King and court in ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
King and court in ancient Persia 559 to 331 BCE
（Debates and documents in ancient history / general editors, Hugh Bowden ... [et al.]）
Edinburgh University Press, c2013
- : pbk
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Note
Bibliography: p. [234]-253
Includes index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780748641253
Description
This book explores Achaemenid kingship and argues for the centrality of the royal court in elite Persian society. The first Persian Empire (559-331 BC) 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. This book explores the representation of Persian monarchy and the court of the Achaemenid Great Kings from the point of view of the ancient Iranians themselves (as well as other Near Eastern peoples) and through the sometimes distorted prism of Classical and Biblical sources.
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; and includes guides to further reading and web resources to encourage research.
- Volume
-
ISBN 9780748641260
Description
This title explores Achaemenid kingship and argues for the centrality of the royal court in elite Persian society. The first Persian Empire (559-331 BC) 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. This book explores the representation of Persian monarchy and the court of the Achaemenid Great Kings from the point of view of the ancient Iranians themselves (as well as other Near Eastern peoples) and through the sometimes distorted prism of Classical and Biblical sources.
It draws on rich Iranian and Classical sources. It examines key issues such as royal ideology, court structure, ceremony and ritual, royal migrations, gender, hierarchy, architecture and space and cultural achievements. It accesses the rarefied but dangerous world of Persian palace life. It includes guides to further reading and web resources to encourage research.
Table of Contents
- A Note on Abbreviations
- List of Illustrations
- Map of the Persian Empire
- Map of Iran in the Achaemenid Period
- Part I - DEBATES
- Introduction
- 1. The Great King and his Men
- 2. Pomp and Circumstance: Monarchy on Display
- 3. The Great King in his Empire: the Movable Court
- 4. Harem: Royal Women and the Court
- 5. The Pleasures and Perils of Court Life
- Part II - DOCUMENTS
- Illustrations
- Time Line
- Further Reading
- Internet Resources.
by "Nielsen BookData"