Posted on 02/02/2008 6:25:06 PM PST by freedom44
The Spartans worshipped many Gods. The Persians only one - Ahura Mazda. Zoroastranism a faith which led to Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Spartans despised democracy. They fought for generations against the Athenians because of their devout hatred towards the concept. The Persians allowed democratic reign, freedom for Satrips and anyone within the empire.
Cyrus the Great the founder of the Persian Empire is mentioned 23 times in the Bible and is the only figure dubbed the 'anointed'
Cyrus is mentioned some 23 times in the literature of the Old Testament. Isaiah refers to Cyrus as Jehovah’s “shepherd,” the Lord’s “anointed,” who was providentially appointed to facilitate the divine plan. God would lead this monarch to “subdue nations” and “open doors” (an allusion to the Jews’ release from Babylonian captivity). He would make “rough places smooth,” i.e., accommodate the Hebrews’ return to their Palestinean homeland. He would ultimately be responsible for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the reconstruction of the temple.
The Spartans never embraced human rights or woman rights. Persians had generals of all races, ethnicities, cultures, religious backgrounds, sexes and nationalities.
The Persians saved tons of oppressed minorities including the Jews from oppression. While the Spartans hated the Jews and anyone else as a meaning of life. Including incest, homosexuality, barbarism.
Persians are the first (Iran literally translates to Land of the Aryans) Indo-European race the Spartans are not.
We have too many ignorant fools preaching ignorance.
Because I’m mocking him and his “great” empire? :D
Er, the person I’m mocking is freedom44, not Alexander. Thought I’d clear that up.
Ever occur to you that maybe they didn’t want to surrender? And if anyone should get the punishment for cutting off the guy’s head it should be the guy who did it. There’s no need to bring in your entire army and slaughter innocent civilians.
It was the local Persian caliph that did it, with the specific endorsement of *his* Caliph.
What’s the only way to get to the leader of an empire?
By the way, it’s nothing that the Persians themselves didn’t do. See 2nd Naxos.
Well, great, kill the caliph. But he’s hiding in a city and he keeps sending his army out to protect him.
What do *you* think is going to happen? :P
Well then fight the army. Just not innocent civilians. Can we agree on that?
The rise of the Persian empire was way after the time of Abraham.....where do people dig up this garbage.
What you’re forgetting is that in that era, there was no such thing as “innocent civilians” in a city siege. All the men would be pressed into the defense of the city; once the opposing forces got inside, all the women would also attack.
“Innocent civilians” is an invention of the post-Renaissance era.
WRONG!!!!!
“accommodate the Hebrews’ return to their Palestinean homeland.”
The land that we now refer to as Israel, was not called Palestine until the Roman occupation, and that was LONG after the Jews returned from the Babylonian captivity. It seems that there’s a serious deficit of facts in this article.
That’s all fine and well, but he’s not the “only figure in the Bible to be called the anointed”.
Do you know that Christ means ‘anointed’? Beyond that, if anyone is in Christ, they are also anointed.
So there you go. You’re talking to someone who’s more anointed than Cyrus. Further, any anointing bestowed by God is a shadow of the One True Anointing, the Holy Spirit Himself, Who dwelt in His fullness within the Person of Jesus the Anointed.
As for Cyrus’s alliance with YHWH, Nebuchadnezar (and a list of others) also recognized the Lord’s greatness and preeminence over the kingdoms of world, and Nebuchadnezzar was pretty much demonized. Cyrus’s place in history is due to his humility before the God of Israel.
An interesting debate. I think the question with regard to the overall impact of Sparta's contribution via resistance to the Persian conquest of Greece is "did they truly protect and preserve the birth of democracy" or is that just a romantic allusion attributed to them because of the courage of the 300 at Thermopylae?
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