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; at court, presentation mattered: nobles vied for
position and prestige, and the royal family attempted to keep a tight
grip on dynastic power - in spite of succession struggles, murders, and
usurpations, for the court was also the centre of political
decision-making and the source of cultural expression.
Key features:
Draws on rich Iranian and Classical sources
Examines key issues such as royal ideology, court structure, ceremony
and ritual, royal migrations, gender, hierarchy, architecture and space
and cultural achievements
Accesses the rarefied but dangerous world of Persian palace life
Includes guides to further reading and web resources to encourage
research