th one great open
pillared hall, to which are attached no subordinate apartments. The
three complex edifices will be here termed "palaces," and will take
the names of their respective founders, Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes
Ochus: the fourth will be called the "Great Hall of Audience." The
building between the upper terrace and the mountains will be termed the
"Great Eastern Edifice."

The "Palace of Darius," which is one of the most interesting of the
Persepolitan buildings, stands near the western edge of the platform,
midway between the "Great Hall of Audience" and the "Palace of
Artaxerxes Ochus." [PLATE XLVI., Fig. 1.] It is a building about one
hundred and thirty five feet in length, and in breadth a little short of
a hundred. Of all the existing buildings on the platform it occupies
the most exalted position, being elevated from fourteen to fifteen feet
above the general level of the central terrace, and being thus four or
five feet higher than the "Palace of Xerxes." It fronted towards the
south, where it was approached by a double staircase of the usual
character, which led up to a deep portico of eight pillars arranged in
two rows. On either side of the portico were guard-rooms, which opened
upon it, in length twenty-three feet, and in breadth thirteen. Behind
the portico lay the main chamber, which was a square of fifty feet,
having a roof supported by sixteen pillars, arranged in four rows of
four, in line with the pillars of the portico. [PLATE XLV., Fig. 2.]
The bases for the pillars alone remain; and it is thus uncertain whether
their material was stone or wood. They were probably light and slender,
not greatly interrupting the view. The hall was surrounded on all sides
by walls from four to five feet in thickness, in which were doors,
windows, and recesses, symmetrically arranged. The entrance from the
portico was by a door in the exact centre of the front wall, on either
side of which were two windows, looking into the portico. The
opposite, or back, wall was pierced by two doors, which faced the
intercolumniations of the side rows of pillars, as the front door faced
the intercolumniation of the central rows. Between the two doors
which pierced the back wall was a squared recess, and similar recesses
ornamented the same wall on either side of the doors. The side walls
were each pierced originally by a single doorway, between which and the
front wall was a squared recess, while beyond, between the doorw