Identifier: historyofallnati02wrig (find matches)
Title: A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Wright, John Henry, 1852-1908
Subjects: World history
Publisher: (Philadelphia, New York : Lea Brothers & company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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alist. The danger to which the authority of Darius and the durationof his kingdom had been exposed, showed him that all the differentnations and tribes which Cyrus and Cambyses had united under onescejitre must be held together by one central power. Such an or-ganization had already been attempted in Assyria, whose examplehad been followed in Babylonia. It was attempted by Darius, butwith important modifications. The king was, to be sure, a despotmth unlimited powers; yet in Persia, and probably also in Media,the nobles had never entirely resigned their right to co-operation inthe government, a right which had been won by their having com-mand of certain portions of the army when the land was first in-vaded and conquered. Thus, for example, before a declaration ofwar was decided upon, the chief satraps, the commanders of thearmy, the crown officials, and the military nobility were summonedto give their opinion. Gradually, however, this prerogative fell into (See page I77-) Plate VIII.
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DARIUS WITH HIS PARASOL BEARERS. (After Texier.) History of All Nations. Vol. II. THE EMPIRE OF DARIUS. 177 disuse because all voted according to the will of the king; for thecustom was formed that each one had to answer with his life for thesuccess of any undertaking intrusted to him. The king in his ex-ternal appearance was like an Assyrian king, —the long staff in theright hand; in the left, a bunch of flowers; on the head the uprightcylindrical cidaris; the body enveloped in the Median mantle, whichreached to the feet, and, being belted and caught up at the sides,made that beautiful characteristic drajjery which Persian art is nowreproducing, after vain endeavors in times before. In the pictorialrepresentations found in Persepolis and in Assyria (Plate VIII.), there is always shown over the kings head the omni-present divinity under whose shadow he lived and moved. Hisfeet touch not the ground or the pavement of the palace court, butcarpets and rugs are everywhere unrolled whene

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