Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Prof gets side-tracked: Alexander and Roxanna

I haven't read this anywhere myself, but one day in my History of Iran class, a few students asked about the story of Alexander getting drunk and burning down Persepolis.  My professor then told us of how Roxanna, Alexander's Persian wife, got him wasted one night and he drunkenly decided it would be a good idea to burn the extensive palace complex of Persepolis to the ground.  Persepolis, as we should note, was the grandiose palace at which the Achaemenids received their yearly tribute from their Satraps and other visiting dignitaries for the Noruz (New Year) festival.


Visitors bringing tribute to the king


A broader view of Persepolis

My teacher went on to relate that after waking up from his hangover and realizing what he had done, Alexander wept bitterly for the destruction of Persepolis.  I have no idea if any of this is historically accurate or not, but it makes for an amusing story.  





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