On this mountain in North Cyprus, overlooking the village of Vouni below, stands a palace. As you look at the fragmentary walls, let your guide be a figure from 483 B.C., when Persia and Greece fought to dominate the island. Cyprus is divided into several small kingdoms. Your guide is Himilcar, elder statesman and advisor to Doxandros, King of Marion. Marion is a city not far away, and the Persians built this palace for Doxandros, who has sworn loyalty to them. Come to the old entryway on the southwest side of the building. Can you hear Himilcar mumbling to himself as he approaches the palace? "It's been fifteen years since the Greeks of Ionia began the Great Revolt. Did they learn nothing from defeat? "Oh, greetings, stranger. I did not see you there. Come here, under the porch. Our hot Cypriot sun will bake your brains otherwise. What is the Great Revolt, you ask? In what cave have you been living? The Greek cities of Ionia in Asia Minor rebelled against our Persian King of Kings. The Cypriot kings who favored Greece, in cities like Soli, also rose in revolt. "But the revolt was doomed from the start. The domains of the King of Kings stretch from Egypt to India and his army is beyond counting. He crushed the revolt on Cyprus in a matter of days. "But come in, come in. I am Himilcar, chief adviser to King Doxandros of Marion. Have you ever been in a Persian palace? Yes, it really is Persian, Persian designed and Persian built. "How did that happen, you ask? During the Great Revolt King Doxandros remained loyal to the Persians. As a reward, the King of Kings built this palace for him. A pair of guards, their round shields slung across their back and their long swords sheathed, stands in front of the doorway. In a corner of the room a scribe sits cross-legged on a cushion, his writing board across his knees. At his side are sheets of papyrus paper, sharpened reeds he will use as pens, and a clay jug of ink. "Come down the stairs here on the right. These are living quarters for the senior officials, and for me. "Across the hallway from our living quarters are the palace storerooms. Here the king keeps stores of food, of cloth, of precious herbs and dyestuffs. See how the large vases, the amphorae, are sunk into the ground. Back toward the front of the palace are the guard rooms. You can hear the guards laughing over a dice game. No, they don't live there. They are on duty, passing time until they are needed.
