Persian Empire > Districts of the Achaemenid Empire

Districts of the Achaemenid Empire

Background

Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, provided a detailed account of the administrative divisions of the Achaemenid Empire in his work, "The Histories." He described the empire's division into various districts, also known as satrapies, each responsible for paying tribute to the central government. Here is an overview of the districts as outlined by Herodotus, focusing on their geographical and economic significance:

District I

• Regions Included: Ionia, Magnesia, Aeolia, Caria, Lycia, Milyas, and Pamphylia.
• Key Cities: Ephesus, Halicarnassus.
• Tribute: 400 talents of silver.
• Significance: These regions on the western coast of Anatolia were significant for their maritime trade and cultural connections with the Greek world.

District II

• Regions Included: Mysia, Lydia, Lasonia, and parts of the Phrygian plain.
• Key Cities: Sardis.
• Tribute: 500 talents of silver.
• Significance: Lydia, with its capital at Sardis, was renowned for its wealth, particularly its gold resources and the invention of coinage.

District III

• Regions Included: Hellespontine Phrygia, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Mariandynians, and the Thracians in Asia.
• Key Cities: Daskyleion.
• Tribute: 360 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district included important trade routes connecting Anatolia with Europe.

District IV

• Regions Included: Cilicia.
• Key Cities: Tarsus.
• Tribute: 500 talents of silver and a white horse for each day.
• Significance: Cilicia was strategically located along the Mediterranean coast and known for its fertile plains and resources.

District V

• Regions Included: The satrapy of Syria, which included Phoenicia, Palestine, and Cyprus.
• Key Cities: Tyre, Sidon, Jerusalem.
• Tribute: 350 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district included key coastal cities that were central to maritime trade and cultural exchange across the Mediterranean.

District VI

• Regions Included: Egypt and parts of Libya, Cyrene, and Barca.
• Key Cities: Memphis.
• Tribute: 700 talents of silver plus additional grain.
• Significance: Egypt was known for its agricultural productivity, especially its grain, which was vital for the empire's food supply.

District VII

• Regions Included: Satrapy of Babylonia and the rest of Assyria.
• Key Cities: Babylon.
• Tribute: 1,000 talents of silver and five hundred boy eunuchs.
• Significance: Babylonia was one of the wealthiest regions in the empire, known for its fertile land and rich cultural heritage.

District VIII

• Regions Included: Susa and the rest of the land of the Kissians.
• Key Cities: Susa.
• Tribute: 300 talents of silver.
• Significance: Susa was a major administrative capital of the empire, housing significant governmental and royal institutions.

District IX

• Regions Included: The lands of the Ecbatanians, the Parthians, the Hyrcanians, and the Margians.
• Key Cities: Ecbatana.
• Tribute: 450 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district covered a vast area, including important cities and regions in the northeast of the empire.

District X

• Regions Included: Media, the Paraetacenians, and the Cadusians.
• Key Cities: Ecbatana (serving both District IX and X).
• Tribute: 450 talents of silver.
• Significance: Media was crucial for its strategic location and served as a central region within the empire.

District XI

• Regions Included: The Caspians, Pausicae, Pantimathi, and Daritae.
• Tribute: 200 talents of silver.
• Significance: These regions were located around the Caspian Sea, contributing to the diversity of the empire's economic resources.

District XII

• Regions Included: The Bactrians as far as the Aegli.
• Key Cities: Bactra (Balkh).
• Tribute: 360 talents of silver.
• Significance: Bactria was a vital eastern province known for its wealth, strategic location, and role in trade with Central Asia.

District XIII

• Regions Included: The lands of Pactyica, Armenia, and the lands adjacent to them as far as the Euxine Sea.
• Tribute: 400 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district included mountainous regions and was significant for its agricultural and pastoral contributions.

District XIV

• Regions Included: The Sagartians, Sarangians, Thamanaeans, Utians, Mycians, and the inhabitants of the islands of the Red Sea.
• Tribute: 600 talents of silver.
• Significance: These areas were crucial for controlling key land and sea routes and for their diverse resources.

District XV

• Regions Included: The Sacans and the Caspians.
• Tribute: 250 talents of silver.
• Significance: These regions included nomadic tribes that played a significant role in the empire's military and trade networks.

District XVI

• Regions Included: The Paricanians and the Ethiopians of Asia.
• Tribute: 400 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district covered a wide area and contributed diverse resources to the empire.

District XVII

• Regions Included: The Matieni, the Saspires, and the Alarodians.
• Tribute: 200 talents of silver.
• Significance: These regions were located in the Caucasus area, contributing to the strategic control of the empire's northern borders.

District XVIII

• Regions Included: The Moschi, Tibareni, Macrones, Mossynoeci, and Marres.
• Tribute: 300 talents of silver.
• Significance: These areas were important for their mountainous terrain and strategic value.

District XIX

• Regions Included: The islands in the southern sea where the Persians dwell.
• Tribute: 100 talents of silver.
• Significance: This district included the islands in the Persian Gulf, which were important for maritime trade and strategic control of sea routes.

Conclusion

The Achaemenid Empire's administrative division into various districts, each with its own specific tribute obligations, facilitated efficient governance and economic management across its vast territories. Herodotus' account provides a detailed snapshot of the empire's complexity and the diversity of its regions, each contributing to the overall prosperity and stability of the Achaemenid state.

Persian Satrapies

Tribute Summary Table

Based on the ancient Greek historian Herodotus the Achaemenid Empire was divided up into twenty districts. He lists the tribes and cultures associated with each district as well as the tribute they paid to the Achaemenid Dynasty. Below is a table that shows all of these districts plus the geographic territory and the probable associated Achaemenid satrapy and cultures.

Districts

Persian Satrapies