The Achaemenid Persians of central Iran ruled an empire which comprised Iran, Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, and parts of Asia Minor and India from the 6th to the 4th century B.C. Their ceremonial capital was Persepolis in southern Iran founded by King Darius the Great (522-486 B.C.); Persepolis was burned by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C. Only the columns, stairways, and door jambs of its great palaces survived the fire. The stairways, adorned with reliefs representing the king, his court, and delegates of his empire bringing gifts, demonstrate the might of the Persian monarch.
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| Spearman | Court Official |
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| Earring | Court Servant with Covered Tray |
© 2000 The Detroit Institute of Arts
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