The Royal Road of the Achaemenids in Darius Empire

The Royal Road of the Achaemenids was a major intercontinental thoroughfare built by the Persian Achaemenid dynasty king Darius the Great (521–485 BCE). The road network allowed Darius a way to access and maintain control over his conquered cities throughout the Persian empire. It is also, ironically enough, the same road that Alexander the Great used to conquer the Achaemenid dynasty a century and a half later. The Royal Road led from the Aegean Sea to Iran, a length of some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers). A major branch connected the cities of Susa, Kirkuk, Nineveh, Edessa, Hattusa, and Sardis. The journey from Susa to Sardis was reported to have taken 90 days on foot, and three more to get to the Mediterranean coast at Ephesus. The journey would have been faster on horseback, and carefully placed way stations helped speed the communication network. From Susa the road connected to Persepolis and India and intersected with other road systems leading to the ancient allied and competing kingdoms of Media, Bactria, and Sogdiana. A branch from Fars to Sardis crossed the foothills of the Zagros mountains and east of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, through Kilikia and Cappadocia before reaching Sardis. Another branch led into Phyrgia. Not Just a Road Network The network might have been called the Royal Road, but it also included rivers, canals, and trails, as well as ports and anchorages for seaborne travel. One canal built for Darius I connected the Nile to the Red Sea. An idea of the amount of traffic that the roads saw has been gleaned by ethnographer Nancy J. Malville, who examined ethnographic records of Nepali porters. She found that human porters can move loads of 60–100 kilograms (132–220 pounds) a distance of 10–15 kilometers (6–9 miles) per day without the benefit of roads. Mules can carry loads of 150–180 kg (330–396 lbs) up to 24 km (14 mi) per day; and camels can carry much heavier loads up to 300 kg (661 lbs), some 30 km (18 mi) per day. Pirradazish: Express Postal Service According to the Greek historian Herodotus, a postal relay system called pirradazish (express runner or fast runner) in Old Iranian and angareion in Greek, served to connect up the major cities in an ancient form of high-speed communication. Herodotus is known to have been prone to exaggeration, but he was definitely impressed with what he saw and heard. There is nothing mortal that is faster than the system that the Persians have devised for sending messages. Apparently, they have horses and men posted at intervals along the route, the same number in total as the overall length in days of the journey, with a fresh horse and rider for every day of travel. Whatever the conditions—it may be snowing, raining, blazing hot, or dark—they never fail to complete their assigned journey in the fastest possible time. The first man passes his instructions on to the second, the second to the third, and so on. Herodotus, The Histories Book 8, chapter 98, cited in Colburn and translated by R. Waterfield. Historic Records of the Road As you might have guessed, there are multiple historical records of the road, including such as Herotodus who mentioned the royal waystations along one of the best-known segments. Extensive information also comes from the Persepolis Fortification Archive (PFA), tens of thousands of clay tablets and fragments incised in cuneiform writing, and excavated from the ruins of Darius capital at Persepolis. Much information about the Royal Road comes from the PFAs Q texts, tablets which record the disbursement of specific travelers rations along the way, describing their destinations and/or points of origin. Those endpoints are often far beyond the local area of Persepolis and Susa. One travel document was carried by the individual named Nehtihor, who was authorized to draw rations in a string of cities through northern Mesopotamia from Susa to Damascus. Demotic and hieroglyphic graffiti dated to Darius Is 18th regnal year (~503 BCE) has identified another important segment of the Royal Road known as Darb Rayayna, which ran in North Africa between Armant in the Qena Bend in Upper Egypt and the Kharga Oasis in the Western Desert. Architectural Features Determining Darius construction methods of the road is somewhat difficult since the Achmaenid road was built following older roadways. Probably most of the routes were unpaved but there are some exceptions. A few intact sections of the road which date to Dariuss time, such as that at Gordion and Sardis, were constructed with cobblestone pavements atop a low embankment from 5–7 meters (16–23 feet) in width and, in places, faced with a curbing of dressed stone. At Gordion, the road was 6.25 m (20.5 ft) wide, with a packed gravel surface and curbstones and a ridge down the middle dividing it into two lanes. Theres also a rock-cut road segment at Madakeh which has been associated with the Persepolis–Susa road, 5 m (16.5 ft) wide. These paved sections were likely limited to the vicinities of cities or the most important arteries. Way Stations Even ordinary travelers had to stop on such long journeys. A hundred and eleven way-posting stations were reported to have existed on the main branch between Susa and Sardis, where fresh horses were kept for travelers. They are recognized by their similarities to caravanserais, stops on the Silk Road for camel traders. These are square or rectangular stone buildings with multiple rooms around a broad market area, and an enormous gate allowing parcel- and human-laden camels to pass under it. The Greek philosopher Xenophon called them hippon, of horses in Greek, which means they probably also included stables. A handful of way stations have been tentatively identified archaeologically. One possible way station is a large (40x30 m, 131x98 ft) five-room stone building near the site of Kuh-e Qale (or Qaleh Kali), on or very close to the Persepolis–Susa road, known to have been a major artery for royal and court traffic. It is somewhat more elaborate than would have been expected for a simple travelers inn, with fancy columns and porticoes. Expensive luxury items in delicate glass and imported stone have been found at Qaleh Kali, all of which leads scholars to surmise that the site was an exclusive way station for wealthier travelers. Travelers Comfort Inns Another possible but less fancy way station has been identified at the site of JinJan (Tappeh Survan), in Iran. There are two known near Germabad and Madakeh on the Pesrpolis–Susa road, one at Tangi-Bulaghi near Pasargadae, and one at Deh Bozan between Susa and Ecbatana. Tang-i Bulaghi is a courtyard surrounded by thick walls, with several smaller ancient buildings, which fits other types of ancient buildings but also caravanserais. The one near Madakeh is of similar construction. Various historic documents suggest that there were likely maps, itineraries, and milestones to aid travelers in their journeys. According to documents in the PFA, there were also road maintenance crews. References exist of gangs of workmen known as road counters or people who count the road, who made sure that the road was in good repair. There is also a mention in the Roman writer Claudius Aelianus De natura animalium indicating that Darius asked at one point that the road from Susa to Media be cleared of scorpions. Archaeology of the Royal Road Much of what is known about the Royal Road comes not from archaeology, but from the Greek historian Herodotus, who described the Achaemenid imperial postal system. Archaeological evidence suggests that there were several precursors to the Royal Road: that portion which connects Gordion to the coast was likely used by Cyrus the Great during his conquest of Anatolia. It is possible that the first roads were established in the 10th century BCE under the Hittites. These roads would have been used as trade routes by the Assyrians and Hittites at Boghakzoy. Historian David French has argued that the much later Roman roads would have been constructed along the ancient Persian roads as well; some of the Roman roads are used today, meaning that parts of the Royal Road have been used continually for some 3,000 years. French argues that a southern route across the Euphrates at Zeugma and across Cappodocia, ending at Sardis, was the main Royal Road. This was the route taken by Cyrus the Younger in 401 BCE; and it is possible that Alexander the Great traveled this same route while conquering much of Eurasia in the 4th century BCE. The northern route proposed by other scholars as the main thoroughfare has three possible routes: through Ankara in Turkey and into Armenia, crossing the Euphrates in the hills near the Keban dam, or crossing the Euphrates at Zeugma. All of these segments were used both before and after the Achaemenids. Sources Asadu, Ali, and Barbara Kaim. The Acheamenid Building at Site 64 in Tang-E Bulaghi. Achaemenet Arta 9.3 (2009). Print. Colburn, Henry P. Connectivity and Communication in the Achaemenid Empire. Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 56.1 (2013): 29–52. Print.Dusinberre, Elspeth R. M. Aspects of Empire in Achaemenid Sardis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Print.French, David. Pre- and Early-Roman Roads of Asia Minor. The Persian Royal Road. Iran 36 (1998): 15–43. Print.Malville, Nancy J. Long-Distance Transport of Bulk Goods in the Pre-Hispanic American Southwest. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 20.2 (2001): 230–43. Print.Stoneman, Richard. How Many Miles to Babylon? Maps, Guides, Roads, and Rivers in the Expeditions of Xenophon and Alexander. Greece and Rome 62.1 (2015): 60–74. Print.Sumner, W. M. Achaemenid Settlement in the Persepolis Plain. American Journal of Archaeology 90.1 (1986): 3–31. Print.Young, Rodne y S. Gordion on the Royal Road. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 107.4 (1963): 348–64. Print.

Intimate Partner Violence And Sexual Abuse - 2150 Words

â€Å"Intimate partner violence† (IPV) not only includes spousal abuse (as does â€Å"domestic violence†), but also extends to unmarried, cohabiting, and same-sex couples. Moreover, IPV, is also not restricted to physical abuse; threats of physical abuse, or sexual abuse, and emotional abuse are all considered different forms of intimate partner violence. Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern in the United States that often results in terrible consequences for victims, families, and communities at large. According to the CDC, â€Å"[i]n an average minute, about 24 people are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner†. Furthermore, The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that intimate partners†¦show more content†¦Research shows that those who are â€Å"separated†, where conflict may typically be higher, report higher rates of abuse any other marital status. Moreover, those cohabitating are more likely to be victims of IPV than those who are married (Stets and Straus 1990). Other demographic factors such as socioeconomic status seem to play an important role as well. Studies show that women who live in disadvantaged areas are twice as likely to experience violence from a partner as women who live in more well-to-do areas (Benson and Fox 2004). It is estimated that more than half of IPV goes unreported. In one study, most victims revealed that they were abused at least two years before turning to authorities for help (Carlson, Harris, and Holden 1999). Other studies determined that about 29 percent of victims denied abuse all together when confronted by police (Felson, Ackerman, and Gallagher 2005). Such findings makes accurate statistics on IPV considerably difficult to establish. What I found particularly fascinating is that some studies point to the significance of early childhood exposure to familial violence as an important predicting factor toward future partner violence. Some research suggests that â€Å"...children who are exposed to aggression in their families of origin are more likely to use aggression in their relationships as adults than children who are never exposed to familial aggression†(Chui, Ming 2010). This seems to make sense in light of the

Security Analysis Of Wesfarmers Llimited †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Security Analysis Of Wesfarmers Llimited. Answer: Introduction: Investors invest into the financial securities and in the market to enhance the worth of their invested money. So, it becomes necessary for the investors to look over the up and down in the market, analysis of market, security analysis etc before funding in that security. This would help the company to save themselves from any sudden risk. Various tools could be used by the investors and the analysts to find the best security in the market such as gearing ratios, WACC, cost of equity and debt, market growth, market return, risk free rate etc. which helps the investors to make a better decision by considering the performance and profitability of that security (Hillier, Grinblatt and Titman, 2011). Wesfarmers: For this report, Wesfarmers limited has been taken into consideration. This company has been registered into the Australian stock exchange. Wesfarmers limited is one of the largest companies in the Australian retail industry. According to annual report of the company, revenue of the company has been enhanced to $ 56.93 billion. Currently, this company has been recognized as biggest empowerment company. This company offers its product into the supermarket of Australia and it is also operating its business in other countries as well. Calculation of WACC: For analyzing the value of the company and the security of the company, WACC has been calculated. For calculating the WACC, it is required for the investor to calculate various other factors as well such as cost of equity and debt, market growth, market return, risk free rate etc. the analysis and calculation of all of the above are as follows: Return on equity: Return on equity is calculated to investigate the value of equity of the company. This analysis depict about the entire cost which occurred in the company, if company enhances the funds from the equity. In this calculation, per share unit cost has been analyzed. Dividend discount model and CAPM model has been investigated for this report. Dividend discount model: DDMs calculation depict that Wesfarmers return on equity (ROE) is 2.014%. According to this, company would have to pay the total 2.014% of net profit as cost of equity to the shareholders (Morningstar, 2017). CAPM Model: CAPMs calculation depict that Wesfarmers return on equity (ROE) is 2.715%. According to this, company would have to pay the total 2.715% of net profit as cost of equity to the shareholders (Morningstar, 2017). Return on debt: Return on debt is calculated to investigate the value of debt of the company. This analysis depict about the entire cost which occurred in the company, if company enhances the funds from the debt. In this calculation, total cost of debt has been analyzed (Weygandt et al, 2015). According to these calculations, currently company is paying total 0.000973 from net profit to the debt holders of the company. Beta Coefficients: In addition, for calculating the WACC of Wesfarmers, beta coefficient has been measured. Currently, companys beta of last 5 years is 0.022795 (Yahoo finance, 2017). The graph of beta has been given below: Risk free rate: 10 years risk free rate (Rf) of the Australia is 2.75% (Bloomberg, 2017). G (Growth rate): Wesfarmers shares growth rate of each year has been analyzed. Currently, the growth rate is 5% of the company. WACC: Through the above calculation, it has been found that the weighted average cost of capital of Wesfarmers is 0.0192. For calculating the WACC of the company, cost of equity and debt, market growth, market return, risk free rate etc has been calculated. The calculation of every factor is in the appendix. Through the cost of debt and cost of equity of the company, it has been found that the cost of debt is quite lower than the cost of equity off the company (yahoo finance, 2017). Calculation of gearing ratios: Gearing ratio of a company is calculated according to the assets, equity, and debt of the company. This depict about the stability of the company in terms of finance. Gearing ratio has been calculated over Wesfarmers and it has been found that the gearing ratio is 0.19385 means 19.39% which is very lower and thus it could be said that the stability of the company is quite strong in terms of finance (Parrino, Kidwell and Bates, 2011). Various factors and figures have been investigated before for this analysis such as equity of the company, total assets and liabilities of the company, current liabilities of the company etc. It has been found that the gearing ratio is the best way to analyze the economical stability and financial stability of the company. Not any issues have been faced while calculating the gearing ratios of the company. Entire figures have been easily found from the annual reports of the company. The company is very stable so it would be beneficial for the investor to invest in this company. Findings: Decisions related to capital structure of a company are usually taken by the financial manager of a company as they have enough knowledge about the debt and equity ratio, gearing ratio, cost of capital etc. the decision made by them over the capital structure is way better (Strebulaev, 2007). Capital structure includes debt and equity of a company. The capital structure of a company could be best if the better combination is made of debt and equity. This impacts the total cost of capital of the company as the cost of debt is different and the cost of equity is also different. This analysis expresses that Wesfarmers capital structure ratio is quite impressive and financial risk of the company is lower still company could reduce the total cost through raising the funds more from debt. Company could raise the funds till 40% as till that level the financial stability of the company would be in control and the cost reduction could also been done. Recommendation: Thus according to the weighted average cost of capital and the gearing ratio of the company, it has been found that the company is performing well and company is just required to enhance the funds from debt to reduce the cost of capital and manage the financial stability of the company. References: Bloomberg. (2017). Australian bonds and rates. https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/rates-bonds/government-bonds/australia on 18th Sept 2017. Morningstar. (2017). Wesfarmers limited. Viewed from https://financials.morningstar.com/valuation/price-ratio.html?t=WESregion=ausculture=en-US on 25th Sept 2017. Reuters. (2017). Wesfarmers limited. Viewed from https://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WES.AX on 25h Sept 2017. Wesfarmers. (2017). Home. Viewed from https://www.wesfarmers.com.au/ on 25th Sept 2017. Yahoo Finance. (2017). Wesfarmers limited. Viewed from https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/WES.AX?p=WES.AX on 25th Sept 2017. Strebulaev, I. A. (2007). Do tests of capital structure theory mean what they say?. The Journal of Finance, 62(4), 1747-1787. Parrino, R., Kidwell, D.S. and Bates, T. (2011).Fundamentals of corporate finance. John Wiley Sons. Weygandt, J. J., Kimmel, P. D., Kieso, D. E. (2015).Financial Managerial Accounting. John Wiley Sons. Hillier, D., Grinblatt, M. and Titman, S., (2011).Financial markets and corporate strategy. McGraw Hill.