Posted on 02/02/2008 6:25:06 PM PST by freedom44
The Spartans worshipped many Gods. The Persians only one - Ahura Mazda. Zoroastranism a faith which led to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Spartans despised democracy. They fought for generations against the Athenians because of their devout hatred towards the concept. The Persians allowed democratic reign, freedom for Satrips and anyone within the empire.
Cyrus the Great the founder of the Persian Empire is mentioned 23 times in the Bible and is the only figure dubbed the 'anointed'
Cyrus is mentioned some 23 times in the literature of the Old Testament. Isaiah refers to Cyrus as Jehovah’s “shepherd,” the Lord’s “anointed,” who was providentially appointed to facilitate the divine plan. God would lead this monarch to “subdue nations” and “open doors” (an allusion to the Jews’ release from Babylonian captivity). He would make “rough places smooth,” i.e., accommodate the Hebrews’ return to their Palestinean homeland. He would ultimately be responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the temple.
The Spartans never embraced human rights or woman rights. Persians had generals of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religious backgrounds, sexes and nationalities.
The Persians saved tons of oppressed minorities including the Jews from oppression. While the Spartans hated the Jews and anyone else as a meaning of life. Including incest, homosexuality, barbarism.
Persians are the first (Iran literally translates to Land of the Aryans) Indo-European race the Spartans are not.
We have too many ignorant fools preaching ignorance.
^
WTF is this????
Hey, Persians: If you show up with 2.7 MILLION troops and the intent to exterminate a civilization and LOSE, don’t expect to be remembered fondly.
Actually the Persians eventually won that war.
LOL! Read a Bible and have some respect loser.
Greeks lost. Read a book too.
Didn’t Cyrus free Jews from Babylon?
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Cyrus the Great (580-529 BC) (known as Kourosh in Persian; Kouros in Greek; Kores in Hebrew) was the first Achaemenian Emperor and founder of Iran, who issued a decree on his aims and policies, later hailed as his charter of the rights of nations.
Inscribed on a clay cylinder, this is known to be the first declaration of Human Rights, and is now kept at the British Museum. A replica of this is also at the United Nations in New York. Part of his charter states:
“I am Cyrus. King of the world. When I entered Babylon... I did not allow anyone to terrorize the land... I kept in view the needs of people and all its sanctuaries to promote their well-being... I put an end to their misfortune. The Great God has delivered all the lands into my hand; the lands that I have made to dwell in a peaceful habitation.... . .When my soldiers in great numbers peacefully entered Babylon... I did not allow anyone to terrorize the people... I kept in view the needs of people and all its sanctuaries to promote their well-being... Freed all the slaves... I put an end to their misfortune and slavery (referring to the Jews and other religious minorities). The Great God has delivered all the lands into my hand; the lands that I have made to dwell in a peaceful habitation... “
Darn. Just when you think you know whom to hate.
He was an interesting mixture of conqueror and statesman at a time when brutality reigned supreme.
Great article. The Spartans were wild savages, the Persians in general were not, at least not to that degree. They wouldn’t even be Muslim had the Arabs not conquered them.
Although, it’s kind of ironic that Zoroastranism, invented by the Iranians, should give rise to Islam, which was forced on Iran and holds it captive today.
Persians will rise again. Without Islam.
Iran Azadi!
I seem to recall the Persians getting kicked out of Greece not once but twice.
Yes, the Persians won at Thermopylae, which was the second major Persian invasion; wherein Xerxes brought over his 2.7 million men. But that was a battle, not the war.
The simultaneous naval battle at Artemisium was a stalemate. Xerxes went on to sack the deserted city of Athens; the inhabitants of which had fled to Salamis. The ensuing naval battle at Salamis was a shattering defeat for the Persians; Xerxes began retreating. What was left of the Persian army was finally defeated in detail at Plataea.
Sounds like a Persian loss to me. What war did the Persians actually win against the Greeks, again?
Perhaps you should read a few. Persia has a habit of winning battles and losing wars.
After getting their butt kicked at Salamis and Plataea, the Persians would never again be a serious threat to most of the Greek city-states. In time, the Persian Empire would be defeated by a gay Macedonian-Greek prince, his tutor, and a handful of mercenaries.
Why align yourself with people who hated monotheism and worshiped multiple Gods, were homosexuals, rapists, murderers, who hated democracy, freedom, human rights and treated women like dirt?
If you do you are a Spartan.
This is false.
Also false.
Okay.
Cyrus issued the decree of liberation to the Jews,[4] concerning which Daniel had prayed and prophesied.[5] The edict of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem marked a great epoch in the history of the Jewish people. However, some of the non-Jewish peoples of Samaria hired counselors to frustrate the Jews from completing the rebuilding throughout the reign of Cyrus, Xerxes (’Ahasuerus’), and Artaxerxes, until the reign of Darius. The work recommenced under the exhortations of the prophets, and when the authorities asked the Jews what right they had to build a temple, they referred to the decree of Cyrus. Darius, who was then reigning, caused a search for this alleged decree to be made, and it was found in the archives at Ecbatana,[6] whereupon Darius reaffirmed the decree and the work proceeded to its triumphant close.
A chronicle drawn up just after the conquest of Babylonia by Cyrus, gives the history of the reign of Nabonidus (’Nabuna’id’), the last king of Babylon, and of the fall of the Babylonian empire. In 538 BC there was a revolt in Southern Babylonia, while the army of Cyrus entered the country from the north. In June the Babylonian army was completely defeated at Opis, and immediately afterwards Sippara opened its gates to the conqueror. Gobryas (Ugbaru), the governor of Kurdistan, was then sent to Babylon, which surrendered “without fighting,” and the daily services in the temples continued without a break. In October, Cyrus himself arrived, and proclaimed a general amnesty, which was communicated by Gobryas to “all the province of Babylon,” of which he had been made governor. Meanwhile, Nabonidus, who had concealed himself, was captured, but treated honourably; and when his wife died, Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus, conducted the funeral. Cyrus now assumed the title of “king of Babylon,” claimed to be the descendant of the ancient kings, and made rich offerings to the temples. At the same time he allowed the foreign populations who had been deported to Babylonia to return to their old homes, carrying with them the images of their gods. Among these populations were the Jews, who, as they had no images, took with them the sacred vessels of the temple.
Speculation abounds to the reasoning for Cyrus’ release of the Jews from Babylon. One argument being that Cyrus was a follower of Zoroaster, the monotheistic prophet: Zoroastrianism played a dominant religious role in Persia throughout its history until the Islamic conquest. As such, he would feel a kindred spirit with the monotheistic Jews. Another possibility is the magnanimous respect he is ascribed to have shown to the diverse beliefs and customs of the peoples within his extended kingdom. As one example, upon the conquest of Babylon itself, it’s recorded that he paid homage at the temple of the Babylonian god Marduk - thereby gaining the support of the Babylonian people and minimizing further bloodshed. While Jewish tradition, as described previously in Ezra1:1-8, indicates “the Lord inspired King Cyrus of Persia to issue this proclamation”, in the he Cyrus Cylinder pays homage to Marduk. This Babylonian document has been interpreted as referring to the return the their homelands of several displaced cultural groups, one of which could have been the Jews:
From [Babylon] to Aššur and (from) Susa, Agade, Ešnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers on the other side of the Tigris, whose sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [i.e., in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwellings. In addition, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, I settled in their habitations, in pleasing abodes, the gods of Sumer and Akkad, whom Nabonidus, to the anger of the lord of the gods, had brought into Babylon. (lines 30-33)[7]
However, it has been argued that it must be referring to people associated to the image’s cult instead of deportees.[8]
The terms used by the author of Isaiah are reminiscent of certain passages in the Cyrus Cylinder:[2]
Who roused from the cast him that victory hails at every step? Who presents him with nations, subdues kings to him? His sword makes dust of them and his bow scatters them like straw. He pursues them and advances unhindered, his feet scarcely touching the road. Who is the author of this deed if not he who calls the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, who am the first and shall be with the last. (Isaiah 41:2-4)
Then the alliance between Cyrus and Yahweh is made explicit:
Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus, whom he has taken by his right hand to subdue nations before him and strip the loins of kings, to force gateways before him that their gates be closed no more: I will go before you levelling the heights. I will shatter the bronze gateways, smash the iron bars. I will give you the hidden treasures, the secret hoards, that you may know that I am Yahweh. (Isaiah 45:1-3)
The first? no.
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