Asia

Brief Description of Asia as it relates to the Ancient world, either quoted or made up wholesale

Geography
On Airs, Waters, Places states that the climate of Asia is temperate and therefore the peoples of Asia are not courageous, industrious, or persevering. The treatise goes on to state that the Asians are servile and lazy because of their political institutions, i.e. they live under kings and therefore do not fight on their own behalf (Hippocratic Corpus, On Airs, Waters, Places 12, 13, 16, 24 = RECW 3.1, pp. 35-42). Herodotus: Persians have thin skulls because they cover them with felt hats; the sun therefore does not thicken the skulls (3.12 = RECW 3.2, p. 42), and they do not burn corpses because fire is a god and they do not give corpses to the god (3.16.3 = RECW 5.4, p. 68). Herodotus gives a description of the peoples and extent of Asia: Caspian Sea to the north, Red Sea to the south, the Troas in the west, and the east the lands containing the Persians, Medes, Saspeires, and Cholcians. India seems to be included in Asia. The name Asia is derived from Prometheus’ wife. Also: “The Lydians claim the name also, saying that Asia is so-called from Asies, the son of Kotys the son of Manes, and not from Prometheus’ Asia. From this Asies, they say that the people in Sardis are called Asians (4.37-40, 4.45.3-4 = RECW 6.3, pp. 85-8). Herodotus disagrees with the Greek view that the Nile separtes Libya from Asia, asserting that Egyptian definitions of space say otherwise (2.17 = RECW 7.1, p. 114). Euripides: Hermione addresses Andromache saying that “the minds of Asian women are clever” and that barbarians (here, Troy is implicitly a “barbarian city”) are incestuous and murderous and polygamous by nature (Andromache 155-80 = RECW 5.7, pp. 70-71). Polyphemus calls Troy a “Phrygian” land (Cyclops 275-304 = RECW 5.8, p. 72). Xenophon: Persians have pale skin and are fat and lazy because they do not work outside and are carried in litters (Agesilaos 1.27-28 = RECW 3.4, pp. 43-44). Plato: An Egyptian priest tells Solon that the Egyptians were “the first people in all Asia” to arm themselves with spear and shield (Timaeus 24b = RECW 7.2, p. 122). Aristotle: "The peoples of Asia are intelligent and skilled but cowardly. Thus they are in a perpetual state of subjugation and enslavement" (Politics 7.5.6 [1327b] = RECW 3.5, p. 44). Manilius: "Curly hair at the temples reveals the Syrian" (Astronomica 4.711-730 = RECW 3.9, p. 47). Dissoi Logoi (anonymous): “The Persians think it proper for men to adorn themselves as women do and also to have sexual relations with daughters, mothers, and sisters” (2.15 = RECW 5.9, pp. 74-5). Cicero: The Romans considered the Jews to live in Asia. To stop the flow of gold to Asia sent by diaspora communities, Flaccus forbade the export of gold to the region (On Behalf of Flaccus 67 = RECW 11.3, p. 246). Strabo: Rome rules the coastal parts of Asia, the interior is ruled by the Romans and Parthians (Geography 17.3.24 = RECW 6.8, p. 91). Pomponius Mela: Everything beyond the Nile and Tanais rivers is Asia. The first humans of Asia were the Indians, the Seres (Chinese), and Scythians. He lists all the peoples of the interior of Asia. They include peoples living from Asia Minor all the way to Central Asia (Description of the World 1.7, 1.11-13 = RECW 6.11, pp. 93-4). Ptolemy: Limits of Asia Major: “Lying opposite Europe to the southeast is the next quadrant encompassing the eastern Ethiopians (Indians), which we would refer to as the southern half of Asia Major. Again, to the northeast of the world, including Scythia, is the northern quadrant made up of the northern half of Asia Major” (Tetrabiblos 2.3.60 = RECW 6.17, p. 104). Asia thus includes all of the east. They are diviners by nature, inclined to sexual pleasure, dancing, public sex with women, and straight sex generally. They are effeminate in clothing, generous, noble, and warlike, clean and decadent, while some, like Indians, are ugly, unclean, and savage. The Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews, and Arabs are traders, cowards, schemers, and fickle, while some are bold and godless. The northern quadrant of Asia have people of just and free dispositions and are pious, pure in sexual matters, while further east some are music lovers, effeminate, wild, harsh, and savage. In Asia Minor, people are evil, wicked, and difficult, while the women treat their husbands well--they are affectionate, domestic, industrious, servile, and obedient. Further north, women are more warlike, e.g. Amazons (2.3.65-68 = RECW 6.17, pp. 105-7). Lucan: The greater part of the world belongs to Asia: “Asia contains the northern wind on its left-hand borders and stretches on its right to the south wind and alone contains the east wind” (Civil War 9.410ff = RECW 8.8, pp. 167-8).

Persia
Brief Description of Persia as it relates to the Ancient world, either quoted or made up wholesale

Media
Brief Description of Media as it relates to the Ancient world, either quoted or made up wholesale

Babylon
Brief Description of Babylon as it relates to the Ancient world, either quoted or made up wholesale

Parthia
Brief Description of Parhtia as it relates to the Ancient world, either quoted or made up wholesale