|
|
Article: Legacy of the struggle: two Persian dignitaries, their images carved onto the side of the grand palace staircase at Persepolis, exchange a sign of friendship in the traditional manner.(FROM PAST TO PRESENT)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- November 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Prior to the Persian Wars, the Greeks knew little about the Persians and often confused them with the Medes their neighbors. In fact, the Greeks thought the names of these two nations--Mada and Parsa--offered clues to kinship among the three. The Greeks believed that the names reflected ancestry, as they thought the Medes were descended from the mythical sorceress Medea and the Persians from the mythical hero Perseus. Any thought of close bonding, however, was dispelled when Greece's distant "relatives" armed themselves and prepared to attack.
After the Greeks defeated the Persians at Marathon, they began to view themselves as just, unpretentious, and patriotic. ...