Yauna: identity, religion, and tyranny in Achaemenid Asia Minor

This project seeks to investigate the reality of how Greeks in Asia Minor experienced rule under the Achaemenid Persian Empire from 546-479 BCE. Scholars see life in Achaemenid Asia Minor as one of two extremes; Greeks were either devastated by Persian hegemony or treated relatively well. My thesis proposes to gain a more balanced understanding of life under Persian rule. I will explore themes such as religion, identity, and economic conditions to argue that, while Greek subjects were not ruined by the Achaemenid Empire, scholars tend to overlook the significant disruption caused by the Persians in many areas of life.