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Festivals and Rites: the Persian Empires

A visual journey through the New Year celebrations, royal processions, music, perfume, and temple rites of the Achaemenid and later Persian empires.

Chapters

• 0:07 The Persian Calendar and New Year
• 1:34 Royal Processions and Public Spectacle
• 3:19 Sound, Scent, and Sacred Atmosphere
• 5:35 Temple Rites and the Priesthood

On-screen text

• 0:07 The Persian Calendar and New Year
• 0:14 The Persian Calendar and New Year
• 0:31 Persians mark New Year with feast and gifts Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 1.136
• 0:49 Royal procession brings tribute for New Year Historical record · Persepolis relief, Apadana Staircase (5th c. BCE)
• 1:07 Nowruz blends Zoroastrian and Mesopotamian spring rites The Institute's interpretation · Pierre Briant, *From Cyrus to Alexander* (2002)
• 1:25 Colorful robes and fire dancing at festival Historical record · Ctesias, *De Rebaptis* fragment 5
• 1:34 Royal Processions and Public Spectacle
• 1:41 Royal Processions and Public Spectacle
• 1:58 Royal procession brings tribute for New Year Historical record · Persepolis relief, Apadana Staircase (5th c. BCE)
• 2:16 Persian troops marched to drums and trumpets Historical record · Xenophon, *Anabasis* 5.5.13
• 2:34 Royal banquets paid musicians and lyre‑players Historical record · Persepolis Treasury Tablet K.1 (c. 500 BCE)
• 2:52 Musicians, dancers, acrobats entertain king Historical record · Persepolis relief, Hall of Hundred Columns (5th c. BCE)
• 3:10 Spring celebration identified as Nowruz The Institute's interpretation · J. Curtis, *The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources* (2020)
• 3:19 Sound, Scent, and Sacred Atmosphere
• 4:13 Darius offered fragrant incense to Ahura Mazda Historical record · Darius I, Behistun Inscription (c. 520 BCE)
• 4:36 The Institute reads: incense symbolized divine presence The Institute's interpretation · Mary Boyce, *Zoroastrianism: Its Antiquity and Constant Evolution* (1979)
• 4:51 Persepolis, 6th c. BCE
• 5:35 Temple Rites and the Priesthood
• 5:42 Temple Rites and the Priesthood
• 5:59 Priests chant hymns before the sacred fire Historical record · Avesta, Yasna 31.2
• 6:17 Priests purify with Euphrates water Historical record · Herodotus, Histories 3.94
• 6:35 Incense symbolizes divine presence The Institute's interpretation · Mary Boyce, *Zoroastrianism: Its Antiquity and Constant Evolution* (1979)
• 6:53 Royal banquets paid musicians and lyre‑players Historical record · Persepolis Treasury Tablet K.1 (c. 500 BCE)
• 7:11 Musicians, dancers, acrobats entertain king Historical record · Persepolis relief, Hall of Hundred Columns (5th c. BCE)

Sources

Historical record: Herodotus, Histories 1.136 · Persepolis relief, Apadana Staircase (5th c. BCE) · Ctesias, *De Rebaptis* fragment 5 · Xenophon, *Anabasis* 5.5.13 · Persepolis Treasury Tablet K.1 (c. 500 BCE) · Persepolis relief, Hall of Hundred Columns (5th c. BCE) · Darius I, Behistun Inscription (c. 520 BCE) · Avesta, Yasna 31.2 · Herodotus, Histories 3.94

The Institute's interpretation: Pierre Briant, *From Cyrus to Alexander* (2002) · J. Curtis, *The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources* (2020) · Mary Boyce, *Zoroastrianism: Its Antiquity and Constant Evolution* (1979)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 228 s of CPU.