Herodotus divided theAchaemenid Empire into 20 districts for the purpose of tribute payments. The following is a description of the ethnic makeup of the districts and the amount they paid in taxes, translated from Herodotus'Histories.[1][2]
The quantities of silver are given in Babyloniantalent (1 Babylonian talent = about 30.3 kg), while the quantities of gold (India only) are given in Euboïc/Euboean talent (1 Euboïc talent = about 26 kg).[2][1] Only theHindush paid in gold, the exchange rate of gold to silver being 1 to 13 by weight at the time of Herodotus.[2][1]
The order of the districts given here follows Herodotus,Histories, III.90–94. In hellenocentric way it starts with Ionia and Mysia. The official Persian order of the provinces, as devised underDarius I in 518 BCE, was different and started from the Empire's capital: 1. Media, 2. Susa, etc.[4] For comparison, it is given in the rightmost column.
| District | Satrapies | Tribute per District | % of total | Darius's provinces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Ionians, AsianMagnesians,Aeolians,Carians,Lycians,Milyans,Pamphylians | 400 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.6% | 10. Ionia |
| II | Mysians,Lydians,Lasonians,Cabalians,Hytennians | 500 Babylonian talents of silver | 4.5% | 9. Lydia |
| III | Hellespontine Phrygians,Phrygians,AsianThracians,Paphlagonians,Mariandynians,Syrians | 360 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.2% | 8. Cappadocia |
| IV | Cilicians | 500 Babylonian talents of silver along with 360 white horses (one for each day of the year); of the talents, 140 were used to maintain the cavalry force that guarded Cilicia | 4.5% | 11. "Sealand" (Cilicia and Cyprus) |
| V | The area from the town ofPosidium as far as Egypt, omitting Arabian territory (which did not pay taxes). All ofPalestine,Cyprus, and most ofPhoenicia were herein contained. In the biblical Book of Ezra, this district is calledAbar Nahara ("beyond theEuphrates river") | 350 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.1% | 4. Assyria, 5. Arabia |
| VI | Egyptians and the Libyans in the border towns ofCyrene andBarca | 700 Babylonian talents of silver, in addition to the money from the fish inLake Moeris, and 120,000 bushels of grain for the Persian troops and their auxiliaries stationed in the White Castle at Memphis | 6.3% | 6. Egypt |
| VII | Sattagydians,Gandharans,Dadicae,Aparytae (Indian Satrapies) | 170 Babylonian talents of silver | 1.5% | 19. Gandhara |
| VIII | Susa and the surrounding area,Cissia | 300 Babylonian talents of silver | 2.7% | 2. Susiane |
| IX | Mesopotamia (Babylonia andAssyria) | 1000 Babylonian talents of silver and 500 eunuch boys | 9% | 3. Mesopotamia |
| X | Ecbatana and the rest ofMedia along with theParicanians andOrthocorybantians | 450 Babylonian talents of silver | 4% | 1. Media |
| XI | Caspians,Pausicae,Pantimathi, andDaritae | a joint sum of 200 Babylonian talents of silver | 1.8% | |
| XII | Bactrians and all neighboring peoples as far as theAegli | 360 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.2% | 15. Bactria |
| XIII | Pactyica,Armenians, and all the peoples as far as the Black Sea | 400 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.6% | 7. Armenia |
| XIV | Sagartians,Sarangians,Thamanaeans,Utians,Myci, and the inhabitants of thePersian Gulf islands (where prisoners or displaced people were sent) | together they paid 600 Babylonian talents | 3.6% | 12. Sagartia |
| XV | theSacae and theCaspians | 250 Babylonian talents of silver | 2.2% | |
| XVI | Parthians,Chorasmians,Sogdians, andArians | 300 Babylonian talents of silver | 2.7% | 13. Parthia, 14. Aria, 16. Sogdiane |
| XVII | Paricanians and AsiaticEthiopians | 400 Babylonian talents of silver | 3.6% | 20. Maka |
| XVIII | theMatienians,Saspires,Alarodians | 200 Babylonian talents of silver | 1.8% | |
| XIX | theMushki,Tibareni,Macrones,Mossynoeci,Marres | 300 Babylonian talents of silver | 2.7% | |
| XX | India | 360 Euboïc talents of gold dust, equivalent to 4680 Euboïc talents of silver, or 3600 Babylonian talents of silver.[1][2] | 32% | 17. Arachosia, 18. India |
| Total | Total of all annual tributes, in Babylonian talent silver equivalent | 11,200 Babylonian talents of silver, equivalent to 14,560 Euboïc talents of silver | 100% |
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See alsoTaxation districts of the Achaemenid Empire(according toHerodotus) | ||
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