mal and
stately of the Oriental monarchies. The courtiers were organized in
seven ranks. Foremost came the Ministers of the crown; next the Mobeds,
or chief Magi; after them, the hirbeds, or judges; then the sipehbeds,
or commanders-in chief, of whom there were commonly four; last of all
the singers, musicians, and men of science, arranged in three orders.
The king sat apart even from the highest nobles, who, unless summoned,
might not approach nearer than thirty feet from him.

A low curtain separated him from them, which was under the charge of an
officer, who drew it for those only with whom the king had expressed a
desire to converse.

An important part of the palace was the seraglio. The polygamy practised
by the Sassanian princes was on the largest scale that has ever been
heard of, Chosroes II. having maintained, we are told, three thousand
concubines. The modest requirements of so many secondary wives
necessitated the lodging and sustenance of twelve thousand additional
females, chiefly slaves, whose office was to attend on these royal
favorites, attire them, and obey their behests. Eunuchs are not
mentioned as employed to any large extent; but in the sculptures of
the early princes they seem to be represented as holding offices of
importance, and the analogy of Oriental courts does not allow us to
doubt that the seraglio was, to some extent at any rate, under their
superintendence. Each Sassanian monarch had one sultana or principal
wife, who was generally a princess by birth, but might legally be of
any origin. In one or two instances the monarch sets the effigy of his
principal wife upon his coins; but this is unusual, and when, towards
the close of the empire, females were allowed to ascend the throne, it
is thought that they refrained from parading themselves in this way, and
stamped their coins with the head of a male.

In attendance upon the monarch were usually his parasol-bearer, his
fan-bearer, who appears to have been a eunuch, the _Senelcapan,_ or
"Lord Chamberlain," the _Maypet_, or "Chief Butler," the Andertzapet,
or "Master of the Wardrobe," the _Alchorapet_, or "Master of the
Horse," the _Taharhapet_ or "Chief Cupbearer," the _Shahpan_, or "Chief
Falconer," and the __Krhogpet, or "Master of the Workmen." Except
the parasol-bearer and fan-bearer, these officials all presided over
departments, and had under them a numerous body of subordinates. If the
royal stables contained even 8000 horses, wh