On Sunday morning, November 28, 2021, a Ph.D. thesis, entitled (the Subject of Ancient Syria in the Achaemenid Era 539-333 BC), was discussed at the Department of History at the College of Arts / University of Basrah.
The thesis presented by the student Salama Abdul-Ridha Hussein included four chapters, each chapter consists of two sections, except for the fourth chapter, which consists of three sections.
The thesis aims to identify the ancient country of Syria, the Achaemenid politics, its impact on the country of Syria in that important historical period and the most important administrative and economic organizations in it, as well as the most important cultural and intellectual mutual influences between the Achaemenid and Syrian sides.
The thesis concluded that the Achaemenids were not the first to give the ancient name Syria to the region, but rather it is older than that date, as the Hittite peoples who migrated to it gave it this name when they felt the warmth of the sun, as Syria means the sun in their Sanskrit language.
The Achaemenids focused on the cities of the Syrian coast in their wars to subjugate Greece and the participation of the Syrians in the military campaigns carried out by the Achaemenid Empire.
The thesis recommended continuing research on this subject, so that the archaeological excavations may provide us with more social or economic information about this historical era.
