A beguiling read.
This is the type of book that would delight anyone curious about the ancient world. Meticulously researched by Professor Llewellyn-Jones, it is not only the history that inspires, but his ability to combine it with engrossing stories that brings this ancient period to life.
With objectivity in mind, this work is distinctly from a Persian perspective, albeit with limitations. Firstly, Persian history records are limited. Those in Persia that exist may have varied the truth in the propagandising of the elite. Secondly, real facts morphed into fables and legends, as live performances were a way to pass on Persia’s history. It’s also important to note that other living historians of this era were Greek, Persian nemeses, and may have held negatively biased views.
Persians is divided into three main parts, a useful separation of the entire era. In part one, Establishing Empire, we hear how Cyrus the Great, Darius, Xerxes, as well as lesser-known rulers such as Cambyses, conquered the surrounding lands. The establishment of the empire was a mixture of a skilled military, strategy, brutality, and sheer ambition. Strategy included the “peaceful” formation of alliances by giving away daughters as brides.
In part two, Being Persian, we are treated to hearing about daily life in the royal household, which featured concubines, eunuchs, religion, rituals, and bureaucracy. In part three, High Empire, things tend to unravel. Disloyalty, familial dysfunction, internal plotting, ambition, revenge, and torture feature highly. Llewellyn-Jones develops the characters in each of these narratives and contextualises their behaviour well, stirring emotion in the reader.
If there is but one fault, it is that there are no photos of the fashion. Llewellyn-Jones conveys in complete detail (a few times) some of the costumes of the Achaemenid area, yet a picture is still worth a thousand words. If we think of the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid empire, Persepolis, its magnificence and magnitude (although described perfectly), cannot truly be imagined. He includes a photo of Persepolis, amongst a few others, which shows the monumental task of its construction.
Llewellyn-Jones also includes illustrations of some ancient seals of a few powerful figures in the empire. Inserted within the text in black and white, he breaks down each part of the seal to the reader. As we are so far removed from this era, this technique of describing and speaking to the picture provides a necessary function if you are unfamiliar with the look of all things Persian.
The use of this literary technique amongst others makes Llewellyn-Jones a particularly skilled author. This entire work is one of non-fiction, yet his relaying of historical information keeps us hooked as a reader. His research is highly accurate and includes numerous people of prominence, and the many facets of the empire also make it dense in nature. As such, it is a challenge to engage all readers. However, Persians would even be enjoyed by those who strictly prefer fiction.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
This review is the opinion of the reviewer and not necessarily of Glam Adelaide.
Distributed by: Hachette Australia
Released: April 2022
RRP: $34.99
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