Study of the political, social and cultural dimensions of the decree of Darius I to the people of Carthage

In a narration of Trogus, dated to the first century AD, is quoted that a decree from Darius I sent to the people of Carthage, in which Darius forbade the Carthaginians from sacrificing humans and eating dog meat and asked them to burn their dead instead of burying them in the ground. Traditions such as human sacrifice and eating dog meat have been prevalent among the Carthaginians for centuries. But why did the Achaemenid emperor issue such an order to the people of Carthage? To answer this question, it is necessary to compare historical narratives with archaeological evidence. According to evidence such as the Elephantine papyri, the Achaemenids interfered in the religious affairs of the occupied territories only if in one land the observance of a religious tradition by one people contradicted the religious beliefs of another people, and this contradiction led to religious conflicts. Darius's order was issued on the verge of the Battle of Marathon. At the same time, the Carthaginians were engaged in a decisive battle with the Greeks for control of the island of Sicily. By sending aid and troops to Carthage, Darius could not only defeat the Greeks in Athens, but also cause them trouble on the Sicilian front. The bulk of Darius's expeditionary forces were probably Iranians, and human sacrifice and eating dog meat were unfamiliar to them. According to this article, Darius's order could prevent religious conflicts between the Iranians and the Carthaginians on the verge of an important battle with the Greeks.