Dr. Roel Konijnendijk

And a little detail in this collar shows that there's a metal stud that actually presses into their throats as well. So it's quite remarkable, the detail, you know. So yes, just really that emphasizes the fact that the Persians were very observant about peoples and they liked to portray them accurately. And I think that's what Herodotus is picking up.

Absolutely. In terms of like Persian theology, the idea is that Ahura Mazda, the wise Lord, is the creator of the world. He is the supreme creator God. And in the way that duality works in Persian theological thought, there is good, truth, arta, and there is bad, the lie, drauga. So because Ahura Mazda brings his world into order, which of course is by definition a good thing.

Absolutely. In terms of like Persian theology, the idea is that Ahura Mazda, the wise Lord, is the creator of the world. He is the supreme creator God. And in the way that duality works in Persian theological thought, there is good, truth, arta, and there is bad, the lie, drauga. So because Ahura Mazda brings his world into order, which of course is by definition a good thing.

Absolutely. In terms of like Persian theology, the idea is that Ahura Mazda, the wise Lord, is the creator of the world. He is the supreme creator God. And in the way that duality works in Persian theological thought, there is good, truth, arta, and there is bad, the lie, drauga. So because Ahura Mazda brings his world into order, which of course is by definition a good thing.

It's a kind of proto-Zoroastrianism. There's elements of it, but I wouldn't want to go that far. But certainly this creator god, who is a good god, establishes the king. It's almost like he creates kingship in order to ensure that his goodness, his arta, continues on this earth. So you could say that every war fought by a Persian great king is a holy war. That's how they would have seen it.

It's a kind of proto-Zoroastrianism. There's elements of it, but I wouldn't want to go that far. But certainly this creator god, who is a good god, establishes the king. It's almost like he creates kingship in order to ensure that his goodness, his arta, continues on this earth. So you could say that every war fought by a Persian great king is a holy war. That's how they would have seen it.

It's a kind of proto-Zoroastrianism. There's elements of it, but I wouldn't want to go that far. But certainly this creator god, who is a good god, establishes the king. It's almost like he creates kingship in order to ensure that his goodness, his arta, continues on this earth. So you could say that every war fought by a Persian great king is a holy war. That's how they would have seen it.

So it's actually bringing the world into its proper place. So these people who are outside of Persian control, who are forces of chaos, of drauga, therefore, for their own good, as well as the good of the whole world, need to be brought under the control of Persia and of, ultimately, its god Ahura Mazda. That's not to say they went out kind of proselytizing and converting. It's never about that.

So it's actually bringing the world into its proper place. So these people who are outside of Persian control, who are forces of chaos, of drauga, therefore, for their own good, as well as the good of the whole world, need to be brought under the control of Persia and of, ultimately, its god Ahura Mazda. That's not to say they went out kind of proselytizing and converting. It's never about that.

So it's actually bringing the world into its proper place. So these people who are outside of Persian control, who are forces of chaos, of drauga, therefore, for their own good, as well as the good of the whole world, need to be brought under the control of Persia and of, ultimately, its god Ahura Mazda. That's not to say they went out kind of proselytizing and converting. It's never about that.

But for the sake of the harmony of the cosmos, everybody needs to be singing praises to Ahura Mazda, essentially.

But for the sake of the harmony of the cosmos, everybody needs to be singing praises to Ahura Mazda, essentially.

But for the sake of the harmony of the cosmos, everybody needs to be singing praises to Ahura Mazda, essentially.

Yeah. So we have a lot of I mean, actually, all from Greek sources, these ideas that, you know, the king demands earth and water. And I do believe that if if that was the case, and this is probably symbolically given to a king by a diplomat, you know, we have all these scenes of diplomatic tribute being brought to a king.

Yeah. So we have a lot of I mean, actually, all from Greek sources, these ideas that, you know, the king demands earth and water. And I do believe that if if that was the case, and this is probably symbolically given to a king by a diplomat, you know, we have all these scenes of diplomatic tribute being brought to a king.

Yeah. So we have a lot of I mean, actually, all from Greek sources, these ideas that, you know, the king demands earth and water. And I do believe that if if that was the case, and this is probably symbolically given to a king by a diplomat, you know, we have all these scenes of diplomatic tribute being brought to a king.

And I wouldn't be surprised that at an initial point when a diplomat first arrives, then as his kind of diplomatic calling card, he possibly would have brought a bowl of earth and a dish of local water. It is an important part of the ideology of it. We get spins on that as well. I think this story is in Herodotus. I might be wrong.

And I wouldn't be surprised that at an initial point when a diplomat first arrives, then as his kind of diplomatic calling card, he possibly would have brought a bowl of earth and a dish of local water. It is an important part of the ideology of it. We get spins on that as well. I think this story is in Herodotus. I might be wrong.

And I wouldn't be surprised that at an initial point when a diplomat first arrives, then as his kind of diplomatic calling card, he possibly would have brought a bowl of earth and a dish of local water. It is an important part of the ideology of it. We get spins on that as well. I think this story is in Herodotus. I might be wrong.

But there's one occasion where Xerxes is proffered a dish of dates. And he said, oh, where does this come from? And he's told, oh, these are from Greece. And he says, oh, well, we will not eat them. not until we own it, and then I'll eat Greek dates. So there's something there about actually the produce of the land itself and the king's right and access to it.