King and court in ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCELLoyd Llewellyn-Jones.
- Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, (c)2013.
- 1 online resource (290 pages) : illustrations, maps.
- Debates and documents in ancient history .
Includes bibliographies and index.
Cover; Copyright; Contents; Series Editors' Preface; Preface; A Note on Abbreviations; Timeline; Map of the Persian Empire; Map of Iran; Plan of the Terrace at Persepolis; Part I Debates; Introduction; CHAPTER 1 The Great King and His Men; CHAPTER 2 Pomp and Circumstance: Monarchy on Display; CHAPTER 3 The Great King in His Empire: The Movable Court; CHAPTER 4 Harem: Royal Women and the Court; CHAPTER 5 The Pleasures and Perils of Court Life; Part II Documents; A1-A20; B1-A27; C1-C39; D1-E19; E1-E27; F1-F21; Further Reading; Internet Resources; Bibliography; Index.
Explores Achaemenid kingship and argues for the centrality of the royal court in elite Persian society. The first Persian Empire (559-331 BCE) was the biggest land empire the world had seen, and seated at the heart of its vast dominions, in the south of modern-day Iran, was the person of the Great King. Hidden behind the walls of his vast palace, and surrounded by the complex rituals of court ceremonial, the Persian monarch was undisputed master of his realm, a god-like figure of awe, majesty, and mystery. Yet the court of the Great King was no simple platform for meaningless theatrical display.