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