imperial administration Flashcards
ways to consider the persian court
spatial vs institutional vs social
OR
inner vs outer - positions attendants as innermost circle despite lack of rank - or could prioritise rank instead (but then those with higher positions that are less intimate with the king are still considered inner circle)
origins of the idea of satrapies
Herodotus says Darius sets up 20 satrapies but no attestation of an old persian term from which the greek ‘satrapes’ can be derived -> perhaps from iranian dialect or something
several versions of the map - division into satrapies heavily contested - 3 sources we have do not agree
Tulip constructs a list from all the persian documentation we have and also herodotus - all in all not so much disagreement
taxation in the satrapies
funnelling resources to the centre
revenue assessed according to productive capacity and specialist commodities (herodotus 6 - after revolt of Ionia)
tax tickets for individuals found - individual required to pay silver babylonia - has increased recorded taxation and tribute under Darius (generally credited for regularising the system)
satrapal income
land taxation, cattle tax, duties from markets, individual taxation, obligation for labour or military service - varies from region to region and usually in line with pre-established local system
satraps also seemingly under a pressure to raise enough tax money - satrap failing to raise enough money in greek cities so went into discussions with the spartans against other greeks to meet quota
taxation in egypt
papyrus shows that duty was imposed on ships passing through - use of the nile for trade - unclear in what proportion the goods are given to the royal treasury vs to the local area
administrative languages of the achaemenid empire
akkadian not used in admin, dominant languages are aramaic and elamite in imperial admin
Aramaic - potential admin language of the provinces? unfortunately mostly written on perishable medium and so mostly have secondary indication of it - seals that survive which include an aramaic inscription
old persian - only one old persian admin document found at persepolis - but writer of said evidence gives no indication that this is atypical or that anyone would have difficulty reading it
sources for persian army
mostly evidence for army is either from high empire or external greek sources
early sources - foreign subjects levied into army (medes and persians on lydian campaigns, greeks in egyptian campaigns) - darius and xerxes multi-ethnic force
persian army set up from the sources
early empire: foreign subjects levied into army (medes and persians on lydian campaigns, greeks on egyptian campaigns) - by darius and xerxes (multi-ethnic force)
mercenaries play significant role and even more so in 4th century BC
core of army - persians (infantry and cavalry) - including elite troop
creation of the persian navy
core of initial persian army is land-based
subjugation of ionia, phoenicia and egypt gave access to sea-faring peoples
cambyses creates a persian fleet - by darius and xerxes made significant naval power
post-conquest administration
imposed garrisons
collaboration with local officials - maintaining local system of governance beneath a persian satrap
installing defectors or exiles as local rulers loyal to themselves (syloson at samos)
create ongoing relationships of collaboration and reciprocity between persian king and local elites
emergence of local dynasties under persian rule and patterns of cultural patronage
evidence of client rulers
udjahorresnet - claims to have served under egyptian king amasis AND cambyses/darius
(naophoros statue of udjahorresnet)
cultural patronage from cambyses in egypt
