Upon Cyrus' death, his vast empire was plunged into chaos. However, out of the midst of the trubulence,emerged another great leader, Darius, who managed to restore the Achaemenid Empire and set it firmly back on it's great path to greatness. He enhanced Cambyses' projects and built a huge temple, in which he is portrayed as being worshipped. He is also shown being fed by the hands of Egyptian Gods.
In this next segment you will read about five of the most famous monuments of the Achaemanid's Period. You can click on the links to see the pictures in each section or visit
my pictures which I took during my visit to Shiraz.
The Map of Ancient Persia:http://www.crystalinks.com/persian_empiremap.gifRelief of Darius the Great:http://www.crystalinks.com/darius.jpgThe Bisoutoun:
Determent that all should know of his conquests, Darius built the Bisotoun, which measures 5.5 meters by 3 meters and stands 75 meters high.
Moreover, he ordered to inscribe the
Bisotoun Inscription which was consist of a lenthy text on Persian hisotry, engraved on the face of a cliff about a hundred meter off the Hamedan-Baghdad road, near the town of Bisotoun. In antiquity, the village was called
"Bagastana", which means
"dwelling place of the Gods". In those days, the road was a majore highway, connecting the Capitals of Babylonia and Media.
In the inscription, the Persian King, Darius the Great, commemorates his military victories. He relates how the God,
Ahura Mazda, chose him to dethrone a usurper, named Gaumata (522 BCE), and how he then set out to quell several revolts. He aslo mentions his victories over foreign enemies.
The monument consists of four parts. One large panel depicts king Darius, together with his bow carrier, Intraphenes, and his lance carrier Gobryas. Darius surveys ten representatives of various people he has conquered. One of these figures, which is badly damaged, lies under the king's feet.
Above the figures hovers the supreme God, Ahura Mazda. Beneath them , is another panel, containing a cuniform text, in Old Persian, relating the king's conquests. This text in 515 lines in length. Still another inscription tells more or less the same story in Akkadian (the language spoken in Babylonia). A third panel has the same text in Elamite ( the official governmental language of the Persian Empire).
Darius was displeased with the number of scripts in use at that time. He felt his Empire needed one uniform type of writing. Therefore, when Darius (522BC-486BC), ordered the Bisotoun carving, he also demanded that his scholars form a spacial Persian Alphabet. This new alphabet consisted of thirty-six signs indicating syllables and eight ideolograms.
Darius' successors added their own inscription to that of their predecessor. Seven inscriptions from Darius, tweleve from Xerxes, and eleven lines from Artaxerxes II abd Artaxerxes III can be still be seen, on the Bisotoun, as well.
The use of this scripts in the gold and silver tablets of Apadana and stone pots of Persepolis and Pasargadae, have helped unravel some of the mysteries sorounding the buildings of Achamenid monouments.
Initially, Darius chose Pasargadae, which was the palace of cornations, as his residance. It was around this time that he finalized the construction of the second palace at Pasargadae. The groundwork of this structure had already been laid by Cyrus. It was here that Darius first used his new Alphabet.
Pictures of Bisotoun Inscription:http://www.iranchamber.com/history/darius/images/biston1.jpgPalace of Susa:
He then headed for
Susa, where he broke ground for a magnificent stone Palace. Cedar from Assyria, Gold from Bactria and Sardis, lapis lazuli and agate from Sogdiana, silver and ebony from Egypt, ivory from India, Ethiopia, ornaments from Ionia and stone pillars from Abiradu. Stonecutters from Ionia and Sardis, along with goldsmiths from Media and Egypt erected a palace, so splended, it would, for centuries, hold visitors in amazement. Tragically this magnificent structure was not destined to last. It was consumed by a huge conflagration. Nothing but a handful of glazed bricks, decorated with base-reliefs remains to tell of its former glory.
Aerial Photo of Susa:
http://www.livius.org/a/1/iran/susa.jpgPersepolis:Darius commissioned architects, designers, stonecutters, and a host of other artist for his building project at Persepolis. There, on the slopes of Mount Rahmat, overlooking a vast, fertile plain and panoramic view, the most memorable monument of Achamanians was erected.
Though twenty five hundred years have come and gone, its impressive architecture still holds viewers speachless. Even the ruins of this magnificent city sing of its ancient splendor and remains a source of inspiration for architects and stonecutters. visotors come from far and long to catch a glimpse of these wonderous ruins.
The grand staircase, leading to Persepolis, consists of 110 steps on each side, all hewn out of monolithic stone. Those on the right were reserved for Iranian dignitaries, while those on the left, were for representetives of other nations. The rest of Persepolis is erected on a rectangular platform, some 300 meters wide and 455 meters long, which is laid at a hight of approximately 15 meters, on an area of 125,000 square meters. It is likely that some of the monuments were begun prior to the completion of the platform's wall. All of the structures erected on the platform cross each other at a right angle. It has been generally accepted that the placement of these monuments, along a staight line, enabled the Achaemenids to measure time. Such devices would have proved invaluable in helping these Ancient Persians, who were adept Astrologers, detemine the exact time of their feasts. It is believed that sunrise, from the angle observed on Mount Rahmat, helped the Achaemenids a great deal in this respect. Therefore, we can understand why they named the mountain,
"Rahmat". This word, in acient Persian, means
"Mithra", or
"kindness". In western Iran, kindness was considered one of the primary traits of the Sun God.
One of the stunning aspects of Persepolis is the use of 873 stone columns.
Some of these pillars, in Apadana, measure 20 meters in hight. This veritable forest of columns has prompted many to assume that Persepolis was meant to resemble the Garden of Eden. Only 20 of the columns have survived. However, their very existence has given rise to many questions including: "how could these columns have been built so solidly, even according to today's standards?" This is truly amazing giving the limitations of anceint technology. Some weight as much as fifteen thousand kilograms.
Initially, the entrance of Persepolis was located at the Southern wing, close to Darius' inscriptions. However, a change in the original layout caused the architects to alter their plans and construct a magnificent staircase on the Northwest of the platform. The first sixty-three steps of this double staircase lead to a vast landing. Then, after 48 more steps, and a slight turn, the two branches converge, ending at the platform's surface.
Animated 3D pictures of Persepolis (how it was before):http://www.persepolis3d.com/frameset.htmlAeriel View of Persepolis (takht-e-jamshid):http://www.oznet.net/iran/persepolis.jpgPainting of Persepolis:http://www.caravanserai-tours.com/images/iran/Tachara_Palace_Recon_Chipiez.jpgApadana Palace:Perhaps the most magnificent monuments Darius built were those at the second Apadana palace. Literally Apadana means "Castle". The building project, which took 30 years, ended in the early days of Xerxes' reign.
The Apadana palace of Persepolis was symmetrical to its counterpart at Susa. This palace consisted of a central hall and three porticoes, built on an area of 12,000 squere meters. Along each side of the hall were six limestone pillars, each measuring up to 20 meters high. Sun-dried bricks were used in forming the thick walls of the palace. The bricks were 5.32 meters thick.
Each portico contained 12 pillar. However, only one of the columns on the eastern portico has a capital, consisting of two, interwined, legendary lions. The columns of the western portico are topped by carved bull's heads. These capitals once contained huge cylindrical pins, which, in turn, were surmounted by even larger pins, which supported the ceiling beams.
At Apadana, no expense was spared. The palace was adorned with the most magnificent ornoments of the day. Here, we catch sight of several stone inscriptions. Gold and Silver tables, along with a cache of gold coins, were discovered in a wooden chest, beneath a 5 meter thick wall, in the Great Apadana Hall. The same chest contained a tablet, written in cuneiform
text of the Elamite and Babylonians. This is another indication of Darius foresight, for he not only hid the treasure in the safest possible place, but left a message for posterity along with it.
Work was well underway at Persepolis, when the King went to Susa, for ceremonial affairs. One of his cheif coureirs, named Faranke, was given charge of the construction project. In one talet alone, refrence is made to 2,454 former slaves, who had been summoned to Persepolis (Koch).
Pictures of Apadana Palace:http://www.iranonline.com/iran/Fars/persepolis/persp07.jpgPicture of the top of the columbs:http://www.bestirantravel.com/images/sights/shiraz/p_birds.jpghttp://www.caravanserai-tours.com/images/iran/Persepolis_Apadana_Palace.jpgTachara:Upon Apadana's completion, Darius decided to construct a private palace. Tachara, meaning "winter palace", is the name the king chose for his private residence. This appellation is inscribed on the building's southern platform's surface. The palace is approximately 30 meters wide and 40 meters long. Twelve columns supported its ceiling. The portals weigh 75 tons, apciece and the structure contains eighteen, 18-ton niches careved in stone. The central hall, built on an area of 250 square meters, opens onto a portico in the south. This portico has eight stone columns. According to an inscription, the portico and stairs, in the front, were built during Xerxes' reign. However, the construction of the staircase and carved figures decorating the left wing of the palace, were added later, during the reign of Artaxerxes III. Chambers, which were most probably baths, were located on both sides of the porticoes. The northern wing contained still more rooms. Portals on oppostie sides of the central hall, lead to smaller chambers. Though the actual purpose of the this palace is unknown, a variety of conjectures have been made about it. Some say it was a royal residence, whereas others maintain that Darius used it as his office. Whatever the purpose, Tachara, with its fabulous figures and decorations, is unique.
At the time of Darius's death, Persepolis, "city of Persians", was still under construction. Therefore, it was left to his son and heir, Xerxes, to complete the task.
When Herodotus (490BC-420BC) the great ancient Greek historian traveled to Persia, he wrote a countless amount of information about how the society operated and how the kings saw themselves next to the Gods and rejected democracy all together. He wrote that the kings, possessing as they do all that heart can desire, ought to be void of envy; but the contrary is seen in their conduct towards the citizens. But worst of all is, that he sets aside the laws of the land, puts men to death without trial, and subjects women to violence. The rule of the many, on the other hand, has, in the first place, the fairest of names, to wit, isonomy; and further it is free from all those outrages which a king is wont to commit. There, places are given by lot, the magistrate is answerable for what he does, and measures rest with the commonality. What Herodotus seems to forget is the way the Persian treated their enemies, and ruled the cities they conquered. What is a known fact is that Iranians sometimes enlarged non-Iranian temples, as in the case of the Temple of Ammon at Hibis in Egypt. Iranians never had any objection to specifically Greek rites or Greek religious personnel; for example, when Xerxes captured Athens 480 BCE, he ordered the restored Athenian exiles with him to offer Hellenic-style on the Acropolis.
