The Persian Empire has been known to have made intense advancements in almost all spheres of life from architecture art and government. Such advancement is not possible without discipline and the discipline obviously came from the education in ancient Persia.

Education in Ancient Persia

The educational system then was very unique compared to all the other systems elsewhere because the religious tolerance of the Persian Emperors had led to a composite society with many different beliefs.

Although vastly effective it is a mystery even today as to why so little can be found out about them. But from the little that is known, we have formed this article based in the education in ancient Persia.

The Education of Boys in Ancient Persia

The boys in ancient Persia were the most benefited through education. The education in ancient Persia decreed the boys not meeting or seeing their father till they were five years old. That is why after birth they spent the whole of their five years among the women. At the age of five, their formal education began and they would be allowed to read and write and at the same time be taught weaponry.

An interesting trait here is that they were pointed taught to say only the truth and never lie to anyone. Lying was a grievous offense in Persia. Anyone was allowed to learn warfare and anyone could be a soldier. Greek philosophers and historians have recounted the education in ancient Persia as a wonderful antidote to the ongoing caste-ridden systems elsewhere.

The Education for the Nobility in Ancient Persia

A stark difference can be seen in the education in ancient Persia in the education of normal people and the higher nobility. At the age of five, the prices were successively sent to four nobles for training in all the required fields of leadership. This included the traits of wisdom in the decision, justice in punishment, temperate in nature and bravery in battle.

These mentors would be chosen wisely as they will later influence a whole empire. At the age of seventeen, they were inevitably marshaled off to war or the army to become battle hardy. This system for the training of nobles, the Greek historian Herodotus said, was the reason the Persian Emperors were just and enterprising.

Education in Ancient Persia in the Outer Regions

A common trait noticed was that different annexed areas of the empire followed different forms of the education system. The outer regions of the empire, although all had remarkable literacy levels, followed their own forms of education. Only in Egypt was education only limited to the nobility.

This although seemed to cause a certain discrepancy in the working of the main system never totally hindered it. The education in ancient Persia at the center was so flawless that this did not matter.

The Flaws in the Ancient Persian Education System

The education in ancient Persia was a well-oiled machine but the flaw that remained was that girls were a little neglected. Although some women have been known to have reached statesman level importance, overall there had been seriously lacking in the education of women in ancient Persia.