Head Duncan. The Achaemenid Persian Army

Montvert Publications, 1992. — 64 p.The Achaemenid Persian empire dominated the Near East and the eastern Mediterranean for about two centuries, from the mid-sixth century BC to the mid-fourth. It was the largest empire the world had yet seen, and in many ways the most successful. For a long time we have seen Persia mainly through the eyes of the classical Greeks; Greeks historians were originally the main sources for knowledge of the Persians, and remain vital even now. This perspective meant that Persia was traditionally seen from a hostile viewpoint; and, since a coalition of Greek states stopped Persian expansion in the West and a Greek conqueror eventually brought the empire down, we have a view of the Persians as defeated enemies which can all too easily mask the empire's real military achievements. Fortunately, other sources are increasingly becoming available to correct the Greek bias, and it is possible to try and draw a balanced picture of Persian military organization - through still a picture which inevitably depends heavily on Greek evidence.