Difference between revisions of "Persepolis"

<p> <strong> [[Persepolis]] </strong> The chief capital of the ancient kings of Persia, chosen as such by Darius Hystaspis (b.c. 521 486). Imposing ruins still mark its site about 30 miles north-east of Shiraz. It is named in 2Ma 9:2 In connexion with the unsuccessful attempt of [[Antiochus]] [[Epiphanes]] to plunder its temples and palaces. </p> <p> J. F. M‘Curdy. </p>

<p> ''''' pẽr ''''' - ''''' sep´ṓ ''''' - ''''' lis ''''' (&nbsp; 2 Maccabees 9:2; Περσέπολις , <i> ''''' Persépolis ''''' </i> , Περσαίπολις , <i> ''''' Persaı́polis ''''' </i> , in [[Ptolemy]] Περσόπολις , <i> ''''' Persópolis ''''' </i> ; original Persian name unknown; <i> ''''' Pahlavı̄ ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Stakhr ''''' </i> , now <i> ''''' Iṣtakhr ''''' </i> and <i> ''''' Chihil ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Minār ''''' </i> , "Forty Turrets"): </p> <p> The ruins of Persepolis lie about 35 miles Northeast of [[Shiraz]] and some 40 miles South of the ruins of Pasargadae. </p> <p> The magnificent palace of which such striking remains are still visible ( <i> ''''' Takht ''''' </i> <i> ''''' i ''''' </i> <i> ''''' Jamshı̄d ''''' </i> ) was built by Darius and Xerxes of white marble and black stone. The city was captured, pillaged and burnt by [[Alexander]] in 324 BC, most of the inhabitants being massacred or enslaved. Much of the treasure of the Persian kings was found there. [[Curtius]] says the palace was never rebuilt. Antioehus Epiphanes (166 BC) tried but failed to plunder the temple (of Anaitis, Anihita?) there (&nbsp; 2 Maccabees 9:2; perhaps this is the incident referred to in &nbsp;1 Maccabees 6:1 ff, and Polyb. xxxi. 11). At Persepolis were the sepulchers of the Achemenian kings (except Cyrus). Long and important inscriptions of Darius and Xerxes are found at Persepolis and the neighboring Naqsh i Rustam, in cuneiform characters and in the Aehaemenian Persian, [[Assyrian]] and neo-Susian tongues (published by Spiegel, Rawlinson and Weisbaeh). Clitarehus first among Europeans mentions the city. The writer of this article visited it in 1892. Not now inhabited. </p> <p> [[Inscriptions]] (as above), Arrian, Curtius, Polybius, Pliny, Diod. Siculus, medieval and modern travelers. </p>