101. Salamis: Athens’ Revenge
Empire
Protecting cultural heritage during ancient conflicts
Ancient conflicts often involved the protection of cultural heritage, as seen in the instance of Xerxes' advance on Athens and the Athenians' efforts to safeguard their statues from being desecrated or stolen by burying them in deep trenches. This practice was not unique to Athens, as archaeological findings in Persepolis have revealed a similar pattern of looting and removal of Greek statues by conquerors. The tradition of seizing or destroying the gods of conquered cities was widespread across the ancient Near East and in pre-Islamic Hindu India.
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