The king of the Persian Empire was an absolute monarch. Known as the Great King or King of Kings, he ruled by divine right (a right conferred by God) and exercised complete control over his subjects. The only limit to his enormous power was that he was expected to follow Persia’s customs and was required to consult the highest-ranking nobles before making any important decisions. And yet, because of the king’s power, these nobles often simply agreed with the king, no matter what he said.
Although the Persians did not regard their king as a god, everything about him was meant to emphasize his grandeur and superiority. There was lavish pomp surrounding the king and his court. He wore regal purple robes and sat on an elaborately decorated throne.
His servants were required to hold their hands in front of their mouths in the king’s presence so that he would not be forced to breathe the same air they did. He walked on red carpets that were put out only for him. In sculptures of the king, he was always shown as larger than everyone else.
Lively Debate
Public debate and inquiry into the nature of society was a well-established feature in Greek political and social life. Italian Raphael (1483-1520) painted The School of Athens on the wall of the Vatican Palace in Rome to honor this tradition. This detail shows Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle.
The king provided a meal each day for about 15,000 nobles, courtiers, and other subjects. This was meant to show his concern for his loyal subjects. It also showed off his enormous wealth. The king himself was hidden from the view of his guests when he ate. All of the king’s subjects, including the highest nobles, were expected to prostrate (kneel) before the king, bowing their foreheads to the ground-a practice called proskynesis. Proskynesis is an example of the kind of cultural difference that existed between east and west. In the later years of his reign, Alexander tried to convince his army to practice this custom and bow down to him, but most of them would not accept it (see the box on page 46). The controversy led to a disastrous rift between Alexander and his men.
World History
