According to the Persians, the early disputes between Asia and Greece were small and personal. These early events involved the taking of women from one land to another. The Persians believed these acts were private crimes, not reasons for war. In their opinion, such actions were done by reckless individuals, not by nations as a whole.
They argued that wise men should not start wars over women. They believed that women could not be taken away without some level of consent. For this reason, the Persians felt it was foolish to seek revenge for such matters. Among Asian peoples, when women were taken by foreigners, no great military response followed. Life continued, and no armies were raised Sofia Walking Tour.
Greek Actions Against Asia
The Persians strongly criticized the Greeks for what came next. They believed the Greeks went too far when they raised a large army for the sake of one woman, Helen of Sparta. Instead of treating the matter as a personal wrong, the Greeks gathered warriors from many cities. They crossed the sea into Asia and attacked Troy.
This invasion led to the destruction of the kingdom of King Priam. To the Persians, this was the turning point. From that moment, they began to see the Greeks as their permanent enemies. What had once been small acts of violence had now become a full war between continents.
Asia and Europe as Separate Worlds
In Persian thinking, Asia belonged to them and to the many peoples who lived there. They saw it as their natural homeland. Europe, on the other hand, belonged to the Greeks and was considered a separate world. Because the Greeks had brought war into Asia, the Persians believed they were the ones who started the long conflict between East and West.
For this reason, the Persians traced their hatred of the Greeks back to the Trojan War. In their view, the Greeks were the first to bring organized violence from Europe into Asia Ancient Conflicts Between Greeks and Eastern Peoples.
The Phoenician Version of the Story of Io
The Phoenicians offered a different explanation, especially regarding the story of Io. They denied that she had been taken by force to Egypt. Instead, they claimed that Io willingly left with them.
According to their story, Io became close to the captain of a Phoenician ship while it was anchored at Argos. When she discovered she was pregnant, she feared shame and punishment from her family. To avoid this, she chose to leave with the Phoenicians. In this version, no violence was involved.
Herodotus and His Purpose
Herodotus, the historian, did not say which version was true. He chose not to judge these stories. Instead, he stated that his goal was to record what people believed and said. He then turned his attention to events closer to his own time.
Herodotus explained that he would describe the person who first clearly harmed the Greeks in known history. From there, he would continue his account, speaking about both great and small cities.
The Rise and Fall of Cities
Herodotus believed that power never lasts forever. Cities that were once great often became weak over time. In the same way, cities that were strong in his own day had once been small and unimportant.
For this reason, he treated all cities equally in his history. He believed human fortune always changes. No city or empire remains powerful forever, and happiness never stays in one place for long.
