Dr. Roel Konijnendijk

And of course, it's worth reflecting as well that... This is all make-believe, of course, on the part of Herodotus. He was not in the conference room, nor any other Greek was there. And this is a typical Herodotian motif of inserting himself as the narrator into these closed council meetings so that he can hear the deliberation. But of course, it's all scripted by him.

Which is why Herodotus also interwinds ideas of dreams and omens into all of this as well. Xerxes is plagued by dreams, telling him to go forth and conquer, and he doesn't know what to do. And so Artabanus, he asks at one point, I'll go and sleep in my bed,

Which is why Herodotus also interwinds ideas of dreams and omens into all of this as well. Xerxes is plagued by dreams, telling him to go forth and conquer, and he doesn't know what to do. And so Artabanus, he asks at one point, I'll go and sleep in my bed,

Which is why Herodotus also interwinds ideas of dreams and omens into all of this as well. Xerxes is plagued by dreams, telling him to go forth and conquer, and he doesn't know what to do. And so Artabanus, he asks at one point, I'll go and sleep in my bed,

And like, you know, so in the royal bed and in the royal dressing gown, Atabanus gets exactly the same dream as Xerxes gets, you know, suddenly think, oh, yes, yes, that our fate, our destiny is to go over to Greece after all. So all of this is an integral part of the Herodotian system of creating these narratives.

And like, you know, so in the royal bed and in the royal dressing gown, Atabanus gets exactly the same dream as Xerxes gets, you know, suddenly think, oh, yes, yes, that our fate, our destiny is to go over to Greece after all. So all of this is an integral part of the Herodotian system of creating these narratives.

And like, you know, so in the royal bed and in the royal dressing gown, Atabanus gets exactly the same dream as Xerxes gets, you know, suddenly think, oh, yes, yes, that our fate, our destiny is to go over to Greece after all. So all of this is an integral part of the Herodotian system of creating these narratives.

There's a bigger divine concept that's going on here, fate that can't be overlooked or can't be overcome.

There's a bigger divine concept that's going on here, fate that can't be overlooked or can't be overcome.

There's a bigger divine concept that's going on here, fate that can't be overlooked or can't be overcome.

Yeah, I agree with all of that. And I also think that that splendid description we have in Herodotus of the kind of multi-ethnic army that's been put together and all this wonderful description of the clothing and armaments, I really get a feeling that what Herodotus is drawing on here is the visual propaganda that the Achaemenids put forward themselves.

Yeah, I agree with all of that. And I also think that that splendid description we have in Herodotus of the kind of multi-ethnic army that's been put together and all this wonderful description of the clothing and armaments, I really get a feeling that what Herodotus is drawing on here is the visual propaganda that the Achaemenids put forward themselves.

Yeah, I agree with all of that. And I also think that that splendid description we have in Herodotus of the kind of multi-ethnic army that's been put together and all this wonderful description of the clothing and armaments, I really get a feeling that what Herodotus is drawing on here is the visual propaganda that the Achaemenids put forward themselves.

So, for instance, on his tomb, Xerxes shows himself on this takht or this kind of divan throne being uplifted by representatives of the whole empire. And underneath in an inscription, he says, if you want to know how many are the people who represent my empire, look at these people below and they are named, you know.

So, for instance, on his tomb, Xerxes shows himself on this takht or this kind of divan throne being uplifted by representatives of the whole empire. And underneath in an inscription, he says, if you want to know how many are the people who represent my empire, look at these people below and they are named, you know.

So, for instance, on his tomb, Xerxes shows himself on this takht or this kind of divan throne being uplifted by representatives of the whole empire. And underneath in an inscription, he says, if you want to know how many are the people who represent my empire, look at these people below and they are named, you know.

I am from Macca, I am from Macedonia, I am from Sogdia, I am from Parthia, and so forth. And I think what Herodotus is doing is just picking up on a very popular Achaemenid motif of the display of the empire in that way. So I don't think it was as multi-ethnic as that, or if it was, they were bits and pieces, but not this vast force that Herodotus conjures up for us.

I am from Macca, I am from Macedonia, I am from Sogdia, I am from Parthia, and so forth. And I think what Herodotus is doing is just picking up on a very popular Achaemenid motif of the display of the empire in that way. So I don't think it was as multi-ethnic as that, or if it was, they were bits and pieces, but not this vast force that Herodotus conjures up for us.

I am from Macca, I am from Macedonia, I am from Sogdia, I am from Parthia, and so forth. And I think what Herodotus is doing is just picking up on a very popular Achaemenid motif of the display of the empire in that way. So I don't think it was as multi-ethnic as that, or if it was, they were bits and pieces, but not this vast force that Herodotus conjures up for us.

You know, I've just had sent to me from a colleague in Iran who's been digitally photographing Bissetan relief right up high, right next to it, because they're scaffolding that for restoration at the moment. And I've been able to do some line drawings of them, real sort of up close and personal.