Laurie was in Grandpa's study, looking for a book she needed for her history report.
"Aha!" she said, grabbing a book called Alexander the Great.
Just then a leather-bound journal caught her eye.
When she pulled it from the shelf, a photograph fluttered to the floor.
It was a photo of Grandpa standing among mysterious stone doorways. Grandpa looked very young.
The title page of the journal read: Persepolis, 1979.
It was written in Grandpa's handwriting. Laurie turned the page and started reading.
"'Jim and I just arrived in Iran this morning.
The drive from the airport was uneventful but hot.
I spent the whole bus ride wondering what the scenery might have looked like back in 500 BC—'"
"Laurie?" Grandpa suddenly appeared in the doorway.
"You scared me!" Laurie cried, slamming the journal shut.
"What are you reading?" he asked. "Ah, my journal from Iran!
Your great-uncle Jim and I went to Persepolis the year it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
We had a terrific time exploring the ruins there."
"What is Persepolis?" asked Laurie.
"It was the capital of the Persian Empire, which was the largest empire in the world from 559 BC to 330 BC.
It covered most of the Middle East, from Egypt to India, and was made up of many different provinces.
Although Persian rulers tried to do something impossible—unite the known world under one power—
they were nearly successful because they allowed the conquered people to keep their freedoms.
In fact, some call the Cyrus Cylinder—an ancient Persian document written on a clay cylinder—the first declaration of human rights.
It describes how Cyrus let the people in his empire have freedom of culture and religion.
The ruler who founded the empire and conquered much of its territory was Cyrus the Great.
Many say he began the age of world-empire building, which would continue with the Greeks and Romans.
He had some good ideas about how to create and control an empire.
For example, he knew it was important to make sure the people you conquered were happy so they would not rise up against you.
So when Cyrus marched his troops into Babylon in 539 BC, he did not burn buildings, steal from people's homes, or run around killing people.
He became known as a peaceful and generous ruler.
He also freed the Jews who were held captive in Babylon and allowed them to return to Jerusalem.
Cyrus declared each conquered area a province and asked that all provinces pay him a yearly sum of gold and silver.
In return he promised to protect them from foreign invaders.
This system worked out nicely for Cyrus, and he managed to build a wealthy empire."
"Did Cyrus build Persepolis?" Laurie asked, looking back at the photo.
"No, Persepolis was built by a king named Darius the Great, who ruled from 522 BC to 486 BC.
Darius was called the Great because he continued to expand the empire's borders,
developed an organized system of rule, and improved the kingdom with major building projects.
In order to stay informed about his empire, Darius needed people to travel and report back to him.
So he built a great road, called the royal road, which connected the provinces.
And this was way before the Romans built their famous roads, mind you.
The royal road was useful for both transportation and communication.
He also finished organizing the provinces—something that was begun during Cyrus' time.
And he appointed governors to manage each province.
This way he could make sure each province paid him the right amount of gold and silver.
But most famously Darius built a huge palace complex in Persepolis.
This served as the center of government and a guest reception area.
The plans for Persepolis—a city that aimed to impress all visitors with its riches and splendor—
were so grand that Persepolis couldn't be completed within Darius' lifetime.
It was actually finished by his son, the next king.
There were palaces, great halls, a treasury, and more."
"But Grandpa, you wrote: ‘It is a shame that Alexander the Great laid waste to this magnificent city.
I can only imagine what Persepolis might look like today, if only it had been preserved as a historic treasure,'"
Laurie interrupted, reading from the journal.
"I'm writing a report on Alexander the Great for homework. What did he do to Persepolis?"
"Well, the Persians and the Greeks eventually fought against each other.
Clashes began during Darius' time, continued through his son's rule,
and then finally, around 330 BC, the warrior Alexander the Great invaded and conquered Persia.
When he reached Persepolis, he robbed the treasury, set fire to the palaces, and destroyed the sculptures—
especially any that showed images of Persian kings.
His conquests marked the end of the Persian Empire, and the dawn of the Greek.
Laurie, have you heard of the Greek historian Herodotus?
We know all this history because Herodotus traveled the Middle East collecting stories and recording information.
He had a curious mind and a great interest in the actions and politics of humans.
He wrote about the Persian Empire and Persian wars in a big book called The Histories.
A great writer, he wrote as if he were telling someone a story face-to-face and often mixed in entertaining stories from his travels.
I wish I could write such interesting histories," Grandpa said.
"But your history stories are just like that, Grandpa!" Laurie said. "They're always interesting!"
"Thanks, Laurie." Grandpa smiled. "Maybe someday you can help me organize these journal entries.
There's a lot of history in here," he said, lightly tapping his journal.
"I'd be honored." Laurie grinned. "But for now I think I'm pretty busy with Alexander."
She picked up the book and walked out of the study.