Among the subject races the Medes particularly stood high in favour. Darius in his inscriptions always names them immedi ately after the Persians. They were the predecessors of the Per sians in the empire and the more civilized people. Their institu tions, court ceremonial and dress were all adopted by the Achae menids. Thus the tribal distinctions began to recede, and the ground was prepared for that amalgamation of the Iranians into a single, uniform nation, which under the Sassanids was com pletely perfected—at least for the west of Iran.
The lion's share, indeed, falls to the dominant race itself. The inhabitants of Persis proper—from which the eastern tribes of Carmanians, Utians, etc., were excluded and formed into a sepa rate satrapy—pay no taxes. Instead, they bring the best of their possessions (e.g., a particularly fine fruit) as a gift to their king on festival days; peasants meeting him on his excursions do the same (Plut. Artax. 4. 5; Dinon ap. Aelian. var. hist. i. 31; Xen. Cyr. viii. 5, 21, 7, I). In recompense for this, he distributes on his return rich presents to every Persian man and woman—the women of Pasargadae, who are members of Cyrus's tribe, each receiving a piece of gold (Nic. Dam. fr. 66. Plut. Alex. 69). In relation to his Persians, he is always the people's king. At his accession he is consecrated in the temple of a warrior-goddess (Anaitis?) at Pas argadae, and partakes of the simple meal of the old peasant days —a mess of figs, terebinths and sour milk (Plut. Artax. 3). The Persians swear allegiance to him and pray to Ahuramazda for his life and the welfare of the people, while he vows to protect them against every attack, and to judge and govern them as did his fathers before him (Herod. i. 132; Xen. Cyr. xviii. 5, 25, 27). For helpers he has at his side the "law-bearers" (databara Dan. iii. 2, and in Babyl. documents; cf. Herod. iii. 31, v. 25, vii. 194; Esther i. 13, etc.). These—the Persian judges—are nominated by the king for life, and generally bequeath their office to their sons. The royal decision is based on consultation with the great ones of his people ; and such is the case with his officials and governors everywhere (cf. the Book of Ezra).
Every Persian able to bear arms is bound to serve the king— the great landowners on horseback, the commonalty on foot. The
noble and well-to-do, who need not till their fields in person, are pledged to appear at court as frequently as possible. Their children are brought up in company with the princes "at the gates of the king," instructed in the handling of arms, in riding and hunting, and introduced to the service of the state and the knowl edge of the law, as well as the commandments of religion. Then such as prove their worth are called to high office and rewarded, generally with grants of land.
The highest rank was held by the descendants of the six great families, whose heads stood by Darius at the killing of the Magian. The Greeks class them and the king together, under the name of "the seven Persians." These enjoyed the right of entering the presence unannounced, and possessed princely estates in the prov inces. Besides these, however, numbers of other Persians were despatched to the provinces, settled there, and endowed with lands. There existed, in fact, under the Achaemenids a strong col onizing movement, diffused through the whole empire; traces of this policy occur more especially in Armenia, Cappadocia and Ly cia, but also in the rest of Asia Minor, and not rarely in Syria and Egypt. These colonists formed the nucleus of the provincial mili tary levy, and were a tower of strength to the Persian dominion. They composed, moreover, the Persian council and vice-regal household of the Satraps, exactly as the Persians of the home country composed that of the king.
Though the world-empire of Persia was thus deeply impressed by a national character, care was nevertheless exercised that the general duties and interests of the subject races should receive due consideration. We find their representatives, side by side with the Persians, occupying every sort of position in the regal and vice-regal courts. They take their part in the councils of the satraps, precisely as they do in military service (cf. the evi dence of Ezra) ; and they, too, are rewarded by bounties and estates. To wield a peaceful authority over all the subjects of the empire, to reward merit, and to punish transgression—such is the highest task of king and officials.