Thaïs - Burning of Persepolis

Burning of Persepolis

Thaïs apparently came from Athens and accompanied Alexander throughout his campaign in Asia minor. She came to the attention of history when, in 330 BC, Alexander burned down the palace of Persepolis after a drinking party. Thaïs was present at the party and gave a speech which convinced Alexander to burn the palace. Cleitarchus claims that the destruction was a whim; Plutarch and Diodorus recount that it was intended as retribution for Xerxes' burning of the temple of Athena on the Acropolis in Athens in 480 BC (the destroyed temple was replaced by the Parthenon of Athens).

When the king had caught fire at their words, all leaped up from their couches and passed the word along to form a victory procession in honour of Dionysus. Promptly many torches were gathered. Female musicians were present at the banquet, so the king led them all out for the comus to the sound of voices and flutes and pipes, Thaïs the courtesan leading the whole performance. She was the first, after the king, to hurl her blazing torch into the palace. As the others all did the same, immediately the entire palace area was consumed, so great was the conflagration. It was remarkable that the impious act of Xerxes, king of the Persians, against the acropolis at Athens should have been repaid in kind after many years by one woman, a citizen of the land which had suffered it, and in sport. -Diodorus of Sicily (XVII.72)

People in the palace were given enough time to leave the building; there is no record of loss of life.

It has been argued that Thaïs was at this time Alexander's lover. T.D. Ogden suggests that Ptolemy took her over at some later point, though other writers believe she was always Ptolemy's companion.