Saturday 3 June 2023

The Past In The Time Patrol Series: Persia

In 558-553 B.C., the Persian King of Anshan, Kuru-ush/Koresh/Cyrus, was increasingly in conflict with his Median overlord, Astyages.

Cyrus revolted and after three years of civil war was victorious but then spent another four years defeating counter-uprisings and Turanian incursions and extending his rule to the east.

In 546, the Lydian King Croesus led a Lydian-Babylonian-Egyptian-Spartan coalition against Cyrus.

Cyrus defeated this coalition and annexed the Lydians who then revolted and had to be re-defeated. 

While Cyrus' generals dealt with troublesome Greek colonies, he himself waged war against horsemen invading from the east.

In 542, all of Persia was peaceful and the Persian conquests were governed with a new humanity and tolerance.

In 539, Persia waged war against Babylon and acquired Mesopotamia.

Later, Cyrus died fighting the barbarians from beyond the Aral Sea.

(There is a timeline in which Cyrus is a Time Patrolman called Keith Denison but that is not in our history.)

2 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

Note the frequent and savage revolts against the Assyrians and the relative infrequency of those against the Persians.

Of course, being 'better than the Assyrians' wasn't hard... 8-).

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

True, but the Persians ruled with a leniency and mildness that was unprecedented by the admittedly low standards of those days.

Ad astra! Sean