The “Persian Empire” in Hegel’s Vorlesungen über die Philosophie der Weltgeschichte

The article analyses the importance of Hegel's presentation of the Achaemenid Empire in the framework of his Lectures on the Philosophy of World history. This study takes into consideration the different versions of Hegel's lessons (according to the distinct manuscripts of his pupils and of his own), but also considers the level of knowledge concerning the ancient Iranian world during Hegel's life. Very important and deep results the penetration shown by Hegel in his analysis of the complexity distinguishing the multi-ethnic and muticultural Persian Empire and its role in the history of the ancient world. The relevance of Hegel's contribution resulted extremely seminal for the impact played on a large number of future generations of scholars and teachers, who followed in its main lines Hegel's presentation of the historical role assumed by the Persian world in the crucial moment of transition of the Welt-Geist from West to East, and in particular in connection with the separation of the Universal Spirit from the Nature, an avent which took place in the Achaemenid framework.