Dictionary

Persian Empire en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Collocation of 'Persian' (as a demonym of Latinate Persia in the sense of Greek Persis, Old Persian Pārsa) and 'empire'. Translates Latin Imperium Persārum, as attested e.g. in the 1st century (e.g. Quintus Curtius Rufus "Life and exploits of Alexander the Great" 3.3.8). In English from the 17th centuryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=lLhHAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA37&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1700&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=cY8pAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA400&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1800&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22&f=false, invariably in reference to the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 B.C.E.) conquered by Alexander the Great. Sometimes expanded to Medo-Persian Empirehttp://books.google.com/books?id=AOYqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA33&dq=%22Medo-Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1800&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Medo-Persian%20Empire%22&f=false (translating Imperium Persārum et Mēdōrum, "empire of (ruled by) Persians and Medians"). The 'et Medorum' is not a reference to Median empire (625–550 B.C.E.), but rather to (1) the tribal affiliation and shared status of the Persians and Medians, (2) the mixed Persian-Median parentage of the founder of the dynasty, Cyrus I. The term 'Persian empire' has sometimes been extended to the later, "restored" empire ruled by the Sasanian dynastyhttp://books.google.com/books?id=YfoEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA129&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1850&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=PNYLJakw1SQC&pg=PA28&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1980&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=MziRd4ddZz4C&pg=PA100&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1980&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=false, the ruling dynasty of which was also from Persia in the sense of Greek Persis, Old Persian Pārsa. It is sometimes taken more loosely to refer to the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian states taken together (so Encyclopædia Britannica 2009: "historical empire from about 550 B.C.E. – 640 C.E.").

Meanings

1. (historical) The empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty 550–330 B.C.E.
   • We know how Darius got the Persian Empire from the rest of his fellow Peers, from the first neighing of his generous Steed. 1652, Thomas Fuller, Holy and Profane State, page 140:
2. (historical) The empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty 224–651 C.E.
   • The geographical limits of the Sassanian or Later Persian Empire were so nearly identical with those of its predecessor, the Parthian, […] 1880, George Rawlinson, A manual of ancient history, from the earliest times to the fall of the Sassanian empire, page 569:

Forms

Relateds

Persia

Synonyms

Sasanian Empire · Achaemenid Empire · Second Persian Empire · Persia · Neo-Persian Empire · Persia · First Persian Empire

Translations (36)

ru Перси́дская импе́рия (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · ka სასანიანთა იმპერია (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · hu Óperzsa Birodalom (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · km ចក្រភពពែរ្ស (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · el Περσική Αυτοκρατορία (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · pl Imperium Achemenidów (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · nv Béézhąą Bikéyahtsoh (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · de Persisches Reich (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · ka სპარსეთის იმპერია (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · km ចក្រភពផ្វាស៊ី (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · pt Império Persa (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · fa شاهنشاهی ایران (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · ka დიდი სპარსული იმპერია (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · fa شاهنشاهی ایران (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · la Imperium Persarum (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · el Περσική Αυτοκρατορία (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · lt Persijos imperija (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · mr इराणी साम्राज्य (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · pl Imperium Sasanidów (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · hy Պարսկական կայսրություն (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · hu Szászánida Birodalom (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · lt Sasanidų Persija (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · nn Persarriket (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · ka აქემენიანთა იმპერია (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · hy Պարսկական կայսրություն (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · la Imperium Persarum (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · lt Persijos imperija (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · de Perserreich (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · mr इराणी साम्राज्य (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · nb Perserriket (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · ru Перси́дская импе́рия (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · nv Béézhąą Bikéyahtsoh (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · nn Persarriket (empire ruled by the Sasanian dynasty) · pt Império Persa (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · nb Perserriket (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty) · ka სპარსეთის იმპერია (empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty)