A List of Revenues of the Darius I, Great King of Persia, is reported by Greek Historian Herodotus c 480 BC.[1] This serves to show the greatness of Darius and the Persian empire, show who was paying tribute to the empire and how much they were capable of paying.[2] [3]
A talent of silver was a considerable sum of money, but making exact conversions to modern currency is problematical at best. Further compounding the problem are differences in how weights were measured.
Satrapy | Babylonian Weight | Attic Weight | |
Ionia (Yauna) | 400 | 520 | |
Lydia (Sparda) | 500 | 650 | |
Phrygia-Cappadocia (Katpatuka) | 360 | 468 | |
Cilicia (Kilikes) | 360 | 468 | |
An Additional 140 Babylonian talents = 182 Attic talents was paid to the garrison of the Gülek Pass(Cilician Gates) | |||
Syria (Abar-Nahara) | 350 | 455 | |
Egypt (Mudraya) | 700 | 910 | |
The Persian garrison in the White Tower at Memphis | |||
was provided with provisions, including 120,000 medimnoi, | |||
which were the annual grain rations for 20,000 men. | |||
In Athenian money of 450 B.C. this represented a market value | |||
of 600,000 drachmae or 100 Attic talents (= 70 Babylonian talents). | |||
Sattagydia-Gandhara | 170 | 222 | |
Susiana (Uvja) | 300 | 390 | |
Babylonia & Assyria | 1,000 | 1,300 | |
Media (Mada) | 450 | 585 | |
Caspia | 200 | 260 | |
360 | 468 | ||
400 | 520 | ||
Sagartia-Drangiana | 250 | 325 | |
Sacae | 600 | 780 | |
Parthia (Parthava) | 300 | 390 | |
Paricania | 400 | 520 | |
Alordia | 200 | 260 | |
Tibarene | 300 | 390 | |
India (Hindush) | 4,680 | 6,084 | |
Paid in gold dust of 360 Babylonian talents (= 468 Attic talents). | - | ||
At a gold - silver ratio of 1-13 this yields an equivalent | |||
in silver of 4,680 Babylonian talents. | |||
Total | 12,280 | 15,964 | |