| Aria | |
|---|---|
| Province of theAchaemenid,Seleucid, andParthian Empires | |
| ca.530 BC–early3rd-century | |
Aria (satrapy)  Eastern territories of theAchaemenid Empire, including Aria (around the city of Areia).  Arian soldier, on a relief of the tomb ofArtaxerxes III (circa 338 BCE). | |
| Capital |
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| Historical era | Antiquity |
• Established | ca.530 BC |
• Kushan conquest | early3rd-century |
| Today part of |  Afghanistan |
Aria (Greek:Ἀρ(ε)ίαAr(e)ía, آريا;LatinAria, representingOld Persian. 𐏃𐎼𐎡𐎺Haraiva,Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬋𐬌𐬬𐬀Harōiva) was anAchaemenid region centered on the city ofHerat in present-day westernAfghanistan. In classical sources, Aria has been several times confused[citation needed] with the greater region of ancientAriana, of which Aria formed a part.
Aria was an Old Persiansatrapy, which enclosed chiefly the valley of theHari River (GreekἌρ(ε)ιος, this being eponymous to the whole land according toArrian[1]) and which in antiquity was considered as particularly fertile and, above all, rich inwine. The region of Aria was separated by mountain ranges from theParopamisadae in the east,Parthia in the west andMargiana andHyrcania in the north, while a desert separated it fromCarmania andDrangiana in the south. It is described in a very detailed manner byPtolemy andStrabo[2] and corresponds, according to that, almost to theHerat Province of today's Afghanistan. In this sense the term is used correctly by some writers, e.g.Herodotus (3.93.3, where theAreioi are mentioned together with theParthians, Chorasmians, andSogdians);Diodorus (17.105.7; 18.39.6); Strabo (2.1.14; 11.10.1, cf. also 11.8.1 and 8; 15.2.8 and 9); Arrian (Anabasis 3.25.1);Pomponius Mela (1.12, where we read that “nearest toIndia isAriane, then Aria”).
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Its original capital wasArtacoana (Ἀρτακόανα)[3] or Articaudna (Ἀρτίκαυδνα) according to Ptolemy. In its vicinity, a new capital was built, either byAlexander the Great himself or by his successors, Alexandria Ariana (Ἀλεξάνδρεια ἡ ἐν Ἀρίοις), modernHerat in northwestAfghanistan. Ptolemy lists several other cities, an indication of the province's wealth and fertility. The most important, according to Ptolemy and Arrian were:[4][5]
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The PersianAchaemenid district of Aria is mentioned in the provincial lists that are included in various royal inscriptions, for instance, in theBehistun inscription ofDarius I (c. 520 BC). Representatives from the district are depicted in reliefs, e.g., at the royal Achaemenid tombs ofNaqsh-e Rustam andPersepolis. They are wearingScythian-style dress (with a tunic and trousers tucked into high boots) and a twisted turban around the head.
At the time of Alexander the Great, Aria was obviously an important district. It was administered by a satrap, calledSatibarzanes, who was one of the three main Persian officials in the East of the Empire, together with the satrapBessus of Bactria andBarsaentes of Arachosia. In late 330 BC,Alexander the Great, captured the Arian capital Artacoana. The province was part of theSeleucid Empire but was captured by others on various occasions and became part of the Maurya Empire[6] andParthian Empire in 167 BC. Aria was sometime between the late 2nd- and early 3rd-century conquered by theKushan Empire, who would later in ca. 230 lose the province to theSasanian Empire, where it became known asHarev.
Much of Aria passed from Macedonian into Indian hands. Aelian's reference (NA 16.16) to ᾽Αριανοὶ οἱ ᾽Ινδικοί may indicate a Mauryan presence.
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See alsoTaxation districts of the Achaemenid Empire(according toHerodotus) | ||