The ancient Greeks knew luxury when they saw it. And they certainly saw it in August 479 BC, during the closing stages of the Battle of Plataia. This was a clash between an alliance of Greek city-states and Persian forces sent by the Achaemenid empire to conquer mainland Greece. After a lengthy standoff, the Greeks decided to withdraw to more favourable ground. The Persians, thinking their foes were in flight, rushed to administer the coup de grâce. But their haste proved their undoing, and after hard fighting it was the Greeks who emerged triumphant. So crushing was the Persian defeat that Plataia marked the final land battle of the botched invasion. Greek victory was sealed when they captured the Persian campaign quarters, where they beheld riches on an almost unimaginable scale. The ancient historian Herodotus reports that gold was so plentiful it was mistaken for bronze. He also describes the scene when the Greek commander, Pausanias, beheld the opulence of the Persian command tent and ordered the captured servants to prepare a typical Persian feast:
when Pausanias saw gold and silver couches beautifully draped, and gold and silver tables… he could hardly believe his eyes…just for a joke, he ordered his own servants to get ready an ordinary Spartan dinner. The difference between the two meals was indeed remarkable and, when both were ready, Pausanias laughed and sent for the Greek commanding officers… he invited them to look at the two tables, saying, ‘Gentlemen, I asked you here to show you the folly of the Persians, who, living in this style, came to Greece to rob of us of our poverty.
Herodotus’ account sets up a stark difference in Greek and Persian approaches to luxury. Indeed, the Persian fondness for indulgent lifestyles – even during the serious business of a military campaign – came to be seen as a key reason why a superpower like Persia could be humbled by a group of Greek city-states. Numerous ancient Greek authors identify Persian luxury as a corrupting force that weakened their empire, hastening its decay. At the same time, Greek valour was seen to owe much to the shunning of such excesses. But just how reliable are these stereotypes? Luxury and Power: Persia to Greece, an enthralling new exhibition at the British Museum (see ‘Further information’ box on p.39), is examining Persian and Greek approaches to luxury from 550-30 BC. It reveals that there was far more to luxury in this period than the Greek historians would have us believe.
