Books by John Hyland
Brill's Companions to Classical Studies: War in the Ancient Mediterranean World 9, 2024
Brill's Companion to War in the Ancient Iranian Empires examines military structures and methods ... more Brill's Companion to War in the Ancient Iranian Empires examines military structures and methods from the Elamite period through the Achaemenid, Seleucid, Arsacid, and Sasanian empires. War played a critical role in Iranian state formation and dynastic transitions, imperial ideologies and administration, and relations with neighbouring states and peoples from Central Asia to the Mediterranean. Twenty chapters by leading experts o fer fresh approaches to the study of ancient Iranian armies, strategy, diplomacy, and battle eld methods, and contextualise famous con icts with Greek and Roman opponents.
Thirty years after Xerxes invaded Greece, the Achaemenid Persian Empire ended its long war with A... more Thirty years after Xerxes invaded Greece, the Achaemenid Persian Empire ended its long war with Athens. For the next four decades, the Persians tolerated Athenian control of their former tributaries, the Ionian Greek cities of western Anatolia. But during the Peloponnesian War, Persia reclaimed Ionia and funded a Spartan fleet to overthrow Athenian power. It took eight long years for Persia to triumph, and Sparta then turned on its benefactors, prompting Persia to transfer aid to Athens in the Corinthian War. The peace of 386 reiterated imperial control of Ionia and compelled both Sparta and Athens to endorse a Persian promise of autonomy for Greeks outside Asia.
In Persian Interventions, John O. Hyland challenges earlier studies that assume Persia played Athens against Sparta in a defensive balancing act. He argues instead for a new interpretation of Persian imperialism, one involving long-term efforts to extend diplomatic and economic patronage over Greek clients beyond the northwestern frontier. Achaemenid kings, he asserts, were less interested in Ionia for its own sake than in the accumulation of influence over Athens, Sparta, or both, which allowed them to advertise Persia’s claim to universal power while limiting the necessity of direct military commitment. The slow pace of intervention resulted from logistical constraints and occasional diplomatic blunders, rather than long-term plans to balance and undermine dangerous allies.
Persian Interventions examines this critical period in unprecedented depth, providing valuable new insights for the study of Achaemenid Persia and classical Greece. Its conclusions will interest not only specialists in both fields but also students of ancient and modern comparative historical imperialism.
Papers by John Hyland
Ktèma , 2022
This essay explores the partnership between the Persian satrap Artabazos and his Rhodian brothers... more This essay explores the partnership between the Persian satrap Artabazos and his Rhodian brothers-in-law, including the initial context for Artabazos’ marriage to the sister of Mentor and Memnon, and the brothers’ successive marriages to Artabazos’ daughter Barsine. After Artabazos’ exile and restoration, Alexander’s invasion of the Persian Empire presented a new opportunity to enhance the family’s status through Memnon’s appointment to command of the Aegean fleet. Following Memnon’s death, the execution of Charidemos at the court of Darius III supported Artabazos’ ambitions by removing an old family enemy and
securing the Aegean command for Artabazos’ son Pharnabazos.
Arta, 2022
New journal entries from the Persepolis Fortification Archive present a hitherto unknown subgroup... more New journal entries from the Persepolis Fortification Archive present a hitherto unknown subgroup of laborers known as marataš, many of whom appear in contexts of group travel from the Lycian borderlands of southwest Anatolia to Iran. This paper proposes an etymology for the marataš, and discusses the implications for the origins of Lycian workers in Persis, the administrative relationship between Lycia and the Sardis satrapy, and the role of deportation within the larger Achaemenid labor system.
Beyond All Boundaries: Anatolia in the 1st Millennium BC (OBO 295), edited by Annick Payne, Šárka Velhartická, & Jorit Wintjes, 257-278. Leuven: Peeters., 2021
The Xanthos stele, a multilingual Lycian dynastic monument of the late 5th century BCE, testifies... more The Xanthos stele, a multilingual Lycian dynastic monument of the late 5th century BCE, testifies to the importance of diplomatic interaction between Xanthos’ rulers and Achaemenid Persian administrators in western Anatolia. Yet the stele’s Persian references are unevenly and selectively distributed between its Lycian and Lycian B inscriptions, and entirely absent from its Greek epigram. Amorges, a satrap’s son turned rebel, appears briefly in the Lycian and Lycian B texts, but scholars debate whether they present him as friend or foe of Xanthos; in contrast, the final section of the Lycian text celebrates the famous satrap Tissaphernes as an ally of Xanthos, but the Lycian B omits him entirely. This paper analyzes the stele’s Persian content and proposes that its designers added the material on Tissaphernes in a late stage of composition, trying to exploit his patronage in the context of local dynastic politics.
Aršāma and his World: The Bodleian Letters in Context. Volume III: Aršāma’s World, 2020
Despite Egypt's contribution to Xerxes' invasion of Greece, and Athens' support of Inaros' rebell... more Despite Egypt's contribution to Xerxes' invasion of Greece, and Athens' support of Inaros' rebellion, Egyptian-Athenian trade flourished in the second half of the 5th century, allowing the Persian administration to benefit from taxation of commerce with former foes. Persia's intervention in the Peloponnesian War endangered this relationship, as Spartan fleets, maintained by Persian funds, threatened merchant shipping between Egypt and Athens.
Please contact me at john.hyland@cnu.edu for a copy of the chapter.
Historia 68.2, 150-169, 2019
The express messenger (pirradaziš) system attested in the Persepolis Fortification Archives playe... more The express messenger (pirradaziš) system attested in the Persepolis Fortification Archives played a crucial role in Achaemenid Persia’s control of a widespread provincial administrative system. Its potential relevance for Persian military operations is illustrated by a series of tablets, some previously unpublished, recording multiple messengers’ journeys between the court of Darius I and his brother Artaphernes at Sardis in 495-494 BCE. The timing and locations of their travel suggest a connection with the Persian offensive against Miletos and the suppression of the Ionian Revolt.
Ancient History Bulletin 33.1-2: 19-41, 2019
Sparta’s naval victory in the Peloponnesian War depended on ship contributions from Peloponnesian... more Sparta’s naval victory in the Peloponnesian War depended on ship contributions from Peloponnesian and central Greek allies and funding from the Persian empire. At the end of the war, Lysander’s acquisition of captured enemy triremes allowed Sparta to break free from its reliance on allied warships, but not without long-term consequences. In the Persian War of the following decade, although Sparta was now able to launch a fleet without Corinthian or Theban participation, it lacked resources to maintain its aging ships’ seaworthiness, and its loss of Persian financial support doomed its efforts to recruit and pay adequate naval crews. The logistical and financial consequences of the breakdown of Sparta’s Peloponnesian War alliances brought about the collapse of its short-lived naval dominance.
In Brill’s Companion to Military Defeat in Ancient Mediterranean Society, edited by Jessica H. Clark and Brian Turner (Leiden & Boston 2018), 74-95. , 2018
This paper explores the possible experiences of non-elite Achaemenid soldiers in the wake of the ... more This paper explores the possible experiences of non-elite Achaemenid soldiers in the wake of the lost battles against Alexander's invasion, focusing on the odds of combat survival, the possibilities for shelter and sustenance, and the challenges of long-distance retreat in light of the loss of camps and supplies to the Macedonians. Exploring the return of Persian troops to Darius' service after earlier defeats, it argues for a strong connection between soldiers' choices, logistical needs, and Achaemenid imperial infrastructure.
The first marriage of Darius I, pre-dating the usurpation of 522, reflects his father's and fathe... more The first marriage of Darius I, pre-dating the usurpation of 522, reflects his father's and father-in-law's pursuit of political advancement under the Teispid monarchy.
The revolt of Kaunos against Athens (Ctesias F14.45) probably occurred in 429/8 BCE, and did not ... more The revolt of Kaunos against Athens (Ctesias F14.45) probably occurred in 429/8 BCE, and did not involve a simple transfer of allegiance from Athenian to Persian control. Rather, internal divisions within the Kaunian community resulted in the effort to surrender to Athens and the killing of the Persian exile Zopyros, Athens' proxy in the surrender negotiations; and later Kaunian resistance to the Persians best explains their execution of Zopyros' assassin.
Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies 55: 315-328, 2015
Darius II’s invitation to the Olympic victor Poulydamas and Cyrus’ friendship with Thessalian ari... more Darius II’s invitation to the Olympic victor Poulydamas and Cyrus’ friendship with Thessalian aristocrats were renewals of old ties between Persia and Thessaly and part of Persian intervention in the Peloponnesian War.
Journal of Ancient Near Eastern History 1.2: 173-200, 2014
The Babylonian and Aramaic versions of the Bisitun inscription give precise enumerations of enemi... more The Babylonian and Aramaic versions of the Bisitun inscription give precise enumerations of enemies killed and captured by the armies of Darius I in 522-521 BC. But the figures are absent from Bisitun’s other versions, and their accuracy and historical value remain in question. This study reviews their textual reliability and modern reconstructions, and argues that they do not reflect accurate counts of battlefield dead or prisoners. It proposes that the Babylonian text offered more space for additional material than its Elamite or Persian counterparts, and that its casualty figures enhanced Darius’ military narrative by quantifying his superiority to subordinates: enemy losses are highest when the King commands in person, less for generals in separate commands, and lowest for Darius’ non-Persian lieutenants. Explanations are considered for a possible exception, the victory of the satrap Dadaršiš in Margiana.
Journal of Ancient History 1: 119-144, 2013
After the conquest of the Achaemenid empire, Alexander of Macedon entrusted numerous provinces to... more After the conquest of the Achaemenid empire, Alexander of Macedon entrusted numerous provinces to Iranian satraps, many of whom had administrative experience under the earlier Persian kings. Modern scholarship has highlighted Alexander’s subsequent elimination of Iranian governors and replacement of most with Macedonians or Greeks, explaining the retention of a handful as the result of their superior loyalty. This study differs by exploring the Iranian satraps’ agency in obtaining and preserving authority under the new regime. It focuses on Oxydates and Atropates, the governors of the strategic province of Media, and the reasons for the former’s removal and the latter’s long-term success. While logistical and military support of Alexander was a prerequisite for survival, even more significant was the denunciation of rivals for military failures or disloyalty. Oxydates probably succumbed to charges by fellow Iranian nobles, but Atropates orchestrated complaints against the Macedonian generals in Media and profited greatly from their execution, winning royal favor and an advantageous marriage alliance in Alexander’s court. The deaths of Hephaestion and Alexander contributed to the reduction of Atropates’ satrapal position, but his skillful opportunism culminated in the foundation of a new kingdom in the era of the Successors.
Classical Philology 106/3, 265-277, 2011
Phoenix 64/3-4, 238-253, 2010
in Persian Responses: Political and Cultural Interaction with(in) the Achaemenid Empire, ed. by Christopher Tuplin (Swansea: Classical Press of Wales, 2007) 1-25
Reference Articles by John Hyland
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Books by John Hyland
In Persian Interventions, John O. Hyland challenges earlier studies that assume Persia played Athens against Sparta in a defensive balancing act. He argues instead for a new interpretation of Persian imperialism, one involving long-term efforts to extend diplomatic and economic patronage over Greek clients beyond the northwestern frontier. Achaemenid kings, he asserts, were less interested in Ionia for its own sake than in the accumulation of influence over Athens, Sparta, or both, which allowed them to advertise Persia’s claim to universal power while limiting the necessity of direct military commitment. The slow pace of intervention resulted from logistical constraints and occasional diplomatic blunders, rather than long-term plans to balance and undermine dangerous allies.
Persian Interventions examines this critical period in unprecedented depth, providing valuable new insights for the study of Achaemenid Persia and classical Greece. Its conclusions will interest not only specialists in both fields but also students of ancient and modern comparative historical imperialism.
Papers by John Hyland
securing the Aegean command for Artabazos’ son Pharnabazos.
Please contact me at john.hyland@cnu.edu for a copy of the chapter.
Reference Articles by John Hyland
In Persian Interventions, John O. Hyland challenges earlier studies that assume Persia played Athens against Sparta in a defensive balancing act. He argues instead for a new interpretation of Persian imperialism, one involving long-term efforts to extend diplomatic and economic patronage over Greek clients beyond the northwestern frontier. Achaemenid kings, he asserts, were less interested in Ionia for its own sake than in the accumulation of influence over Athens, Sparta, or both, which allowed them to advertise Persia’s claim to universal power while limiting the necessity of direct military commitment. The slow pace of intervention resulted from logistical constraints and occasional diplomatic blunders, rather than long-term plans to balance and undermine dangerous allies.
Persian Interventions examines this critical period in unprecedented depth, providing valuable new insights for the study of Achaemenid Persia and classical Greece. Its conclusions will interest not only specialists in both fields but also students of ancient and modern comparative historical imperialism.
securing the Aegean command for Artabazos’ son Pharnabazos.
Please contact me at john.hyland@cnu.edu for a copy of the chapter.