Ctesias' 'History of Persia': Tales of the Orient (Routledge Classical Translations)

✍ Scribed by LLoyd Llewellyn-Jones, James Robson

• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 264
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Towards the end of the fifth century BC Ctesias of Cnidus wrote his 23 book History of Persia. Ctesias is a remarkable figure: he lived and worked in the Persian court and, as a doctor, tended to the world’s most powerful kings and queens. His position gave him special insight into the workings of Persian court life and access to the gossip and scandal surrounding Persian history and court politics, past and present. His History of Persia was completed at a time when the Greeks were fascinated by Persia and seems very much to cater to contemporary interest in Persian wealth and opulence, powerful Persian women, the institution of the harem, kings and queens, eunuchs and secret plots. Presented here in English translation for the first time with commentaries, Ctesias offers a fascinating insight into Persia in the fifth century BC.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Ctesias’ History of Persia: tales of the Orient......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 8
Preface......Page 9
List of illustrations......Page 11
Introduction......Page 12
Outline of the History of Persia......Page 99
Ctesias’ History of Persia......Page 102
Translator’s Preface......Page 103
Key to conventions used in this edition......Page 104
Testimonia on the life and work of Ctesias......Page 106
Fragments of Ctesias’ History of Persia......Page 122
Books 1–3 Assyrian History......Page 124
Books 4–6 Median History......Page 160
Books 7–11 Persian History: Reign of Cyrus II......Page 170
Books 12–13 Persian History: Reigns of Cambyses II
(530–522 BCE), The Magus (522 BCE), Darius I
(522–486 BCE), and Xerxes I (486–465 BCE)......Page 188
Books 16–17 Persian History: Reign of Artaxerxes I......Page 198
Book 18 Persian History: Reigns of Xerxes II
(424 BCE), Secyndianus (424 BCE), and Darius II
(Ochus) (424–404 BCE)......Page 203
Books 19–20 Persian History: Early reign of
Artaxerxes II......Page 208
Books 21–23 Persian History: Later reign of
Artaxerxes II (404–359/8 BCE); List of distances;
List of kings......Page 220
Miscellaneous comments on the Persian Empire......Page 227
Glossary of authors......Page 231
Genealogy of the Persian royal family......Page 238
Map: The Persian Empire......Page 241
Bibliography......Page 243
Index......Page 252