Βάρβαροι

Textkit Community Civilization and Culture of the Greeks and Romans
1

Χαίρετε!

I was not sure which category to place this in. Originally Βάρβαροι meant someone not speaking Greek. Now, historically, I know that the Persians tried to take over the land that we call Greece. I also know that the Persians were involved politically when they failed. What makes me curious is that when I have the Greek readings at the end of the chapters and see Βάρβαροι, the author always translates Βάρβαροι as Persian. Granted these writings are from the era that Persia was strong.
What makes me wonder is what did the ancient Greeks call people who did not speak Greek and were not Persian?

2

βάρβᾰρος -ον onomat.; cf. Lat. balbus, Skt. barbara- ⓐ foreign, barbarian, not Greek…

Montanari, F. (2015). M. Goh & C. Schroeder (Eds.), The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. Leiden; Boston: Brill.

Your book is giving a translation specific to one context. Βάρβαρος would be used of anyone not a native Greek speaker.

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LSJ on οἱ βάρβαροι: originally all non-Greek-speaking peoples, then especially of the Medes and Persians.