Aria (region) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aria |
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| Province of the Achaemenid, Seleucid, and Parthian Empires | |
| ca. 530 BC–early 3rd-century | |
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Aria (satrapy)
 Eastern territories of the Achaemenid Empire, including Aria (around the city of Areia).
 Arian soldier, on a relief of the tomb of Artaxerxes III (circa 338 BCE).
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| Capital |
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| Historical era | Antiquity |
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• Established
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ca. 530 BC |
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• Kushan conquest
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early 3rd-century |
| Today part of |  Afghanistan |
Aria was an ancient region located in what is now western Afghanistan. It was centered around the city of Herat. This area was an important part of several large empires in ancient times. These included the Achaemenid Empire, the Seleucid Empire, and the Parthian Empire. Sometimes, people confused Aria with a larger area called Ariana, but Aria was only one part of it.
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Geography of Aria
Aria was an ancient province, or "satrapy," of the Old Persian Empire. It mainly covered the valley of the Hari River. This river was so important that the whole land was named after it. In ancient times, Aria was known for being very fertile and for producing a lot of wine.
Mountains separated Aria from other regions. To the east were the Paropamisadae, and to the west was Parthia. To the north were Margiana and Hyrcania. A desert separated Aria from Carmania and Drangiana in the south.
Ancient geographers like Ptolemy and Strabo described Aria in great detail. Their descriptions show that Aria was very similar to the modern Herat Province in Afghanistan. Other ancient writers, such as Herodotus and Arrian, also mentioned Aria in their works.
The first capital city of Aria was Artacoana. Later, a new capital was built nearby. This city was called Alexandria Ariana, and it is known today as Herat. It was likely built by Alexander the Great or his successors.
Ptolemy listed many other cities in Aria. This shows that the province was rich and fertile. Some of these cities included Dista, Taua, Sipharê, Rhagaura, Godana, Phoraga, Astanda, Susia, and Nisibis.
History of Aria
The Persian Achaemenid Empire ruled Aria for a long time. Aria is mentioned in important royal writings, like the Behistun inscription of Darius I, which dates to around 520 BC.
Pictures of people from Aria can be seen on ancient carvings. These carvings are found at the royal Achaemenid tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam and Persepolis. The people from Aria are shown wearing clothes similar to the Scythians. They wore tunics, trousers tucked into tall boots, and a twisted turban on their heads.
When Alexander the Great arrived in the region, Aria was a very important area. It was governed by a leader called Satibarzanes. He was one of the three main Persian officials in the eastern part of the empire.
In late 330 BC, Alexander the Great captured Artacoana, the capital of Aria. After Alexander, Aria became part of the Seleucid Empire. However, other empires also took control of Aria at different times. For example, it was part of the Chandragupta Maurya Empire and later the Parthian Empire around 167 BC.
Aria was eventually conquered by the Kushan Empire sometime between the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD. Around 230 AD, the Sasanian Empire took over the province from the Kushans. Under the Sasanians, Aria became known as Harev.
See also
- Arii (disambiguation)
- Arianus (disambiguation)
- Alexandria in Ariana
- Arian (disambiguation)
- Ariana (disambiguation)
- Artacoana
- Herat
Sources
