Life in Ancient Persia

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Life in Ancient Persia
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Key Questions

• What was the family law in Ancient Persia?
• Where did people live in Ancient Persia?
• What was the role of women in Ancient Persia?

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Family Law in Ancient Persia

• Structure of the Persian family
• Master of the household Father and this was
  seconded by his wife.
• Members of the family were bound by a highly
  developed set of legal prescriptions. There were
  established rules and restrictions.

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• Rights and obligations within the household
• The master of the household was to support his
  wife as long as she lived, his daughters until
  they married and his sons until they come of age.
• After the death of the master, the most
  authoritative member of the family was guardian
  (stur) who was responsible for the care of women
  and the protection of minors.
• If a stur was not appointed it was the duty of
  the citizens to care for the family.

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Persian homes

• Where did people live in Ancient Persia?
• The Persians were nomadic people and so at the
  beginning of the Achaemenid period, many still
  followed their traditional way of life and lived
  in tents made from animal skins and would be
  transported by horse, donkey or camel.
• Access to raw materials and weather patterns
  encouraged Persians to adopt and adapt the styles
  of buildings to that of their middle eastern
  neighbours.
• Raw materials used for building
• included brick, stone and timber

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• Bitumen occurs in the Middle and Near East in
  Iran and is only available in this region. It was
  used as an adhesive and helped to bind bricks.
• During the Achaemenid empire, houses were two
  storey, rectangular structure divided into two or
  more separate living quarters. Access to the top
  floor could be via stairs or a ladder.
• This housed one or more extended families in
  separate living quarters.
• It would be constructed of unbaked mud bricks,
  possibly on a foundation of fired bricks or
  stone. The roof consisted of whole and split
  timber beams covered with reed matting, a layer
  of lime and then a thick layer of mud.
• Persian homes are characterised by the inclusion
  of landscaped courtyards and high stone or brick
  walls surrounding the homes. Rose gardens, shade
  trees or food crops, such as citrus or pistachio
  trees would be a common inclusion. Water, ponds
  and fountains were also a Persian feature.

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Women in Ancient Persia
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What was the role of women in Ancient Persia?

• Had a high level of socio-economic status
• Made up over 60 of the population
• They were powerful women
• Women had to be obedient to their husbands and
  lord and master but this did not result in a loss
  of individuality or personality.

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• Women were described in three different terms
  mutu, irti and duksis
• Mutu ordinary non royal women
• Irti unmarried members of the royal family
• Duksis married women of royalty

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• Women of the royal household travelled
  extensively and often administered their estates.
• The Queen and her ladies in waiting played polo
  against the emperor and his courtiers.
• Non-royals and ordinary women received rations
  depending on their skill and level of
  responsibility in the workplace.

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• The highest ranking female worker was called
  arashshara (great chief). They were employed in
  different areas and managed large groups of women
  and children and sometimes men. They received
  high rations of wine and grain exceeding even the
  males in their group.
• Pregnant women also received higher rations as
  did women with newborn children for one month
  after the birth.

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• It is rumoured that Cyrus the Great established
  the custom of covering women to protect their
  chastity. The veil was passed down through the
  ages.

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• Discussion
• What do you think about the role
• of women in Persian society?