Language/Iranian-persian/Culture/Lesson-23:-Persian-civilization-and-ancient-history

Rate this lesson:

0.00

(0 votes)

Help - Comments

Iranian Persian Culture → Unit 11: Persian history and geography → Lesson 23: Persian civilization and ancient history

As a Persian language teacher for over 20 years, I find it fascinating to delve into the rich history and culture of Iran. In this lesson, we will explore the ancient past of the Persian plateau, including notable civilizations such as Elam, Achaemenid Empire, and Parthian Empire. Let's dive in!

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Lesson 17: Persian cinema and music & Nowruz.

Elam

Elam was one of the oldest civilizations in the Persian plateau, dating back to the 4th millennium BC. It was situated east of Mesopotamia and reached its zenith from the mid-3rd to the mid-2nd millennium BC. The Elamites were known for their art and religion, which included the worship of several gods and goddesses. The Elamite language is considered an isolate, meaning it is not related to any known language of the Near East, including Persian. However, it is believed to have had a significant impact on the development of Persian culture and language.

Achaemenid Empire

The Achaemenid Empire was founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and was the largest empire of its time, stretching from Greece to India. It was known for its advanced bureaucracy and societal systems, such as the Royal Road and Zoroastrianism, which was the dominant religion of the time. The Achaemenids were also known for their art and architecture, including the construction of Cyrus the Great's tomb, which still stands today in the city of Pasargadae.

Parthian Empire

The Parthian Empire was a powerful Iranian empire that lasted from 247 BC to 224 AD. It was known for its archery and equestrian skills in warfare and was successful in repelling the Roman Empire's advances. The Parthians also played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism in Central Asia and were known for their art, including the exquisite Parthian bronze statues.

As you can see, Persian history is rich and diverse, and these ancient civilizations played a significant role in shaping the culture and language of Iran. As a Persian language learner, it's essential to understand this history to gain a deeper appreciation of the language and its roots.

Vocabulary

Here are some relevant vocabulary words related to ancient Iranian civilizations:

Iranian Persian	Pronunciation	English
قدیم	ghadim	ancient
تمدن	tamadon	civilization
هنر	honar	art
خدای ییزدی	khodaye yazdi	Zoroastrianism
شاهزاده	shahzadeh	prince
شاهنشاه	shahanshah	Emperor

Grammar

As this is a history lesson, we will briefly touch on how to use verbs in their past tense form. In Persian, the past tense is formed by adding ـد to the stem of the verb. For example:

خوردن (to eat) -> خورد (ate)

Here are some more examples:

Infinitive Verb	Past Tense Verb
خریدن	خرید (bought)
کتاب خواندن	کتاب خواند (read a book)
رفتن	رفت (went)

Exercises

Translate the following sentences into Persian:

The Elamites were known for their religion.
Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire.
The Parthians were skilled horseback riders.
I ate dinner last night.

Conjugate the following verbs in the past tense:

خریدن
فروشیدن
بخوانیدن

Sources

Table of Contents - Iranian Persian Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Unit 1: Basic greetings and introductions

Unit 2: Sentence structure and basic verb conjugation

Unit 3: Talking about daily routines

Unit 4: Object pronouns and possessive pronouns

Unit 5: Persian culture and customs

Unit 6: Food and drink

Unit 7: Past tense and regular verbs conjugation

Unit 8: Persian literature and arts

Unit 9: Travel and transportation

Unit 10: Imperative mood, infinitives and complex sentences

Unit 11: Persian history and geography

Unit 12: Leisure and entertainment

Other Lessons

Contributors

Maintenance script

Create a new Lesson