Alexander in Susia

Cyrus Shahmiri · Post by **Cyrus Shahmiri** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 2:28 pm

Susia (modern Tus, near Mashhad) in the northeast of Iran was an important ancient city which was conquered by Alexander in 330 BC, it is said in this city Alexander showed himself for the first time in an oriental dress, in an attempt to win the hearts of the Iranians.

The interesting thing is that archaeologists have found some coins of Philip in this city, one of them is already in Razavi Museum of Mashhad, as you read here, "the oldest coin in the museum’s possession is one dating back to King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great."

amyntoros · Post by **amyntoros** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 5:23 pm

Cyrus Shahmiri wrote:Susia (modern Tus, near Mashhad) in the northeast of Iran was an important ancient city which was conquered by Alexander in 330 BC, it is said in this city Alexander showed himself for the first time in an oriental dress, in an attempt to win the hearts of the Iranians.

The interesting thing is that archaeologists have found some coins of Philip in this city, one of them is already in Razavi Museum of Mashhad, as you read here, "the oldest coin in the museum’s possession is one dating back to King Philip II, father of Alexander the Great."

I think it might be incorrect to say that Susia is the city where Alexander first showed himself in Persian dress.

Diodorus (17.77.5) places the adoption of Persian royal raiment after Alexander's return to Hyrcania; Curtius (6.6.4-5) and Justin (12.3.8 ) say the same. Plutarch (Alexander 45.2) places it during a pause in Alexander's campaign after his advance into Parthia, but the city is not named. Arrian is not specific about exactly when Alexander took to wearing the clothes, but he writes about them after discussing the death of Bessus (4.9.9). Susia, however, is not mentioned in any source in this respect.

Best regards,

athenas owl · Post by **athenas owl** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 7:32 pm

A bit off-topic, but not completely....

Am trying to pin down the exact eastern coastline in the late 4th century B.C., but Susia might have been much closer to the Capsian and Hyrcania than it is now. I think that he had already adapted some Persian attributes by the time of Susia, though. Sooner, after the death of Darius.

Cyrus Shahmiri · Post by **Cyrus Shahmiri** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:48 pm

I think you mean Zadracarta (modern Sari), the capital of Hyrcania but there is a long distance between this city and Susia, in the east of Hyrcania in Parthia there was the large city of Qumis (Modern Damghan), Greeks renamed this city "Hecatompylos" (hundred gates) which became later the capital of Parthian empire, I read somewhere that Darius III was killed here, after Qumis there is a large desert and you can't find a large city there until we reach Susia.