Darius Building Programme

• Why did Darius create Susa

  so he lives up to Cyrus - also creates a building programme
• Persepolis


  Darius established new capital 25 miles away form Pasargadae known as Persepolis
• Sculptures in Persepolis

  sculptures of the 23 different nations within the Persian Empire wearing ceremonial dress with a gift for the King

  however not bowing/kneeling showing how there is partnership in the Empire - no hierarchy
• Royal road


  according to Herodotus the roads acted as arteries of Empire

  they were set up with stations and inns
• Advantage of Darius's roads

  if necessary to pass message quickly, an imperial messenger service used a relay system with rider and horses waiting at designated stations to take a message to the next post
• Construction of Persepolis

  Includes:

  Monumental Terrace - rose to 12 metres and covered nearly 34 acres

  Apadana - elevated by 3 metres on western end of terrace - 60 metres in length and reached by 2 monumental zigzag stairways

  Stairways decorated with relief sculptures such as nations all together
• Rebuilt mounds of Susa

  rebuilt on three levelled mounds

  Apadana Mound on the north

  Royal City Mound on the east

  Acropolis on the South
• Mounds in Susa

  supported by huge mud-brick retaining wall
• Susa site

  covered about 250 acres
• Entry to Apadana Mound


  Gate of Darius - 12/13 metres in height
• Apadana (audience hall in Persian royal palace)


  covering 18 square metres

  20 metres in height
• construction of Persepolis - Simple


  including the nature and purpose of the apadana, terrace and reliefs
• Rebuilding of Susa - water

  the nature and purpose of the canal linking the Nile and the Red Sea - the bridges constructed to support the invasion of Scythia