Westerners often think of ancient Greece as one of the most important civilizations. The ancient Greek culture has left a lasting impression on our society. Democracy, drama, western philosophy and many other aspects are still present today. Westerners, despite these important contributions, should surely be thankful that the Greeks defeated the barbarians. The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis & Plataea would see conquerors. Or perhaps not. It is easy to understand why these battles are regarded as heroic conflicts that helped save Western civilization. These battles would likely have led to the Greeks being conquered, despite the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula. It is a mistake to think of them as “barbarians”, because they were not just any conquerors. They were one of the most powerful civilizations of history. The Achaemenid Persia empire isn’t revered and thought of today as classical Greece. The only thing we know about ancient Persians is what Greek propaganda has taught us. The undervaluation of ancient Persia’s civilization is therefore not surprising. It is clear from a closer look at the Achaemenids that their civilization was built on a principle of tolerance equal to, if not superior to that of the Greeks. For this reason the Greco Persian Wars are not the conflict responsible for saving Western civilization.
Ancient Persia excelled in religious tolerance, which was a key area for comparison with classical Greece. In ancient Persia there was no execution for heresy or blasphemy. Subjects could follow whatever beliefs they wanted (Reiss). Although this may seem like a small thing, it was actually a great step forward in terms of tolerance and thought at the time. Compare that to Ancient Greece. In 399 BCE, Socrates was executed because he “did not believe in the gods” of the city and “corrupted the youth” (Whitmarsh). It was not only right, but also smart for the Persians to implement religious tolerance. In a large and diverse empire, enforcing strict religious laws would only have led to a multitude of revolts that the Persians had to put down. The Persians didn’t want to waste their resources by trying to change customs. Since then, many empires have adopted this Persian innovation in various degrees.
Persians were not only tolerant and fair to their subjects, but they also allowed religious freedom. The Persian empire offered a stable and comfortable lifestyle to conquered nations. The conquered kings of the kingdoms that were conquered could keep their kings. The Achaemenid monarch is revered for being the “king among kings”. Persia was able to maintain peace in its ruled areas, which allowed for the flourishing of these civilisations.
