Page "Persepolis" Paragraph 43

Cyrus the Great was buried in Pasargadae, which is mentioned by Ctesias as his own city.

Since, to judge from the inscriptions, the buildings of Persepolis commenced with Darius I, it was probably under this king, with whom the sceptre passed to a new branch of the royal house, that Persepolis became the capital of Persia proper.

As the residence of the rulers of the empire, however, a remote place in a difficult alpine region was far from convenient.

The country's true capitals were Susa, Babylon and Ecbatana.

This accounts for the fact that the Greeks were not acquainted with the city until Alexander the Great took and plundered it.