Identifier: newinternational15gilm (find matches)
Title: The new international encyclopaedia
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Gilman, Daniel Coit, 1831-1908 Peck, Harry Thurston, 1856-1914 Colby, Frank Moore, 1865-1925
Subjects: Encyclopedias and dictionaries
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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s of buildings, with cuneiform inscrip-tions, cover the whole vast space of this platform.The pillars were arranged in four divisions, con-sisting of a central group six feet deep every way,and an advanced body of twelve in two ranks, thesame number flanking the centre. Only thirteenof the columns now remain. Their form is verybeautiful. Their height is 60 feet, the circum-ference of the shaft 16 feet, the length from thecapital to the torus 44 feet. The shaft is finelyfluted in .52 divisions; at its lower extremity be-gin a einctuie and a torus, the first two inchesin depth, and the latter one foot, whence de-volves the pedestal, shaped like the cup andleaves of the pendent lotus, the capitals havingbeen surmounted by the double semi-bull. TheGreat Hall of Xerxes is computed to have been arectangle of about 300 to 350 feet, and conse-quently to have covered 2j^ acres. Behind theHall of Xer.xeswas the so-called Hall of a HundredColumns, to the south of which are indications PERSEPOLIS
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1. PALACE OF DARIUS 2. FIRST OF THE TOMBS OF THE KINGS PEBSEFOLIS. 607 FEBSIA. of another structure, termed the central edifice.Next along the west front stood the Palace ofDarius, and to the south the Palace of Xerxes,measuring about 86 feet square, similarly deco-rated. Persepolis replaced Pasargadae (q.v.) as thecapital of Persia under Darius I., by whom andhis successors the city was extended and en-larged. It surrendered to Alexander the Great(B.C. 331) after the defeat of Ariobarzanes atthe battle of Gaugamela. Ariobarzanes againoffered battle, but was killed, whereupon Alex-ander ordered a general massacre, sacked the city,and, acting—it is doubtfully chronicled—on thesuggestion of Thais the courtesan, fired thepalaces of Takhti Jemshed. Although fifteenyears later Persepolii was still the capital ofPersia, it gradually sank into insignificance, un-til upon its ruins Istakhr rose into prominenceabout A.D. 200, and for centuries was a consider-able centre of administrative,

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