The Return of the Ten Thousand
Structural Deficiency or Proper Function of the Administrative System of the Achaemenid Empire?
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Abstract
Many Greek historians and their Western successors viewed the Achaemenid decline as beginning with Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. The return of Cyrus the Younger’s Greek mercenaries after the Battle of Cunaxa was seen as a sign of Persian weakness, foreshadowing Alexander’s invasion. This article examines the link between the Achaemenid Empire’s administrative structure and the successful march of the Ten Thousand. It argues that the empire’s hierarchical organization, divided into military territories, required local authorities to defend their regions while also supplying forces to the central government during crises such as Cyrus’s revolt. Although the grand satraps were preoccupied with civil war and could not effectively counter the Greeks, local authorities managed to resist them, suggesting that the Greeks’ return reflected the Achaemenids’ effective administrative system rather than their decline.
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The Return of the Ten Thousand
Structural Deficiency or Proper Function of the Administrative System of the Achaemenid Empire?
In: Iran and the CaucasusSearch for other papers by Amin Babadi in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Morteza Arabzadeh Sarbanani in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Abstract
Many Greek historians and their Western successors viewed the Achaemenid decline as beginning with Xerxes’ invasion of Greece. The return of Cyrus the Younger’s Greek mercenaries after the Battle of Cunaxa was seen as a sign of Persian weakness, foreshadowing Alexander’s invasion. This article examines the link between the Achaemenid Empire’s administrative structure and the successful march of the Ten Thousand. It argues that the empire’s hierarchical organization, divided into military territories, required local authorities to defend their regions while also supplying forces to the central government during crises such as Cyrus’s revolt. Although the grand satraps were preoccupied with civil war and could not effectively counter the Greeks, local authorities managed to resist them, suggesting that the Greeks’ return reflected the Achaemenids’ effective administrative system rather than their decline.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 139 | 139 | 18 |
| Full Text Views | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 28 | 28 | 0 |
