter approaching and a rebellion in Babylonia stirring they retreat. While the Persians moved out, they left behind a memory of hate with the Greek people. In 479 B.C. at the battle of Plataea, the Persians ended their invasions, although fighting between Greece and Persia continued for another 30 years. Led by the Athenians, the newly formed Delian League went on the offensive to free the Ionian city-states on the Anatolian coast. The league had mixed success, and in 449 B.C., the Peace of Kallias excluded the Persian fleet from the Aegean and guaranteed the independence of the Greek states of Asia Minor (Brittanica). Current Issues While these direct battles between Greece and Persia had been happening, trouble was also brewing between the rival powers of Sparta and Athens within Greece. The Peloponnesian Wars occurred in two stages: the first from 460-466 B.C., the second from 432-404 B.C. The
second stage is considered to be the most significant. These wars arose out of the overlapping spheres of influence between Sparta and Athens. Sparta became alarmed at the growing power of the fleet of Athens, its project to rebuild a wall protecting its harbor, and the possibility of Corinth joining the Athenian side. The Peloponnesian league (505-365 B.C.) was created opposite the Delian League (Corinth, Elis, Tegea, etc.). The first war was less intense than the second and was mostly between Athens and Corinth. Then, there was 30 years of relative peace before war broke out again in 431 B.C. Persia had the option of giving money to Sparta, so it could build a fleet to challenge the Athenians, in return for Sparta recognizing sovereignty over Asia Minor. In 405 B.C., Lysander defeated the Athenians at Aegospotami near the Hellespont where 170 Athenian ships are captured and at least 3000 Athenian captives were executed. The Peloponnesian wars are remembered by Greece as one of the most bloodied times of their history. As Thucydides writes, never had so many human beings been exiled, or so much human blood been shed. In 396 B.C. through 387 B.C., continued Spartan ambitions drag into new conflict, as Corinthian wars with Athens and Thebes, Corinth and Persia finally reach a king s peace, where Sparta ceded its empire to Persia, but Sparta was left to dominate Greece.
The Delian League (Athens) and The Peloponnesian League (Sparta): The Delian League is in Yellow. The Peloponnesian League is in Red. Bloc Positions This body will be considering the Peloponnesian conflict from the perspective of the Persian Empire. Some may want to focus on any internal disruptions in the Persian Empire. With its system of satrapies, though generally stable, there is always possibility of rebellion in any of the wide reaching provinces of the kingdom. It may be best to forget about the conflict in the Aegean and focus on stabilizing the empire of Persia from within. Some may want to side exclusively with the Athenians, who may prove a better partner than the Spartans. Some may want to side exclusively with the Spartans, who may seem to be taking a lead in the war. Some may say it is better not to take sides exclusively and to act in the interests in continuing
the war, even though this runs the risk of instability spreading into Persia and clouding trade on the Aegean Sea. Questions to Consider Looking at the conflicts between Sparta and Athens, this body must consider what is in the best interests of Persia. This committee ought to consider the histories between itself and Sparta as well as Athens, respectively. I encourage each delegate to closely consider when it is appropriate to act, and when it is in the best interests of Persia to tend to any issues within the empire. While Persia could act to prolong the conflict in the Aegean, this committee must seriously consider whether this is the best course of action for Persia and the region in the long term. All delegates are encouraged to do additional research on their individual positions and consider what they might do in their power for the prolonged success of the Persian Empire. If any delegates have additional questions regarding their positions or the committee in general, please do not hesitate to email. I look forward to an enjoyable and productive committee, as we represent one of the most powerful empires of Antiquity.
Works Cited Ancient Persia : Advanced Technology the Persian Empire (Full Documentary). 2013. Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. "The Achaemenid Persian Empire (550 330 B.C.)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acha/hd_acha.htm (October 2004) Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Greco-Persian Wars", accessed September 07, 2015, http://www.britannica.com/event/greco-persian-wars. Gascoigne, Bamber. The Greco-Persian Wars HistoryWorld. From 2001, ongoing. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?paragraphid=cee Cartwright, Mark. "Peloponnesian War." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Vox, 1 June 2013. Web. 6 Sept. 2015. <http://www.ancient.eu/peloponnesian_war/>. O'Brien, Cormac. "Achaemenid Persia." The Fall of Empires: From Glory to Ruin, an Epic Account of History's Ancient Civilization. New York: Fall River, 2009. 104-21. Print.