NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE, 612-550 B.C.

ACHAEMENID PERSIA, 550-331 B.C.

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NEO-BABYLONIAN EMPIRE, 612-550 B.C.

• King Nebuchadnezzar, 605-562 B.C.
  • built Hanging Gardens" for his wife, who missed her mountainous homeland
  • Babylon excavated in 1899--splendid cultured city
    • Ishtar Gate and processional way: glazed brick, with animals in relief

   

ACHAEMENID PERSIA, 550-331 B.C.

History

• empire founded by Cyrus the Great, c. 550 B.C.
• consolidated by Darius I, 520-486 and son Xerxes, 486-465 B.C.
• Persia conquered by Alexander the Great, 331 B.C.&emdash;battle of the Issus (River)

Culture

• Indo-European language
• Zoroastrian religion; pantheon led by celestial fire god Ahuramazda
  • cosmic struggle of good/light vs. evil/darkness
  • priestly caste, the Magi, direct religious rituals
• native animal-style metalwork
• Mesopotamian influence: cylinder seals, cuneiform script

Monuments

• capital at Persepolis founded by Darius
  • palace complex with hypostyle halls
  • fluting and mouldings from Asia Minor Greeks
  • door-frames of Egyptian type; some Mesopotamian influences too
  • other Persian features
    • animal column-capitals
    • processional reliefs on staircase
• Bisitun inscription
  • trilingual inscription (Persian, Elamite, Akkadian) from Bisitun (SW Iran)
  • led to decipherment of cuneiform script
• relief carving of Darius