The So-called Achaemenid Capitals and the Problem of Royal Court Residence

Abstract

ABSTRACT The landscape in which the so-called Achaemenid capitals – specifically Pasargadae, Susa and Persepolis – are located, may be reflections of the political structure of the Achaemenid Empire. Following an ancient Near Eastern pattern known as “political nomadism”, the Achaemenid king was never settled in a single place and moved constantly throughout his empire. This practice, vital to reinforce the bond between the king and his subjects and maintain his land, prevented the permanent presence of the “royal court” in one location; hence the court must have been physically set up in a “tent”, so majestic and glorious that was in fact a “mobile palace”. A large number of courtiers and the scenery of numerous tents looked like a “mobile city”. The present paper attempts to archaeologically evaluate the capacity of monumental buildings in Pasargadae, Susa, Persepolis, Ecbatana and Babylon as the royal court’s residences. It seems these monuments were primarily manifestations of kingly power and glory and the king only temporarily resided in them to attend certain banquets and ceremonies. Continuity of this condition in later periods, for which more literary evidence is available, provides a better ground for understanding the Achaemenid royal court and its relation to monumental buildings of the aforementioned sites.