Excavations In Iran Unravel Mystery Of 'Red Snake' Feb 27, 2008
At the time, when the Western Roman Empire was collapsing and even the Eastern Roman Empire was under great external pressure, the Sasanian Persian Empire mustered the manpower to build and garrison a monument of greater scale than anything comparable in the west. The Persians seem to match, or more than match, their late Roman rivals in army strength, organisational skills, engineering and water management. (Science Daily)
Sharply drawn life in Iran Feb 19, 2008
Persepolis, which means "City of the Persians," is the burial place of kings in Iran and a site that symbolizes the ancient Persian empire in all its glory. Extrapolate at will. (Edmonton Sun)
Welcome to the desert Feb 8, 2008
Before the Islamic conquests (633 - 656), Zoroastrianism was the state religion of the Persian empire. "This is a very honest city because Zoroastrianism stresses the importance of truth," said one shopkeeper when asked about the legacy of the faith. (CNN -- International)
Vacationing in Hugo Chvez's Bolivarian Paradise Feb 7, 2008
He was on location at an oil refinery, and in the snippet I caught, he warned Bush not to underestimate the great "Persian empire," that great friend of Venezuela, and he boasted that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would be visiting Caracas soon. At dinner, back at the lodge, we chatted with our next-door neighbors (gracious providers of anti-inflammatory pills and shampoo), a dapper couple from Bariloche, Argentina. (Slate)
Iran Must Face Their Own Past Jan 30, 2008
On January 22, 2007, the Islamist Minister of Energy announced the intention to use the lake Sivand dam to submerge the ancient archeological sites of Bolaghi Gorge, Pasargad Plains and Persepolis, the capital of the then Persian Empire. There is where the tomb of King Cyrus the Great is housed. (Human Events Online)
Every society needs second-milers Jan 26, 2008
It probably dates all the way back to the Persian Empire in the sixth century B.C. The Persian Empire stretched from Greece in the west to India in the east. The Persians occupied vast territories of conquered nations, including Palestine. (Wasilla Frontiersman, AK)
Review: 'Persepolis' is glorious Jan 15, 2008
When it comes to that deceptively simple but very important job of putting a familiar face on a stranger, "Persepolis" -- which refers to the ancient capital of the Persian Empire before it was destroyed by Alexander the Great -- may achieve more than any of this season's soul-searching Iraq war movies. As it goes on, this becomes a story about conformity and individualism, and it's worth noting that Marjane is both more readily recognizable -- and more of an individualist -- than a lip-service... (CNN -- Showbiz)
Lincoln connects Achaemenian Persia to events at Abu Ghraib Jan 11, 2008
Some peers suggested that this method of making connections between the Persian Empire and the accounts of violence at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad in 2004 might undermine the book ... In the citation for the award, the ASOR credited Lincoln for his reading of texts from the Persian Empire relating to imperial theology, and specifically commended him for including the post-script, writing: At the end of his study, he brings us back to the present with his fascinating analysis of the... (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Atheist's daughter fights moment-of-silence law Oct 30, 2007
wrote on Oct 29, 2007 2:36 PM:" The entire Christian business model (lets face it, it is a business and business is good) seems to have a lot in common with the methods of King Xerxes, leader of the Persian Empire. All Xerxes demanded of King Leonidas was that he kneel and accept Xerxes as his King and God. If he did that, he would live a wonderful, rich life. If not, he would be killed. Accept Jesus, live in Heaven, reject Jesus, burn in hell! Somewhat of a bully, isn't he?? Where do people get... (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Looking for underdog? It's not Red Sox Oct 13, 2007
They dismantled baseball's version of the Persian Empire and are a symbol of hope for underdogs everywhere. But they're not underdogs. (Daily Collegian, PA)
Ancient Mesopotamia in London, UK Oct 9, 2007
The history of Cunieform Script, Babylonian Rulers, the Persian Empire, the world's first board games and charter of human rights on the British Museum's free guided tour ... The group is also informed about the genesis of many of our modern laws, many having been created by Babylonian ruler Hammurabi, with a first charter of human rights drawn up by the leader of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. (Suite101.com)
Iran dam sparks protest over ancient tomb Oct 3, 2007
The 2,500-year-old tomb of Cyrus the Great, a revered king of the Persian Empire, is seen at Pasargadae outside Shiraz, south of Tehran ... For 2,500 years, the tomb of Cyrus the Great has stood on the plain at Pasargadae in southern Iran, a simple but dignified monument to a king revered as the founder of the mighty Persian empire. (MSNBC -- Environment)
A real success story in the US's Iraq: Iran Sep 20, 2007
In establishing the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Persian Empire in 1639, the Treaty of Qasr-i-Shirin demarcated the boundary between Sunni-ruled lands and Shi'ite-ruled lands. For eight years of brutal warfare in the 1980s, Iran tried to breach that line but could not. (Asia Times Online)
Lessons from the Hellenistic Age Sep 8, 2007
His latest discourse, The Hellenistic Age, covers the history and culture of the Greek/Macedonian world, including Alexander the Great's invasion of the Persian Empire and Octavian's conquest of the last surviving Hellenistic kingdom by defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra at Actium. The novelist, poet, and film critic relates these ancient centuries to the current political climate, saying the three time periods covered in the book contain numerous unnerving parallels to today - chief among... (Daily Iowan, IA)
The Vinyl Word Sep 1, 2007
Cher's career ranks with tiny Macedonia's fourth-century BC conquest of the Persian Empire and Arthur Ashe's 1975 Wimbledon triumph over Jimmy Connors as the most shockingly unexpected events in all of human history. Like these unforeseeable developments, whose capacity to astonish us has not diminished with the passage of time, Cher's career cannot be explained by conventional methods. (Guardian Unlimited)
Iran's Government Must Answer Questions Over Artifacts in U.S., Judge Says Jul 31, 2007
Iran's lawyer, Thomas Corcoran Jr., has argued that the antiquities, about 300 clay tablets from the Persian Empire estimated to be 2,500 years old, are protected by the federal Foreign Sovereigns Immunity Act. Strachman, a partner in the Providence, Rhode Island, firm of McIntyre, Tate & Lynch, said the artifacts can be seized under the U.S. Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. (Bloomberg -- Europe)
US-Iran dialogue on a tortuous path Jul 26, 2007
An editorial in a Kuwait paper close to the royal family has castigated Tehran for dreaming of the resurrection of the "defunct Persian Empire". This was strongly denied by Tehran's leadership, who rely on the slogan of "Islamic unity", even though to many Sunni Arabs in GCC states it rings hollow. (Asia Times Online)
Lendman: Saving A President Jul 25, 2007
" Other Israeli national security officials have a contrary view, but their assessment gets no press attention. They believe the Iranian government is rational and not about to wage war with Israel, the US, or any other nation. Israel and the US know it, but neither state says so publicly. If Iran attacked Israel, it would be committing suicide. It would guarantee a full-scale US and Israeli response, possibly with nuclear weapons, that would devastate the country. In addition, no... (Zmag.org)
A political program to exit Iraq Jul 3, 2007
To be sure, Iranian leaders may believe that the wind is at their backs, that the moment is uniquely favorable to realize millennial visions of a reincarnated Persian empire or a reversal of the Shiite-Sunni split under Shiite domination. On the other hand, if prudent leaders exist - which remains to be determined - they might come to the conclusion that they had better treat these advantages as a bargaining chip in a negotiation rather than risk them in a contest over domination of the region. (International Herald Tribune)
Study: Today's tame tabby direct descendant of wild cats Jun 29, 2007
"So cats weren't domesticated in Europe, for instance, and they weren't domesticated in the Persian Empire or India or somewhere in Africa. What that means is that cats themselves moved.". "The cats were taken (to other regions) through trade or travel or inherent spreading.". (AZCentral -- News)
Everyday Text Shows That Old Persian Was Probably More Commonly Used Than Previously Thought Jun 23, 2007
Now we can see that Persians living in Persia at the high point of the Persian Empire wrote down ordinary day-to-day matters in Persian language and Persian script, said Gil Stein, Director of the Oriental Institute ... Knowing that, they could understand the inscriptions of Darius, Xerxes and their successors, the kings of the Persian Empire founded by Cyrus the Great in the mid-sixth century B.C. and destroyed by Alexander the Great and his successors after 330 B.C. ... The Archive includes... (Science Daily)
Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban... Jun 7, 2007
TOP BLOTTER CATEGORIES. Document: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban. (The Drudge Report)
CIS: Is South Caucasus 'Region' An Artificial Construct? Jun 3, 2007
"People who lived in the South Caucasus did not understand this unity, because it hadn t existed before. Prior to this, inhabitants of the South Caucasus had identified themselves as part of wider communities -- as citizens or subjects of the Persian Empire, the Ottoman Empire. Or they identified themselves in more local terms.". Periods Of Union. (EurasiaNet.org)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH : AMBASSADOR JOSEPH WILSON By Robin Keats May 27, 2007
KEATS: Would you speak to the point that Iran is working on getting the bomb and then Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others may feel they should be rushing to build their nuclear weapons to catch up with the so-called Persian Empire. And what about the irony that these countries would do this now that Iran is on that course but didn t do so even after Israel built one decades ago. (Brentwood Media Group, CA)
GUEST COLUMN: Keeping a dialogue with Iran essential - Tuesday, May 22, 2007 May 22, 2007
Iran is heir to the great Persian Empire, the likes of which the world had never seen. And, for 500 years, Iran has been the world's only Shia Islam nation. (Missoulian, MT)
Back to the future (Barry Casselman) May 18, 2007
In another article on Egypt, "The Boss Takes a Hand," one of current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's predecessors, strongman Mohammed Naguib, is described as imposing his will on the government, saying, there are "still in the country elements who actively working to frustrate our movement. We'll crush them -- we'll shoot them if necessary." Next to the article on Egypt was an article on Iran, "Two Steps Forward," which describes Iranian strongman Mohammed Mossadegh's efforts to reform the... (Washington Times, DC)
How geology came to help Alexander the Great May 16, 2007
Alexander knew that Tyre had to be seized before he could safely move south to Egypt and then turn inland to conquer the Persian Empire. In a determined attack, Alexander's engineers used timber and ruins from the old centre of Tyre on the coast to build a 1-kilometre-long 'mole', or causeway, to the island. (Nature News Service)
Religion historians will explore Zoroastrianism, ancient, Persian religion, at May 11 conference May 11, 2007
Similar ideas to Zoroastrianism played a powerful role in the Persian empire of Cyrus, Darius and Xerxes, from 550 to 330 B.C., and influenced the development of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Manichaeanism and other religions, Lincoln said. Recent Research on Religion in Ancient Iran will bring some of the world s leading experts to Swift Hall Friday, May 11. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
The Complete Book of Esther May 9, 2007
Notably for our purposes, he rules the Jews, who have been liberated from their Babylonian oppressors and now live throughout the Persian empire. Soon after he inherits the throne, Ahasuerus decides to hold a six-month-long party in his capital, Shushan (a precursor to the the last Shah of Iran held in 1971, a four-day, $100 million blowout feast celebrating the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian empire) ... If you wiped out the Jews in the Persian empire, you wiped them out, period. (Slate)
Middle East Apr 29, 2007
- Sami Moubayed (Mar 26, '07)SPENGLERIran's tantrum over the portrayal of the 5th-century BC Persian Empire in the film 300 is very Persian, but not at all Islamic. Iran's new imperial ambitions inspire its impassioned defense of the ancient Persian Empire, whose demise the Koran clearly celebrated. (Asia Times Online)
Iranian dam unleashes torrent of controversy Apr 27, 2007
Thousands of activists have rallied and petitioned the Government not to flood the dam, which is only seven kilometres from Pasargadae - the first capital of the Persian empire. During a visit to the area earlier this month, President Mahmood Ahmadinejad ordered the inauguration of the Sivand Dam. (ABC News Online, Australia -- World)
Turkmenistan Timeline Apr 24, 2007
6th century BC - Territory of present-day Turkmenistan comprises part of the Persian Empire. 7th century AD - Arabs introduce Islam in what is now Turkmenistan, after conquering Central Asia. (EurasiaNet.org)
Blows to head killed volunteer, police say Apr 22, 2007
IRAN Dam protesters say ancient sites at risk TEHRAN -- About 100 Iranians protested in Tehran against a new dam yesterday, saying it threatened to damage archeological sites in the south of the country dating to the first Persian empire almost 2,600 years ago. The protesters demanded the resignation of Esfandiar Rahim Mashai, head of the state culture and heritage organization. (Boston Globe)
Iranian protesters say dam threatens ancient site Apr 22, 2007
TEHRAN (Reuters) - About 100 Iranians protested in Tehran against a new dam on Saturday, saying it threatened to damage archaeological sites in the south of the country dating to the first Persian empire almost 2,600 years ago ... 5 miles) from Pasargadae, the first capital of the Persian empire where its founder Cyrus the Great was buried ... They also say it would submerge the nearby Bolaghi Gorge, through which one of the Persian empire's most important roads ran. (Scientific American)
Iran dam opens amid heritage fear Apr 20, 2007
What has worried some experts is that the dam is very close to Cyrus the Great's tomb and his palace, monuments honouring the founder of the Persian empire. Some experts argue that the dam will increase humidity in the area, sharply exacerbating an already serious problems with lichen eating away at the 2,500-year-old stones. (BBC News)
Iran: Political and Religious Leaders Play the Nationalist Card Apr 20, 2007
At the same time, state-run television broadcast programming that touted the glories of the ancient Persian Empire, as well as recalled great nationalist uprisings. Such programming was rarely seen on Iranian channels prior to the Supreme Leader s New Year s address. (EurasiaNet.org)
This Is Madness Apr 20, 2007
Just picture yourself leading 300 Greeks (that's 1,800 abs) against the massive armies of the Persian Empire, led by the evil, pierced, and preening King Xerxes. Since your Spartans are the deadliest soldiers in the world, the Persians' only chance is to smother you with sheer numbers so every level should force you to cut a bloody swath through hordes of invaders, taking on 5, 10, even 20 at a time, doing as much damage as possible to back them off for another day. (City Pages)
- Cristina Odone Apr 15, 2007
Would Richard Eyre and Robert Winston, fellow judges, really find themselves arguing about the merits of a chronicle of the Persian empire or a royal art collection with the same intensity they would argue over a heart-wrenching novel. Fiction, by offering an escape route, captivates; nonfiction, with its battery of facts, has struck me too often as a lesson. (Guardian Unlimited)
Don't ask, don't tell about the real "300" Apr 9, 2007
John wrote on April 08, 2007 12:53 AM:"Apparently to you art is not about a romanticized version of reality, but to you art is supposed to be a documentary of reality? Thanks for completely wasting my time. That you harp on historical inaccuracies in a film that has monsters, goat-men, a 14 foot tall Xerxes, and a sword-armed green blob executioner, is beyond absurd. I would've thought that stuff gave it away that it was no attempt at historical accuracy. But your multiculturalist garbage also... (North County Times)
It could be the anti-Iraq Apr 4, 2007
Iraq was a League of Nations mandate created at a pen stroke in April 1920 out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, while the Persian Empire has been a unitary state since Cyrus the Great in 550 B.C. One chronic weakness of Persia has been its frequent submission to the influence of other empires. Thus Iran is wary of America as a global power and at the same time seeks U.S. recognition of Iranian legitimacy. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
War? You must be joking Apr 4, 2007
Pride in the legacy of the Persian Empire and 2,500 years of history provides them with faith in their nation's destiny. Many Iranians tend to see the current confrontation with the United States as a transient crisis, another episode in Iran's long and tortuous history. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
New Iranian TV footage of captured servicemen 'unacceptable' Apr 3, 2007
I do blame British navy policy of not firing until fired upon, Iran doesn't believe it truly has "any" line on the map type of border, other than the historical Persian empire, force is the only thing they respect even if they bring certain doom down on their heads, then they can play "victim". The saying is if you see someone pointing a camera at you, you know the bad guys are over there. (Yahoo News -- Iran)
Al Qaeda Releases Video of an Alleged Attack on U.S. Forces in Afghanistan Apr 2, 2007
The video clip was titled "Holocaust of the Americans in the land of Khorasan, the Islamic emirate." Khorasan, a name from the Persian empire, is the militant word for Afghanistan. The video carried a subtitle that read "A heroic operation against an American center in Kunar." It showed four bearded young fighters wearing traditional Afghani clothing and ammunition vests, carrying machine guns as they walked down a single-track trail road hugging the mountainside. (Fox News -- Views)
Once were (gym) warriors Apr 1, 2007
The huge Persian empire held sway over large parts of Asia and bits of Europe for several centuries. In the 5th century BC, though, parts of Greece were still holding out; they defeated the Persian army in 490BC at Marathon. (Mail & Guardian Online)
Real battles with Iran lie ahead Mar 31, 2007
While the film's director (Zack Snyder) and executive producer (Frank Miller) protest that it is merely a historical fantasy, this does nothing to ease the violence it inflicts on modern perceptions of the ancient Persian Empire. The film 300 focuses on the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, where a small Spartan army was able to resist a much larger Persian force for several days before being defeated. (Asia Times Online)
A Small but Mighty Religion; What we Believe: Zoroastrianism Mar 30, 2007
The Bhagalias are Parsis, direct descendants of a group of Zoroastrians who fled with the sacred fire to India in the 10th century as the ancient Persian Empire crumbled. "It is the religion of my ancestors going back in an unbroken lineage for thousands of years," Bhagalia said. (North County Times)
Sparring over the Spartans Mar 30, 2007
Herodotus' account of the battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Spartan soldiers held a mountain pass for three days against the armies of the Persian empire in 483 BC, is one of the all-time great stories. Defeated only because they were betrayed, the Spartan king Leonidas and his men are synonymous with Boys' Own ideals of courage, self-sacrifice and sheer fighting prowess. (The Age, Australia -- Entertainment)
The Most Un-Islamic Republic of Persia Mar 27, 2007
"A new Persian Empire masquerading as an Islamic Republic," I called Iran last year (, November 21) ... Iran's uninterrupted tantrum over the portrayal of the 5th-century BC Persian Empire in a US film is very Persian, but not at all Islamic ... These new imperial ambitions inspire Iran's impassioned defense of the ancient Persian Empire, which, as noted, trample over the Koran's clear view of the matter. (Asia Times Online)
Jim Nantzs 63-day run historic? What about Marco Polo? Mar 26, 2007
Alexander the Great: Over a 13-year period beginning in 336 B.C., The Big A as he was tabbed in the tabloids conquered the Persian Empire, including Anatolia, Syria, Phoenicia, Judea, Gaza, Egypt, Bactria and Mesopotamia, then continued eastward as far as the Punjab, hoping to find the edge of the world. His unrelenting military march was popularly referred to as The Road to the Final Frontier. (Charleston Gazette, WV -- Sports)
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: '300': Fact or fiction? Mar 24, 2007
The defenders claimed their fight was for the survival of a free people against subjugation by the Persian Empire. Many of the film's corniest lines -- such as the Spartan dare, "Come and take them," when ordered by the Persians to hand over their weapons, or the Spartans' flippant reply, "Then we will fight in the shade," when warned that Persian arrows will blot out the sun -- actually come from ancient accounts by Herodotus and Plutarch. (Washington Times)
Battling evil with abs of steel Mar 23, 2007
of Spartans did at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC against the invading hordes of the Persian Empire - much, perhaps, as al-Qaeda held off the swarms of Afghan, British and American soldiers in the rugged terrain of the Tora Bora Mountains in 2001 to fight again another day. So then why are assorted neo-conservatives and other war hawks hailing the movie with such enthusiasm. (Asia Times Online)
Iran outraged over depiction of ancient Persia in 300 Mar 23, 2007
Cartledge also said the Persian Empire was not a one-dimensional barbaric despotism but actually quite civilized and tolerant in many ways even if by no means well disposed to Greek-style democracy. Search. (Globe and Mail)
"300" Racist? Mar 22, 2007
"I left the theater furious. They've got all the blacks and people who look like me behaving like animals when the Persian Empire was one of the greatest forces of civilization in history," Chee blogs at. "The movie does take some liberties on the history as well as making the Persians seem inhuman and mutants in some cases," a blogger at writes. (CBS News)
Persian holiday Mar 22, 2007
The turning of the year, timed to the spring equinox, kicks off about two weeks of partying for the people of the former Persian Empire. In Iran, schools are closed, and most adults are on vacation, says Forouz Radnejad, a board member of the Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno. (Fresno Bee)
'300' Fact or Fiction? Mar 22, 2007
The defenders claimed their fight was for the survival of a free people against subjugation by the Persian Empire ... The defenders claimed their fight was for the survival of a free people against subjugation by the Persian Empire. (Townhall.com)
Iranian exiles see film 300 as an attempt to vilify Persians Mar 22, 2007
300, the latest film to be based on one of Frank Miller's graphic novels, is a version of the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C., when some 300 Spartans held off a massive army from the Persian Empire and won a moral victory. Tehran-born Ali Farahani, who lives in Irvine, California, says the movie sets the stage for what he sees coming: a U.S. showdown with Iran. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
In brief: Cruise in talks to acquire Coppola film Mar 20, 2007
The film, a comic book adaptation of the Battle of Thermopylae pitting the Greek city-states against the Persian empire in 480BC, buried the competition in every country where it screened, from South Korea to Turkey. The movie has so far earned $24m (12. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
B-52 Schneider's first hockey game Mar 19, 2007
The country of Iran is reportedly angry over the depiction of the Persian Empire in the movie 300. Not only that, the Syrian government s upset that Eddie Murphy didn t win an Oscar for Dreamgirls. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
'300' is not great art but it is great trash Mar 16, 2007
300' is not great art but it is great trash - The Lexington Dispatch (Foster's Daily Democrat)
Movie review: Even with flaws, ‘300’ is fun Mar 15, 2007
The new period picture 300 examines the battle of Thermopylae, a famous last stand that pitted 300 Spartans against the might of the Persian Empire at a strategic pass in 480 B.C. If you re familiar with the Alamo or the Battle of the Little Bighorn, then you get the basic idea. The brave fight emboldened the Greek states to join together in pushing back a Persian advance into the Grecian peninsula and the whole of ancient Europe. (Lompoc Record, CA)
Persian New Year full of symbolism, savory foods Mar 15, 2007
Dating to pre-Islamic times, when much of the massive Persian Empire followed the religion of Zoroastrianism, Norouz today is the biggest holiday of the year in Iran. Schools and businesses are closed, and the most prosperous take their vacation or retreat to the countryside. (North County Times)
300 Sparks an Outcry in Iran Mar 15, 2007
" demanded an elderly lady buying tuberoses. "Yes, truly it is a grave offense," I said, shaking my own bunch of irises. Related The ancient battle drama is a Spartanian smash I returned home to discover my family in a similar state of pique. My sister-in-law sat behind her laptop, sending off an e-mail petition against the film to half of Tehran, while my husband leafed through a book on the Achaemenid Empire, noting that Herodotus had estimated the Persian army at 120,000 men, not one million... (Time.com)
Iran condemns Hollywood war epic Mar 14, 2007
----------------- ----------------- RELATED BBC SITES. Last Updated: Tuesday, 13 March 2007, 14:43 GMT. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Peace activists to rally at Pelosi's San Francisco home Mar 12, 2007
restoring the persian empire" Steve wrote on March 12, 2007 3:36 AM:"That's funny. I thought her position as a member of Congress meant that she represented the United States, not just San Franciscans. (North County Times)
Slayings take toll in '300' Mar 9, 2007
So when an effete emissary of the dread Persian empire comes calling and utters the forbidden word "submission," it's clear that things aren't going to end well. Never mind that the creepy Ephors, pestilent elders who leer at half-naked female oracles, don't want a war. (Los Angeles Times)
