Iranian TV interview with Dr Llewellyn-Jones

Senior Lecturer in Ancient History, Dr Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, has appeared on popular Iranian television channel, Manoto TV, talking about his new book, King and Court in Ancient Persia.

Manoto TV broadcasts to millions of Persian speakers across the world.

Dr Llewellyn-Jones’s book, published by Edinburgh University Press in January, is the first full-length study of the Achaemenid Persian - that is, the ancient Iranian - court between 559-331 BCE.

Dr Llewellyn-Jones says:

“The ancient Greeks depicted the Persians, their enemies, as barbarians but in reality they were sophisticated, powerful.

“Persia was a mighty empire. The royal court was at its centre, the physical manifestation of the Great King’s god-given authority and the heart of ancient Iranian cultural, political and military life.”

The interview with Dr Llewellyn-Jones was broadcast on 2 March as part of a feature about this year’s Edinburgh Iranian Festival. Edinburgh is one of only a few universities in Britain which teaches ancient Persian history.

Watch the interview

The feature about the Edinburgh Iranian Festival begins three minutes into the programme. Dr Llewellyn-Jones’s interview starts after 5 minutes 26 seconds.