The role of refugees in the Achaemenid Empire (the reign of King Darius522-486 BC) (as a model)

Abstract

  The phenomenon of asylum is one of the human phenomena that penetrate deep into the history of human societies, the idea of refuge in man emerged from the background of his religious beliefs towards the universe around him with all its threats to his security and stability and his first resort was to the gods asking them for protection from evil forces and the diseases and disasters they cause him, and ancient human societies throughout their long history composed that phenomenon and went out individually or collectively to escape hunger or fear of the enemy in search of a safe haven Outside the boundaries of its regions, it repels the evil of what it has escaped from.

  The Achaemenid Empire was one of the most powerful empires that ruled the eastern part of the ancient world, especially during the reign of its king Darius I (522-486 BC) and was therefore considered a safe haven where peoples who could not defend themselves against threats to their existence and also individuals who were subjected to the punishment of exile and deportation as well as rulers and kings whose internal divisions and civil wars prevented them from reaching the throne, and in fact the acceptance of King Darius I to enter them into the throne. His protection was not out of love for them, but to take them as a tool to achieve goals that serve Achaemenid policy, meaning that protection has a price to pay when asked to do so.

In this research, we will learn about the reasons that led refugees, whether they are public or politicians, to seek the protection of the Achaemenid state during the reign of its king Darius I, how the latter dealt with them and what were the most important works and services that they provided and contributed to the interests of the Achaemenids.