Achaemenid Persian gifts loyalty obligation

Persian rulers made gifts into obligations

In the Achaemenid Persian Empire, rulers gave lavish public gifts to favored subjects. The gifts were so valuable that recipients could not repay them with a greater gift, turning generosity into an obligation of loyalty.

Humans domesticated wheat by favoring plants that couldn't spread their seeds

Wild wheat normally releases ripe seeds, allowing them to scatter and grow elsewhere. Early farmers tended to harvest plants whose seeds stayed attached to the stalk, because those were easier to collect. Repeated selection made cultivated wheat increasingly dependent on people to harvest and replant it. Agriculture changed the plant as much as the plant changed human life.

This squid leaves a flashing piece of itself behind

When threatened, the deep-sea squid Octopoteuthis deletron can break off glowing parts of its arms. The pieces keep moving and flashing after they separate, distracting the predator while the squid escapes.

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Achaemenid Persian gifts loyalty obligation

Persian rulers made gifts into obligations

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