Things that you might not have known about old Persia!?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VADyN45rBWM&feature=related

Answer 1

Yes, women in the ancient, pre monotheistic world often had more power than they did after the advent of Christianity and Islam.

I am an ethnic Assyrian, the Aramaic speaking native people of what is now Iraq.

We had famous women such as Queen Semiramis, and Ku Baba and Pu Abi of Sumeria, together with Zenobia of Palmyra, an Aramaic kingdom in what is now Syria.

Many Queens, together with Priestesses and Seeresses wielded much power in the ancient world, this is true of Sumeria, Assyria, Babylonia, Hittites, Elamites, Egypt, Phoenicia and Persia.

Shlama

Answer 2

HI B.B.

There are so many interesting things th Ancient Persia.

Something I found interesting was the following:

With respect to veiling and seclusion of Persian women as suggested by the Greek sources. Veiling has a long history in ancient Mesopotamia and Mediterranean cultures. In the first known reference to veiling, an Assyrian legal text of the thirteenth century B.C., it is restricted to respectable women and prohibited for the prostitutes and lower class women. There are no depiction of women in Persepolis itself, however there are many seals, statues and figurines that indicate there were no restrictions on the depiction of Persian women. In some of these, women are pictured fully clothed with partial veils in others, they are dressed even crowned but no veil. The aristocratic and royal women very likely used veil in public as a sign of their higher status. But veiling as an institution to subjugate, control and exclude women from public domain originated after the Islamic conquest.

In summary ancient texts provide us with a unique insight into the social and economic situation of Persian women, royal and non-royal, as well as female workers. These women owned property, were involved in managing their assets. Participated in economic activities of the estate and other economic units. They had employment opportunities earned wages and as a result were able to be economically independent. Patriarchal system prevailed and husbands and other males had far more rights and privileges than their wives or children. Nevertheless such evidence clearly indicates that women in ancient Iran were not an undifferentiated mass leading a secluded life behind high walls without any function and purpose other than child rearing. A situation that sadly became their destiny for many centuries after the collapse of The Sassanian Empire.  

I hope this is OK.

Good luck my friend.

CATHORIO.