History of the Persian Empire (Phoenix Bks.) [Paperback]

A.T. Olmstead (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 15, 1959 | ISBN-10: 0226627772 | ISBN-13: 978-0226627779

Out of a lifetime of study of the ancient Near East, Professor Olmstead has gathered previously unknown material into the story of the life, times, and thought of the Persians, told for the first time from the Persian rather than the traditional Greek point of view.

"The fullest and most reliable presentation of the history of the Persian Empire in existence."—M. Rostovtzeff

Product Details

• Paperback: 600 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (February 15, 1959)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226627772
• ISBN-13: 978-0226627779
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old But Still Kicking, July 29, 2002

By 

Timothy Dougal (Madison, Wi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the Persian Empire (Phoenix Bks.) (Paperback)

While I'm sure that the information in "The History of the Persian Empire" must have been superceded to a degree in the 50 years since it has been published, and it is likely that Olmstead may have been overly sure of facts, this book is a pleasure to read and a mine of cultural food for thought. I fear the reviewer above who managed to finish the book knowing next to nothing about ancient Persia is saying more about herself than this book. I was chiefly interested in the religious and cultural aspects of the Persian period, rather than the military and political ones, and I have come away from this book considerably more enlightened than I was by Edwin Yamauchi's treatment of Persia. Olmstead is both a vivid and readable writer, witty, detailed and fair-minded. His treatment of the Zoroastrian religion was eye-opening for me, and the way he deals with Palestine and Egypt was also illuminating. I especially got a kick out of his paraphrase renditions of some ancient documents and inscriptions at a purely aesthetic, and somewhat humorous, level. I'm sure there's still more to know, but this is a terrific overview.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Valuable Adjunct to Ancient Greek History, June 12, 2001

By 

Timothy A. Curry (Moscow, ID USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: History of the Persian Empire (Phoenix Bks.) (Paperback)

It is, of course, impossible to cram this much history into a single small volume and still keep it perfectly accessible to the beginning history reader, but this author makes a very creditable effort in that direction. The book is dense, chronologically, and must be supplemented with other sources for a comprehensive view of its subject material.

That said, the value for this reviewer was in the fresh viewpoint on events usually told from the Greek perspective, and provides a welcome supplement to ancient sources (Thucydides, Xenophon) and modern ones (Donald Kagan's astonishing four-book series) concerning the Peloponnesian War and the years surrounding it. One is sometimes left wondering, with all that Greek victory, how the Persians ended up in control of Ionia, and how the Greek colonies there ended up paying tribute to the Great King after all. This volume fills in much of the missing information - notably, that the Greeks were all too often venal, treacherous, and easily bought off by Persian gold and outmaneuvered by Persian diplomacy. How that was done is a little-told story, and is admirably related here.

The author's prose in this section is some of the best in the book - dry, witty, and unapologetic. Students of 5th- and 4th-century Mediterranean history will be well-served by tucking this little volume into their collections.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent scholarly book on Persian Empire, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: History of the Persian Empire (Phoenix Bks.) (Paperback)

First things frist. The author's first name is Albert not Arthur. This is a great book if you are serious history reader or interested in Iran. It treats the origins of the Persian (Iranian) Empire founded by Cyrus the Great. Although published some five decades ago, it has much to offer.