| On this mountain in North Cyprus, overlooking the | | | | the court. |
| village of Vouni below, stands a palace. As you | | | | "Come, come, don't be shy. The people you see |
| look at the fragmentary walls, let your guide be a | | | | in this third room are the wealthy and the noble. |
| figure from 483 B.C., when Persia and Greece | | | | You can tell by the lavish embroidery on their |
| fought to dominate the island. Cyprus is divided | | | | robes. The rich have threads of gold and silver; |
| into several small kingdoms. Your guide is Himilcar, | | | | the noble can wear Tyrian purple, most precious |
| elder statesman and advisor to Doxandros, King | | | | of dyes. |
| of Marion. Marion is a city not far away, and the | | | | "My own office is on the right side of this last |
| Persians built this palace for Doxandros, who has | | | | waiting room. Just take a peek and see the |
| sworn loyalty to them. | | | | jumble of scrolls on my desk. Every day I fall |
| Come to the old entryway on the southwest side | | | | farther behind. Now we go straight ahead into the |
| of the building. Can you hear Himilcar mumbling to | | | | throne room. |
| himself as he approaches the palace? | | | | "Come up these seven steps. The steps are |
| "It's been fifteen years since the Greeks of Ionia | | | | broad to announce that the king will receive all his |
| began the Great Revolt. Did they learn nothing | | | | people. Of course he sees mainly the important |
| from defeat? | | | | ones. See the brightly painted columns and the |
| "Oh, greetings, stranger. I did not see you there. | | | | thrones. There the king and queen receive |
| Come here, under the porch. Our hot Cypriot sun | | | | petitioners and well-wishers. The rich and the noble |
| will bake your brains otherwise. What is the Great | | | | stroll about here, seeking favor, always plotting |
| Revolt, you ask? In what cave have you been | | | | for favor. |
| living? The Greek cities of Ionia in Asia Minor | | | | "The queen's apartments are on the left. The king |
| rebelled against our Persian King of Kings. The | | | | and his son have rooms on the right. Magnificent |
| Cypriot kings who favored Greece, in cities like | | | | as these rooms are, with their painted walls and |
| Soli, also rose in revolt. | | | | the pots of lilies and roses, I will show you the |
| "But the revolt was doomed from the start. The | | | | real wonder of the palace. |
| domains of the King of Kings stretch from Egypt | | | | "See here behind the King's chamber? Two |
| to India and his army is beyond counting. He | | | | bathrooms with toilets and beyond them, a hot |
| crushed the revolt on Cyprus in a matter of days. | | | | bath. The water comes from our own cisterns |
| "But come in, come in. I am Himilcar, chief adviser | | | | and is heated and piped in. You'll find nothing like it |
| to King Doxandros of Marion. Have you ever been | | | | between Crete and Persia. |
| in a Persian palace? Yes, it really is Persian, Persian | | | | "We can go through here to the large courtyard. |
| designed and Persian built. | | | | The rooms all around are storerooms and |
| "How did that happen, you ask? During the Great | | | | garrison rooms for the troops. Armor and |
| Revolt King Doxandros remained loyal to the | | | | weapons are stored here, along with food |
| Persians. As a reward, the King of Kings built this | | | | supplies. See the well? It goes into a cavern we |
| palace for him. | | | | have cut into the very mountain. It serves as one |
| A pair of guards, their round shields slung across | | | | of many cisterns that hold winter rain for us to |
| their back and their long swords sheathed, stands | | | | use all year long. |
| in front of the doorway. | | | | "Excuse me, please. I must speak to that fellow |
| In a corner of the room a scribe sits cross-legged | | | | over there. You may look through the |
| on a cushion, his writing board across his knees. | | | | storerooms and staff quarters that surround this |
| At his side are sheets of papyrus paper, | | | | central court." |
| sharpened reeds he will use as pens, and a clay | | | | The courtyard is filled with activity. Muscular men |
| jug of ink. | | | | in kilts are polishing armor in the shade. In one |
| "Come down the stairs here on the right. These | | | | corner a smith is putting a new cutting edge on a |
| are living quarters for the senior officials, and for | | | | pile of swords. The cook and her assistants are |
| me. | | | | plucking chickens across the way, singing softly as |
| "Across the hallway from our living quarters are | | | | they work. But here is Hamilcar returning. |
| the palace storerooms. Here the king keeps | | | | "Who is he? The man I spoke with? No harm in |
| stores of food, of cloth, of precious herbs and | | | | telling you, I suppose. He is one of my spies. |
| dyestuffs. See how the large vases, the | | | | "King Xerxes is preparing to march on Greece. He |
| amphorae, are sunk into the ground. Back toward | | | | needs to know which cities will support him, and |
| the front of the palace are the guard rooms. You | | | | which might try to stab him in the back. Soli rose |
| can hear the guards laughing over a dice game. | | | | against Persia once, and might do so again. So, I |
| No, they don't live there. They are on duty, | | | | have spies in Soli. |
| passing time until they are needed. | | | | "I must return to my work. But you feel free to |
| "Come through into the reception rooms. The | | | | wander about. May Anat bless you in your |
| ordinary people wait here. On the right is the | | | | comings and goings." |
| king's official recorder. On the left is the queen's. | | | | So farewell to the old ghost, from a time long |
| People come here to have land transfers | | | | ago when Asia and Europe held Cyprus in a |
| recorded, to pay taxes, to bring a case before | | | | tug-of-war and bitterness divided city from city. |