Britannica
Sources used in this answer
- Persepolis
- ancient Greek civilization - The conquest of Bactria and the Indus valley
- Anatolia - The Anatolian Greeks in the Achaemenian period
- ancient Greek civilization - The Persian Wars
- ancient Greek civilization - Greek alliances
- ancient Greek civilization - To the Persian Gates
- Pasargadae
- Achaemenid Empire - Pasargadae
Why did Greek writers know little about Persepolis before Alexander's invasion?
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Persepolis
Ruins of the royal Achaemenid residence at Persepolis, Iran.
Greek writers were largely unacquainted with Persepolis prior to the invasion by Alexander the Great because of the city's remote and mountainous location in Iran.1
While Persepolis served as a capital for the Achaemenid Empire, it was primarily a ceremonial residence visited by the kings during the spring. The effective day-to-day administration of the empire was conducted from more accessible imperial cities such as Susa, Babylon, and Ecbatana. Consequently, the city remained outside the primary sphere of Greek knowledge until Alexander’s forces reached it in 330 BCE.1