Last month i read Tom Holland's prize winning book 'Rubicon' and this month i could not prevent myself from reading yet another gem from him. 'Persian Fire' explores the subject of Greco-Persian wars of 5th century with more neutrality and objectivity but yet it remains a prejudiced take on Persian history mainly because the main source is a Greek named, Herodotus (484 - 425 BC). I was greatly appalled to see the grossly inaccurate and draconian representation of Asians in general and Persians in particular while Greeks (mainly Spartans led by Leonidas) was shown as the vanguard of democracy and freedom, in '300' film. The makers of 300 deliberately omitted the very fact that in the very Sparta there was a great population of Greeks who were enslaved and were called Helots.
'Persian Fire' describes in great detail about foundation of world's first great Empire i.e. Achaemenid Empire established by Cyrus The Great in 559 BC. He was a great emperor indeed and he founded the great empire with perhaps shedding the lesser amount of blood than any other Emperor. He commissioned the building of the 2nd Temple of Solomon (after the destruction of original temple by Babylonians in 7th century). Darius succeeded him after killing all his sons and he extended the reach of the Empire beyond Hellespont, only to be defeated at Marathon in 490 BC. His son Xerxes continued the fight and sacked Athens in 480 BC but he had to retreat in the wake of defeat at Salamis (480 BC) and revolt in Babylon. Greeks displayed exemplary courage in their battles against the mighty Persians and this courage is the main summary of this book. Persia had to retreat from Europe and finally Alexander of Macedon destroyed the Achaemenid Empire of Persia in 333-331 BC. But those who say that Alexander took the revenge of Persian invasion of mainland Greece in 5th century BC are grossly wrong because that time Macedonia supported Persia in her fight against the states of Attica and Peloponnesia. Anyways this book is a great read for anyone interested in ancient history but i expected a little bit of more objectivity from Tom Holland.
Highly Recommended (8/10)
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