Persepolis
/pərˈsɛpəlɪs/noun
An ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Persian Empire in what is now southwestern Iran.
Did you know?Although the Greeks called it Persepolis, its Persian name was Pārsa; Alexander the Great’s burning of the city in 330 BCE remains historically documented but debated in motive and extent.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*perḱ-
“A reconstructed root associated with cutting or striking, possibly underlying the ancient name of the Persians, though the connection is debated.”
1st Millennium BCE
Old Persian
Pārsa
“The name of the Persian people and their homeland; also the local name of the city later called Persepolis.”
6th–5th Century BCE
Old Persian
Pārsa
“The ceremonial royal center established and expanded by Achaemenid rulers, especially Darius I and Xerxes I.”
5th–4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Περσέπολις (Persépolis)
“Greek rendering meaning “Persian city,” formed from Pérsēs, “Persian,” and pólis, “city.””
330 BCE
Ancient Greek
Περσέπολις
“The city was captured and partially burned during Alexander the Great’s conquest of the Achaemenid Empire.”
Modern English
English
Persepolis
“The standard English name for the archaeological site and ancient Persian ceremonial capital.”
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