The Bulletin: An Analysis Of Darius's Arguments

All of these empires were greatly influenced by large personalities that led them. Ramses, the king of Egypt, boasted of himself greatly and made a show of his commitment to justice, manifesting an empire focused on a strategy of grand attacks and an ideology centered around glory. According to lecture, Ramses used the outside of temples to boast of the achievements of his reign (Lecture 4/11). He also boasted of his accomplishments in the Bulletin text. His overall personality comes off as severe and his reports of punishments inflicted on people translated into an empire that had a strict and violent approach to political actions. In The Bulletin, there are mainly reports of battles, conveying the militaristic centered ideology of that empire.

Darius claimed to be given rights to the throne by the god Ahuramazda (DNa Livius Inscription). This would have given him great religious legitimtacy since religious tradition was extremely important within the empire. Xerxes then claimed legitimacy from the same god in his Rock Inscription. Darius clearly made an impression on the religious ideology of his empire if his successor followed in his steps to claim the throne in the same way. Darius’s policies also made an impression on the ideology of the empire. Darius’s attacks on Athens were later carried out by Xerxes as a revenge plot of unfinished conquest, although he was reluctant (Lecture 4/27). Darius also portrayed himself as the mightiest king and the most important one of all places in his inscriptions (Susa, Statue of Darius), inflating his self-representation. Therefore, with his portrayal as a great king, and his religious and political decisions, he made a lasting impact on Persian ideology, as can be seen in the reign of his successor,

For example, he made such an impact, that many cities were named Alexandria, after him, and the Ptolemys got legitimacy for their rule by stealing his body (Lecture 5/16). Alexander’s demonstration of cultural tolerance also assisted in allowing him to expand his empire well into Asia, by adopting some Persian customs such as Persian wedding traditions (Arrian on Alexander). He even promoted intermarriage between Persians and Macedonians, although this may not have lasted after his reign. However, during his reign, the mix of cultures he created was a defining aspect of his empire. While this may not have had as long-lasting of implications after his death, with the many conflicts that broke out between leaders to attain power, it had a great effect during his time as emperor. He also portrayed himself as a generous emperor to his own subjects, giving gifts to his soldiers and paying off their debts (Arrian on Alexander). This personality of generosity and understanding is apparent in many stories such as the one where he won over his subjects after the objected to his engagement in Persian tradition (Arrian on Alexander). Ultimately, Alexander the Great had a large personality that he boasted of, but that reputation clearly meant a great deal since it had an affect on