Persepolis+Burning

=Ancient Society - Persepolis =

 - The City - The Kings - The Greeks - The Burning -

The Burning of Persepolis by Alexander the Great
//(from __Unlocking the Past__)//

The burning of Persepolis in spring 330BC by Alexander the Great during his invasion of the Persian Empire has never been satisfactorily explained by historians. This act of vandalism, however, helped to preserve thousands of clay tablets stored there as part of the empire’s archives. Records that may have been kept on parchment or leather scrolls were all destroyed.
 * The destruction of Persepolis**

Alexander, in his pursuit of the Persian King Darius Ill, reached Persepolis on 1 February 330BC. Persepolis surrendered. It seems that the settlement below the platform of Persepolis was looted and its inhabi¬tants massacred. An enormous amount of booty was seized from the Treasury, estimated by ancient writers as including 120 000 talents of silver and 8000 talents of gold, jewels and precious objects. This appears to have been approximately half of all the booty seized in the empire.
 * Alexander's pursuit of Darius**

We will examine the written evidence left to us by the ancient writers on this episode. First, let’s look at the archaeological evidence left to us. Excavations at Persepolis have revealed that some of the reliefs of the king and his attendants may have been mutilated at the time of the destruction. In the Treasury on one relief, the face of the king was hacked out and some of the attendants defaced. Excavations also reveal signs of hurried transfer of the contents of the Treasury, leaving a trail of coins through the building, up a flight of stairs and out over the roof. Was this mess left by looting soldiers at the commencement of the fire?
 * The archaeological evidence**

Evidence suggests that the fire was particularly fierce in the Palace of Xerxes and the smaller building to the west. Archaeologist A. Tilia concludes that a strong wind was blowing from the north, fanning the flames as the fire engulfed wooden beams, roof, curtains, wall hangings and carpets. Destruction on the southern side was particularly grim. Traces of the fire have also been found in the Apadana, Throne Hall and Treasury. Scorched walls can still be seen and the floor of the Throne Hall was covered with ashes almost one metre thick. These are probably ashes from the cedar beams that once supported the ceiling.
 * The fire**

To attempt to answer this question we need to study the ancient writers. You will find additional information on each author at the end of the chapter. You could also consult such reference books as the Oxford Classical Dictionary for more information.
 * Why did Alexander burn the site?**