A drunk Alexander the Great destroys Persepolis
In May of 330 BC, Alexander the Great finally took the city of Persepolis. Though his enemy, the Great King of the Achaemenid Persians, Darius III, managed to escape, Alexander had his city and the heart of his empire. It was, by all accounts, a truly wonderful place, with ornate palaces, advanced infrastructure and lush gardens. Most generals would have preserved it and made it a part of their own empire. Alexander, however, had Persepolis burned down, a decision he would make in an instant and regret long after. So, what made him act so rashly? Well, according to some contemporary sources, his judgement was clouded by his two weaknesses – alcohol and beautiful women.
There was no question of leaving Persepolis untouched. For starters, Alexander’s army needed to be satisfied. They had travelled far and fought well. He owed them a share of the glory. And, as was the custom in those times, this meant letting them loot at will. Alexander himself was not above enjoying the spoils of war. It’s believed he stripped his enemy’s palaces of gold and other precious metals and jewels, sending all the loot back to his native Macedonia. Surely this would have been enough? Not quite.
To celebrate their victory, Alexander and his men held a party. The wine flowed freely and passions boiled over. Alexander started toying with the idea of burning the city. His trusted generals advised him against it in the strongest terms possible. However, according to the ancient writer Diodorus Siculus, Alexander was swayed by a beautiful courtesan by the name of Thais. He wrote that the young lady “said that for Alexander it would be the finest of all his feats in Asia if he joined them in a triumphal procession [and] set fire to the palaces.” Fuelled by the wine, he agreed and the party descended into a long night of debauchery and arson. As the city burned, courtesans played music.
By all accounts, Alexander woke with a hangover and much regret. He had traveled many miles to achieve his goal of taking Persepolis and now, thanks to a drunken whim, the city was no more. These days, the ruins of the main palaces remain and the old city is a UNESCO Heritage Site – keeping it safe from drunken megalomaniacs for the time being at least.