Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/207

 PERSEPOLIS IS PILLAGED. 175 We may therefore reasonably believe what we find asserted, that Persepolis possessed at this time more wealth, public and private, than any place within the range of Grecian or Macedo- nian knowledge.* Convening his principal officers, Alexander denounced Perse- polis as the most hostile of all Asiatic cities, — the home of those impious invaders of Greece, whom he had come to attack. He proclaimed his intention of abandoning it to be plundered, as well as of burning the citadel. In this resolution he persisted, notwithstanding the remonstrance of Parmenio, who reminded him that the act would be a mere injury to himself by ruining his own property, and that the Asiatics would construe it as evidence of an intention to retire speedily, without founding any permanent dominion in the country .3 After appropriating the regal treasure — to the alleged amount of 120,000 talents in gold and silver = £27,600,000 sterling 3 — Alexander set fire 1 Diodor. xvii. 70. nlovacuTur^g ovarig ruv inb rbv rjXiov, etc. Curtius, V. 6, 2, 3. ■' This amount is given both by Diodorus (xvii. 71) and by Curtius (v. 6, 9). We see however from Strabo that there were different statements as to the amount. Such overwhelming figures deserve no confidence npon any evidence short of an official return. At the same time, we ought to expect a very great sum, considering the long series of years that had been spent in amassing it. Alexander's own letters (Plutarch, Alex. 37) staled that enough was carried away to load 10,000 mule carts and 5000 camels. To explain the fact, of a large accumulated treasure in the Persian capi- tals, it must be remarked, that what we are accustomed to consider as expenses of government, were not defrayed out of the regal treasure. The military force, speaking generally, was not paid by the Great King, but summoned by requisition from the provinces, upon which the cost of main- taining the soldiers fell, over and above the ordinary tribute. The king's numerous servants and attendants received no pay in money, but in kind ; provisions for maintaining the court with its retinue were fur- nished by the provinces, over and above tlic tribute. See Herodof. i. 192; and iii. 91 — and a good passage of Ilecren, setting forth the small public disbursement out of the regal treasure, in his account of the internal constitution of the ancient Persian Empire (Ideen ul)er die Politik mid den Verkehr der Volker der alten Welt, part i. Abth. 1. p. 511-519). Respecting modern Persia, Jaubert remarks (Voyage en Armcnie et en Perse, Paris, 1821, p. 272, ch. 30) — " Si les sommes que I'o nverse dans le tresor du Shah ne sont pas exorbitantes, comparativement k I'^ntendue et t la population de la Perse, elles n'en sortent pas non plus que pour dea
 * Arrian, iii. 18, 18 ; Diodor. xvii. 70; Curtius, v. 6 1 : Strabo, xv. p. 731.