The title of the book and movie relate to the ancient Persian city, Persepolis. The history of this ancient city Persepolis goes a while back with its many rulers and its great power. Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire and the city dates back to around 515 BCE(“A Look at Persepolis”). Part of the city was cut out of out of the mountain that is the next to the city. What I believe is ironic is that the name of the mountain is the “Mountain of Mercy”(“A Look at Persepolis”). The history of this city deals with a lot of destruction and battles. There is not much mercy being shown when it comes to the city.
There were many great rulers that ruled Persepolis like, Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great. Darius the Great took over after Cyrus the Great. They both believed in how important religion is and the value of the people who live in their empire. Persepolis used to be a great and wealthy city. It was one of the first cities to connect the East and West in this time(“A Look at Persepolis”). The ancient city had great wealth and a large amount of diverse cultures. This was a very powerful city. However it was destroyed by Alexander the Great(Persepolis). Alexander set fire to the city after he captured it and the city has never been the same since.
The site of Persepolis is ancient ground that represents a lot of history for Iran. It shows how powerful Iran and the Persian Empire used to be. It also shows the diverse cultures that once used to be in Iran. However, once the Islamic Revolution began all this changed. Women were seen as second to men due to all the laws created to belittle them. Rulers have a lot of power and when the power goes to the wrong people, some things can downhill. In the book Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi we see how this once great country and city has turned into a ground of fighting and rioting. Books being burned and people being taken to prison. It is all interesting to me to see that a country that was once so rich has turned into a place of trouble.
“History of Persepolis and The Islamic Revolution.” Satrapisms- A Look at Persepolis, 6 June 2011, satrapism.wordpress.com/history-of-persepolis/#:~:text=History of Persepolis and The Islamic Revolution Persepolis,remains of Persepolis date back from 515 BCE.
Mark, Joshua J. “Persepolis.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 1 Mar. 2021, www.ancient.eu/persepolis/#:~:text=Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Achaemenid,knew it as Parsa (City of the Persians).
I really liked this presentation because I did not know much about the history of Iran. It was very interesting to learn that it used to be home to such a thriving city when today most people see it as just a war torn country. I also liked it cause it brought more meaning to the title of the book and film. By choosing the name Persepolis, I believe Satrapi was trying to reference how great Iran once was, but now wars have made it a dangerous place. I think she was also trying to focus on the fact that not all of Iran is bad, it has just been given that reputation because a few of the wrong people gained power and treated their country poorly after doing so.
Thank you for your context. What resonated with me is that Persepolis was once the connection of East and West. This seems hard to believe because in the book it seems like Iran is trying to run from the West. Your presentation also puts the history of Iran in context. Modern viewers of Iran may neglect the idea that Iran has a long and prosperous history before it was conquered by the British. This makes me think that Iran can have the turn-around that China had. Like Iran, China has a rich history, but was plundered in the 19th and 20th centuries. Maybe Iran can make a return like China has.
I enjoyed your context presentation because you too touched on something that I had kind of picked up from little things in the book as well as the film, the wealth of this country. I found it very interesting that things were mentioned like maids (p.6) or window washers (p.171). It is extremely sad for things to be turned so quickly. I feel for the people and hope one day they can experience the freedoms we do here.
Hey Patrick,
Thanks for the context presentation. I found it interesting to learn about the history of Persepolis and a bit of background knowledge of how everything came to be. Learning about how Iran has been affected by conquerors and religious movement makes it a bit sad when you learn about how prosperous it once used to be. It also puts into perspective of how real and scary it must’ve been for someone like Satrapi who experienced it first hand as a child.
I really enjoyed your context presentation. The information about Persepolis and everything about Iran was very interesting. We are very lucky for the situation that we are and that we do not have go through what these people go through.
Hello, I did not know the important the title of the book was and how much history that it really had. I think it is interesting to learn that after the fire from Alexander the Great, how the city has never been back to its prime before the fire. I wished that the city did not have such a dark history behind it and I know the history still effects people living in the area today. Nice work!