Persepolis: art, architecture and ideology of the Persian Empire

The Arts Society Horsham presents - A lecture by James Renshaw

Wednesday 10 April 2024 at 10.45am

The Capitol, North Street, Horsham RH12 1RG

The Persian Empire exploded into life during the middle of the 6th century BC and was the largest empire in the world for the next two centuries.

It stretched from the Mediterranean in the west to the Indus valley in the east, from the Eurasian steppes in the north to Egypt and Arabia in the south. In around 515, its third Great King, Darius I, commissioned the building of a new city, Persepolis, with his palace at its centre.

We know a great deal about this palace, and one of its central features, the Apadana Staircase, can be seen in replica in the British Museum. What can this palace and its art tell us about the ideology of this extraordinary and influential empire?

James has a degree in Classics from Oxford University and has published a number of textbooks related to the classical world, including In Search of the Greeks and In Search of the Romans. He has lectured for the V&A Academy, most recently on their Classical World and its Afterlife and Classicism from the Ancients to the Renaissance courses. He has taken many photos of ancient sites, a number of which have been used in his books.

HOW TO BOOK THIS EVENT:

No booking necessary. Free to members. Non-members £8 on the door.