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 Western Asia: The Me do- Persian Empire 95 Section 18. The Persian Empire No people became more zealous followers of Zoroaster than The emer- the Persians. Through them a knowledge of him has de- Persians scended to us. At the fall of Nineveh (606 B.C.) (p. 79) they were already long settled in the region ,-^_L- ™ 1^- at the southeastern end of the Zagros Mountains, just north of the Persian Gulf. The northern shores of the Persian Gulf are little better than desert, but the valleys of the mountainous hinterland are rich and fertile. Here the group of Iranian tribes known as the Persians occupied a district some four hundred miles long. They were a rude mountain peasant folk, leading a settled agricultural life, with simple institutions, no art, no writing or literature, but with stirring memories of their past, including some grand sagas which had come down from the distant Persian Soldiers Although carrying spears when doing duty as palace guards, these men were chiefly archers (p. 96), as is shown by the size of the large quivers on their backs for containing the supply of arrows. The bow hangs on the left shoulder. The royal bodyguard may also be seen wielding their spears around the Persian king at the battle of Issus (Fig. '99). Notice the splendid robes worn by these palace guards. The figures are done in brightly colored glazed brick — an art bor- rowed by the Persians (see Fig. 48)