Earth and water
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please discuss this issue on the talk page or replace this tag with a more specific message. This article has been tagged since November 2006. |
According to Herodotus the Persians demanded earth and water (γῆ καί ὕδωρ) from the cities or people who surrendered to them. On book 4, Herodotus mentions for the first time the term earth and water in the answer of king Idanthyrsos of the Scythians to king Darius.
On the 5th book, Darius sent heralds demanding earth and water from king Amyntas I of Macedon.
On the 6th book, Darius sent heralds throughout Hellas bidding them demand earth and water for the king.
The demand for earth and water symbolized that those surrendering to Persians gave up all their rights over their land and every product of the land. Giving earth and water they recognized the Persian authority on everything, even their lives belonged to the king of Persians. Then negotiations would take place to specify the obligations and the benefits of the liegemen.
The phrase earth and water, even in modern Greek, symbolizes unconditional subordination to a conqueror.
According to J.M. Balcer ('The Persian Wars Against Greece: A Reassessment' Historia 38 (1989)p. 130), the significance of earth and water is that they were Zoroastrian symbols and representative of vassalage to the Persian Empire. "Persian heralds traveled throughout Greece demanding the recognition of Persian Suzerainty and the Zoroastrian symbols of earth and water, the marks of vassalage...".
