dress, elaborate ornaments, a horse ‘that had been ridden by the king’ (Esther 6. 8 ),
land revenues, high position and, particularly, through being granted the right of
salutation with a royal kiss, a mark of high status. This system of royal rewards
resulted in the emergence of a royally created aristocracy who were superimposed on
the ranks of the older aristocratic families, effectively limiting their privileges and
forcing them to compete with the newer nobility to maintain their position. In this
way, all became, in the king’s eyes, his ‘bondsmen’ (OP bandaka).
BABYLONIAN–PERSIAN INTERACTIONSSome aspects of the effects of Babylonian inclusion in the large Achaemenid empire
have already been indicated (above, pp. 566 , 567–70). An overall impression is that
not only did the Persian regime profit enormously from the province, but Babylonia,
too, prospered under Persian rule. But that is the general impression; whether all
segments of Babylonian society shared in this prosperity, is impossible to say. Evidence
for cosmopolitanism is particularly striking in this period. Far more communities of
non-Babylonian origin are attested in this period than previously. The documentary
evidence, along with classical writers, indicate the presence in the region of Indians,
Jews, Egyptians, Greeks, Scythians, Carians, Lydians, Iranians, people from Malatya,
Tyrians, people from various other places in Beyond-the-River, Armenians, Arabs,
Phrygians and people from Afghanistan. Conversely, some Babylonians are attested
serving in positions of command in southern Egypt. In Darius I’s roll-call of the
peoples of the empire who contributed to the building of his great palace at Susa
(Kent 1953 : DSf), the Babylonians take pride of place as those who excavated the
10 and 20 metre-deep foundations, laid the base of the palace and moulded the
bricks. Most frequently, the Persepolis documents mention Babylonians as scribes
— Amélie Kuhrt —Figure 39. 2 Seal inscribed with the name Darius (probably the Great) in Persian, Elamite and
Babylonian (courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum).