In the Grip of the King: The (Un)conquered Lands within the Achaemenid Empire
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Even though the Achaemenid Empire controlled large areas of the known world, the supremacy of their kings over certain parts of the Empire was not as firm as one would expect. In several parts of the Empire, more precisely in the regions with limited accessibility which we could call Borderlands, a local population was seemingly able to withstand the overlordship of the Achaemenid kings. According to the Greek sources, several tribes in Asia Minor and the Near East appeared to be independent and fiercely resisted any attempt of the Persian kings to take control of their homelands. On the other hand, the official Achaemenid propaganda presents almost universal dominion over Asia. Which were these troublesome areas, and what was their relationship to the Empire? What was the spatial perception of these lands? In this presentation, I focused on the regions that were nominally part of the Empire, but their population maintained at least partial independence. I explored the geographical aspects of these regions and how they impacted the resistance of the local tribes to the campaigns of the Achaemenid kings. I also examined the interactions of the Empire with its Borderland areas and by what means the Achaemenids tried to extend, successfully or not, their influence and reign over these regions. |
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