Abstract: Abstract This article looks at the conquest of the sea as a way of projecting world rule during the Achaemenid period. It starts by tracing the ancient Near Eastern tradition whereby successive rulers had to prove themselves by conquering the sea, from mythical kings such as Gilgameš and Sargon of Akkad down to Cyrus the Great and his successors. It then considers more specifically some of the ways in which Darius and Xerxes staged a conquest of the sea through symbolic gestures, building projects, and military campaigns. In a final section, the article investigates how Greeks and Persians responded to Xerxes' defeat. Whereas patriotic Greeks appropriated and subverted the terms of imperial discourse, the Achaemenids themselves adopted a two-pronged approach: a continued emphasis on the sea in the imperial heartlands, and a new focus on continental boundaries in the north-western theatre. The chapter as a whole draws on recent research into social space and mental maps, and on Hayden White's concept of 'emplotment' in history. Keywords: AchaemenidsBabylonian World MapBitter RiverBosporusDariusemplotmentGilgamešGreeceHellespontmental mapsPersiaSalamisSargon of AkkadScythiasocial spaceXerxes Acknowledgements I would like to thank Paola Ceccarelli for organizing the Durham workshop on 'Water and Identity in the Ancient World', where this paper was first delivered, and the participants in the workshop for their comments. Particular thanks are due to Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, for his helpful feedback. Finally, I would like to record my gratitude to Donald Murray (11 June 1983 – 10 July 2011), whose research very much inspired my own. Notes 1. King of kings: DB I, 1–2, etc.; ruling over the lands of every language: Dar. Pers. a and g §§ 1 and 2 (Weissbach), etc. For further passages see Haubold Haubold, Johannes. 2007. "Xerxes' Homer". 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Publication Year: 2012
Publication Date: 2012-06-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 38
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