Table of Contents
List of Illustrations xi
Map xv
Family Tree xvi
Prologue: Persepolis 488 BCE 1
Introduction 5
Part 1 Establishing Empire
1 The Medes and the Persians 33
2 See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes 48
3 The Many Deaths - and Births - of Cyrus the Great 75
4 The Sceptre of Egypt 88
5 The Truth and the Lie 99
Part 2 Being Persian
6 When Bureaucrats Ruled the World 127
7 A Court under Canvas 148
8 Constructing Majesty 155
9 Slavery by Another Name 166
10 Crowns and Concubines 173
11 The Politics of Etiquette 193
12 Also Sprach Zarathustra 202
Part 3 High Empire
13 Exit Darius 225
14 Ruling Over Heroes 233
15 Let Slip the Dogs of War 244
16 Les Liaisons dangereuses 263
17 The Times They are a-Changin' 275
18 (Un)Happy Families 291
19 Blood Brothers 300
20 Women Beware Women 320
21 Violent Delights Have Violent Ends 335
22 Some Talk of Alexander 353
Epilogue: Persian Past; Iranian Present 375
Dramatis Personae 399
Further Reading 408
A Note on Abbreviations 415
Acknowledgements 417
Index 419
About the Author 432