Achaemenid navy

The navy (Old Persian: 𐎴𐎠𐎺, romanized: nāva)[1] of Achaemenids was an ancient navy that existed between 525 BC and 330 BC.

Achaemenid Navy
Active525 BC–330 BC
CountryPersia
TypeAncient navy
Central Base
Engagements
Insignia
Ensign

Etymology

In Old Persian, the written language of Achaemenid inscriptions, the word used to refer to the 'navy' or 'fleet' was "nāva", a noun in plural feminine nominative form. It is of the same root of Indo-Europian for words such as "navy" and "navigate". In modern usage of Persian language, the word has retained its form and meaning (lit. 'warships').[1]

Historiography

No relevant primary documents have been found about it, nor ruins of Persian naval installations or remains of ships have been excavated. While independent Persian tradition is lost, all we know about Achaemenid navy is recorded by ancient Greek historians like Herodotus. As a result, contemporary perception regarding this navy is plausible hypothesis.[2]

Flag

Xenophon wrote in Anabasis, "his (Cyrus the Younger) ensign was a golden eagle with outspread wings mounted upon a long shaft and this continues even unto this day as the ensign of the Persian king".[3] While there is not much to confirm this, some scholars maintain that Alexander Mosaic contained a depiction of the standard (on the part which is now damaged), head of a bird in yellow on a red cloth. There is also a square plaque found at Apadana in plain, and it is quite possible that it shows the eagle.[3]

Organization

Fleet

Herodotus' account of naval forces under Xerxes I, put the number of warships in service at 1,207, in addition to 3,000 transport ships. Contemporary academic estimates range from 500 to 1,000 vessels, according to Matt Waters.[4]

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References
  1. Bachenheimer, Avi (2018), Old Persian: Dictionary, Glossary and Concordance, John Wiley & Sons, p. 198, ISBN 978-1705373491
  2. Wallinga, H. T. (2007), "Ancient Navies, Persia", in Hattendorf, John J. (ed.), The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195307405
  3. Voegtle, Simone (2017), Barnes, Aneilya; Salerno, Mariarosaria (eds.), Symbols and Models in the Mediterranean: Perceiving through Cultures, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 117–118, ISBN 978-1527502710
  4. Waters, Matt (2014). Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550–330 BCE. Cambridge University Press. p. 121. ISBN 9781107652729.
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