Xenophon and his troops camped out near giant ghost cities, bigger than anything Greece would have had at the time. Xenophon couldn't figure out who built them and asked the locals, but they didn't know either, highlighting the weird feeling of looking back at something bigger or better from a long time ago.
The propaganda of Cyrus and the Persians was focused on their legitimacy to rule in the hope of gaining voluntary submission from the people and creating stability. They showed religious tolerance and allowed continuity in local traditions and customs.
The reliability of ancient authors' numbers on ancient naval battles have been questioned by modern historians, but they haven't reached a consensus on what numbers to use. This podcast episode discusses the use of ships in ancient times for transporting armies, and the challenges and risks that came with it.
This podcast episode explores the perspective of the Persians on rebellion, and how they might have justified using more forceful measures when dealing with revolting populations. It acknowledges the challenge of fully understanding ancient Persian history and its context.
The Persians used a combination of gold, promises, and strategy to exploit the divisions that already existed among Greek cities and tear them apart from within, ultimately leading to the invasion of Greece.