The military affairs of the ancient Persians. Nefedkin A.K.

In the second half of the VI century BC Persian kings from the Achaemenid dynasty created one of the greatest empires in world history. During the conquests of Cyrus II of the Great (558–530 BC) and his heirs for only about forty years, the Persians won states and tribes in vast space from Asia Minor to India. The rebellious local population was destroyed, admonished or moved to other regions of the Persian Empire. The army of the Persians was the most advanced in the entire oikumen, and after the conquest of Media and Babylonia, the military achievements of the Medes and Assyrians absorbed. The royal guard of Achaemenids was the name of the "immortal", since its number always remained constant (10 thousand soldiers) - the governing man was immediately replaced by the recruit. The Persians knew how to take fortified cities using siege machines, embankments and digs. The sea fleet helped them in the conduct of terrestrial offensive operations, delivering warriors and provisions. The Persians carefully planned their military campaigns, collecting information about the enemy with the help of intelligence services (“Tsarovy Ok” and “Tsarovy ear”).

A new book of the famous specialist in the military history of ancient peoples, Doctor of Historical Sciences A.K. Neftekina for the first time in Russian literature in all details covers the organization of the Army of the Iranians of the early era, the Persians of the Achaemenid (VI - IV centuries BC) and the Sasanid (III - VII centuries) eras: the genus of troops and their tactics, siege and defense, Intelligence, methods of conducting campaigns both on land and at sea, customs related to the war, as well as a number of aspects of military ideology.