Athenians saw the First Persian Empire as an “Oriental Despotism” (although its

—Athenians saw the First Persian Empire as an “Oriental Despotism” (although its rulers were as “Aryan” as theirs were), whereas Jews saw that empire as a liberator, a multicultural state which tolerated and even fostered their religion. Today, “Liberals” retain that Athenian distrust of the state, while “Socialists”, in effect, side with Persia.—