Grades of society were strongly marked among the Persians; and the etiquette of the Court travelled down to the lowest ranks of the people.  Well-known rules determined how each man was to salute his equal, his inferior, or his superior; and the observance of these rules was universal.  Inferiors on meeting a decided superior prostrated themselves on the ground; equals kissed each other on the lips; persons nearly but not quite equals kissed each other’s cheeks.  The usual Oriental rules prevailed as to the intercourse of the sexes.  Wives lived in strict seclusion within the walls of the Gynaeceum, or went abroad in litters, seeing no males except their sons, their husbands, and their husbands’ eunuchs.  Concubines had somewhat more freedom, appearing sometimes at banquets, when they danced, sang, and played to amuse the guests of their master.

The Persian was allowed to marry several wives, and might maintain in addition as many concubines as he thought proper.  Most of the richer class had a multitude of each, since every Persian prided himself on the number of his sons, and it is even said that an annual prize was given by the monarch to the Persian who could show most sons living.  The concubines were not unfrequently Greeks, if we may judge by the case of the younger Cyrus, who took two Greek concubines with him when he made his expedition against his brother.  It would seem that wives did not ordinarily accompany their husbands, when these went on military expeditions, but that concubines were taken to the wars by most Persians of consideration.  Every such person had a litter at her disposal, and a number of female attendants, whose business it was to wait upon her and execute her orders.

All the best authorities are agreed that great pains were taken by the Persians—­or, at any rate, by those of the leading clans—­in the education of their sons.  During the first five years of his life the boy remained wholly with the women, and was scarcely, if at all, seen by his father.  After that time his training commenced.  He was expected to rise before dawn, and to appear at a certain spot, where he was exercised with other boys of his age in running, slinging stones, shooting with the bow, and throwing the javelin.  At seven he was taught to ride, and soon afterwards he was allowed to begin to hunt.  The riding included, not only the ordinary management of the horse, but the power of jumping on and off his back when he was at speed, and of shooting with the bow and throwing the javelin with unerring aim, while the horse was still at full gallop.  The hunting was conducted by state-officers, who aimed at forming by its means in the youths committed to their charge all the qualities needed in war.  The boys were made to bear extremes of heat and cold, to perform long marches, to cross rivers without wetting their weapons, to sleep in the open air at night, to be content with a single meal in two days, and to support themselves occasionally on the wild products