WEBVTT - The Drunken Night When Alexander the Great Burned Persepolis

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Criminalia, a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership

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<v Speaker 1>with iHeartRadio.

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander the Great burned Persepolis to the ground during a

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<v Speaker 2>night of drunken revelry after basically being enticed into doing

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<v Speaker 2>so by a Greek courtesan named Tais. It said she

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<v Speaker 2>told Alexander torching the royal palace would be among his

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<v Speaker 2>crowning achievements, and it said she inspired action among his

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<v Speaker 2>soldiers and followers to take up torches. That is, at

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<v Speaker 2>least according to legend. In this episode, we'll talk about

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<v Speaker 2>the downfall of the Persian Empire and why anyone would

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<v Speaker 2>have wanted to torch Persepolis. Welcome to Criminalia. I'm Maria

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<v Speaker 2>Tremarky and.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Holly Frye. If you're a regular listener to the show,

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<v Speaker 1>you may recall our previous episode was also about ancient Greece,

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<v Speaker 1>specifically Heristratus and ancient Greek who in three point fifty

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<v Speaker 1>six BCE burned down the Temple of Artemis as a

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<v Speaker 1>way to he hoped become famous. If you're not a

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<v Speaker 1>regular follower, that's still a pretty good story explained in

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<v Speaker 1>Ancient Greek mythology, The goddess Artemis was not available to

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<v Speaker 1>protect the temple that night because she was attending a

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<v Speaker 1>very important birth, the birth of the son of King

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<v Speaker 1>Philip of Macedon, a child who grew up to also

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<v Speaker 1>burned down some important places. We are talking about Alexander

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<v Speaker 1>the third of Macedon, also known as Alexander the Greek.

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<v Speaker 1>Alexander was born in Pella, Macedonia, an ancient city located

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<v Speaker 1>in present day Greece, and when he turned thirteen, his

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<v Speaker 1>father hired Aristotle, yes that Aristotle, to educate the heir

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<v Speaker 1>to the throne on everything from leadership to natural science, philosophy, mathematics,

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<v Speaker 1>and even zoology. At age twenty, Alexander took the throne

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<v Speaker 1>when his father was assassinated. That took place in October

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<v Speaker 1>of three thirty six BCE.

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander already had military experience when he rose to power,

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<v Speaker 2>and now on the throne, he intended to finish what

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<v Speaker 2>his father had wanted to start, a war. Just before

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<v Speaker 2>his death, Philip had been entertaining thoughts of invading the

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<v Speaker 2>Persian Empire for reasons we could talk about for days.

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander decided he would be the king to do so.

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<v Speaker 2>Within a decade, he had conquered the Persian Empire, which

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<v Speaker 2>meant his reign stretched from Greece to Punjab, India and

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<v Speaker 2>he was only thirty years old.

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<v Speaker 1>So let's talk about the Persian Empire and why it

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<v Speaker 1>was something a king might want to conquer. Before there

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<v Speaker 1>was Alexander, and before one of the defining powers of

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<v Speaker 1>the ancient world, the Roman Empire, there existed the Persian Empire.

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<v Speaker 1>The empire, which is also known as the Achemenid Empire,

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<v Speaker 1>was established by Cyrus the Great in five point fifty BCE.

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<v Speaker 1>In over two centuries grew into a vast imperial state

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<v Speaker 1>of Western Asia. This is a region that includes the

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<v Speaker 1>Middle Eastern and African countries, bordering the Red Sea and

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<v Speaker 1>the Gulf of Aden. It was ruled by a king

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<v Speaker 1>known as a shah, who relied upon what were known

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<v Speaker 1>as regional satraps, and asatrap was an autonomous local governor

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<v Speaker 1>who ruled a province known as a satrope, and in

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<v Speaker 1>this structure they ruled in the name of their king

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<v Speaker 1>and then they paid tribute to that king.

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<v Speaker 2>Writings by Western historians established the historical narrative that Alexander's

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<v Speaker 2>invasion was the first of many Western invasions that attempted

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<v Speaker 2>to and there are air quotes on this civilize the East.

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander is portrayed as a great military mind and leader,

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<v Speaker 2>and is celebrated in Western history as the conqueror of

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<v Speaker 2>the Persian Empire. His legacy, as you may imagine, may

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<v Speaker 2>differ from the perspective of the Persians, though way back

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<v Speaker 2>more than two millennia, the Persian Empire was very much

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<v Speaker 2>worth conquering because it was actually the greatest empire there was.

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<v Speaker 2>It covered more than two million square miles of land,

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<v Speaker 2>and an estimated forty four percent of the world's population

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<v Speaker 2>lived under Persian rule, extending from Anatolia and Egypt across

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<v Speaker 2>western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. It was

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<v Speaker 2>the largest empire of the world had ever seen. Compared

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<v Speaker 2>to it, greecelok, well, it looked really tiny.

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<v Speaker 1>We are going to take a break here for a

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<v Speaker 1>word from our sponsors, and when we return we will

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the Persian destruction of Athens and how the

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<v Speaker 1>burning of Persepolis may have been revenge.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome back to Criminalia. Let's talk about Alexander's possible motivations

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<v Speaker 2>for burning Persepolis.

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<v Speaker 1>According to an article published in the Bulletin of the

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<v Speaker 1>Institute of Classical Studies, It's believed that Alexander used propaganda

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<v Speaker 1>to sell his war to the Greeks, circulating materials marketing

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<v Speaker 1>the military action as quote a revenge campaign to avenge

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<v Speaker 1>the wrongs committed in the Persian Wars one hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>fifty years before. Wait, so you may be thinking revenge. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>a little backstory here. The Persians had been defeated by

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<v Speaker 1>the Greeks previously during two ill fated invasions of Greece,

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<v Speaker 1>first by Darius the First also known as Darius the

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<v Speaker 1>Great in four ninety BCE, and then by his son

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<v Speaker 1>Xerxes in four eighty BCE. Some Greeks considered Alexander's invasion

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<v Speaker 1>as a justified retaliation for one specific event that had

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<v Speaker 1>occurred during xerxes invasion. When Xerxes invaded Greece, he was

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<v Speaker 1>defeated by the Greeks at the battles of Salami, Plateaea,

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<v Speaker 1>and Thermopylae, yet he managed to get all the way

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<v Speaker 1>to Athens, where he burned down the acropolis. That's an

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<v Speaker 1>event known to the Greeks as the Persian Destruction of

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<v Speaker 1>Athens above any other reasons. Most historians believe seeking revenge

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<v Speaker 1>for this event was Alexander's true motivation to set the

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<v Speaker 1>Persian city of Persepolis on Faya.

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander went to war and was victorious against the Persians

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<v Speaker 2>at the battles of Granicus and Isis, both in present

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<v Speaker 2>day Turkey. It was following those winds when he conquered Egypt,

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<v Speaker 2>and it's also when he laid the foundations of the

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<v Speaker 2>city of Alexandria, one of several cities he founded in

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<v Speaker 2>his own name during his reign. Alexander's final military victory

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<v Speaker 2>over Persia took place at Gagamela now northern Iraq in

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<v Speaker 2>October of three thirty one BCE, between his army and

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<v Speaker 2>the Persian army under King Darius I. The Persian army

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<v Speaker 2>was enormous, though exact numbers of forces are unknown. Estimates

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<v Speaker 2>vary from fifty thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand,

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<v Speaker 2>and some ancient sources claimed the Persian king had assembled

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<v Speaker 2>as many as a million soldiers. Darius also had two

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<v Speaker 2>hundred chariots equipped with blades attached to their wheels, and

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<v Speaker 2>fifteen war elephants that had been transported from his territories

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<v Speaker 2>in India were deployed on the battlefield. The forces of

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<v Speaker 2>the army of Masadon were significantly smaller its estimated Alexander

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<v Speaker 2>had roughly forty thousand soldiers. Though his troops were outnumbered,

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<v Speaker 2>Alexander was victorious. Historians estimate that around sixty thousand Persians

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<v Speaker 2>were killed in battle and that Alexander's army had between

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<v Speaker 2>five hundred to one thousand casualties. As a result of

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<v Speaker 2>this victory, Alexander had conquered the Persian Empire and became

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<v Speaker 2>its new ruler. Still today, his military strategies and tactical

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<v Speaker 2>triumphs during this battle are considered an example of why

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<v Speaker 2>he became known for his military greatness.

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<v Speaker 1>Those battles were significant lens for Alexander, but this wasn't

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<v Speaker 1>a case of just a couple of battles and that's

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<v Speaker 1>that though. Let's talk about the fire and destruction he

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<v Speaker 1>and his forces brought as he marched his way through

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<v Speaker 1>the empire. The Persian city of Babylon surrendered to him

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<v Speaker 1>without a fight, and then he was on to the

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<v Speaker 1>cities of Susa and Persepolis. These were capital cities of

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<v Speaker 1>the Persian Empire. There are two primary facts to know

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<v Speaker 1>about Persepolis. One, its construction began under King Darius the

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<v Speaker 1>First in five eighteen BCE, though it's thought to have

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<v Speaker 1>been completed under the reign of his grandson ar de

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<v Speaker 1>Xerxes the First, and two in three point thirty four BCE,

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<v Speaker 1>Alexander burned it to ruins.

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<v Speaker 2>We are going to take a break for word from

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<v Speaker 2>our sponsor, and when we're back we will talk about

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<v Speaker 2>the city of Persepolis and its grand and opulent palaces

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<v Speaker 2>and buildings. Until that is, Alexander got there.

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to Criminalia. Want to know what Persepolis looked

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<v Speaker 1>like before Alexander left his mark. Let's talk about its

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<v Speaker 1>structures and the destruction brought about by Alexander and his forces.

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<v Speaker 2>Persepolis is the Greek name for the city Alexander Torch

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<v Speaker 2>a Greek toponym meaning city of Persian, and it's the

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<v Speaker 2>name most Westerners are familiar with. To Persians, it was

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<v Speaker 2>known as Parsa. It was located in what's now southwestern Iran,

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<v Speaker 2>at the foot of Kuerra Mott, known as the Mountain

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<v Speaker 2>of Mercy. Persepolis was a capital city and was built

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<v Speaker 2>on a half artificial, half stone terrace. It's known for

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<v Speaker 2>its exceptionally grand staircases and gateways. Most walls were covered

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<v Speaker 2>by sculptured freezes, many depicting gigantic winged bulls. Historians consider

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<v Speaker 2>most of the structures of Persepolis to have been built

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<v Speaker 2>actually during the reign of Xerxes.

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<v Speaker 1>Persepolis was the seat of the government of the ancient

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<v Speaker 1>Persian Empire, and it was enormous. Among the structures, there

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<v Speaker 1>were nine important palaces and buildings. Let's start with the Apodana.

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<v Speaker 1>Construction of the Apodana, which was also known as the

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<v Speaker 1>Audience Hall, begin under Darius's rule and was finished by Xerxes.

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<v Speaker 1>It was the largest and most opulent building in the complex.

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<v Speaker 1>Some say it was also the most important. Appodanna is

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<v Speaker 1>the Persian word equivalent to the Greek term hippostile, which

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<v Speaker 1>describes a building with an interior space where its roof

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<v Speaker 1>is supported by rows of columns. Literally, hippostile means under columns.

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<v Speaker 1>This hall was the star of the complex, and it

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<v Speaker 1>was mainly used for royal celebrations, receptions of foreign representatives,

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<v Speaker 1>and events that required a special level of luxury and grandeur.

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<v Speaker 1>Some modern archaeologists suggest that it was used for celebrating Noruz,

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<v Speaker 1>the Persian New Year. To the north of the Oppadonna

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<v Speaker 1>stood the Gate of Xerxes. Xerxes, who built the structure,

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<v Speaker 1>originally named it the Gate of the Nations, a nod

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<v Speaker 1>to how everyone who entered Persepolists had to do so

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<v Speaker 1>through this entrance to the terrace, where then they would

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<v Speaker 1>pay homage to the king. The second largest building of

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<v Speaker 1>the Persepolist terrace was Throne Hall, was sometimes also called

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<v Speaker 1>the hundred column Hall. Its construction began during Xerxes' reign

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<v Speaker 1>and was completed by his son art Xerxes. The first

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<v Speaker 1>Throne Hall was used mainly for receptions for representatives of

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<v Speaker 1>all the subject nations of the Empire. And then adjacent

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<v Speaker 1>to the Throne Hall was the Treasury, which also partly

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<v Speaker 1>served as an armory, but because it was also used

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<v Speaker 1>as a storehouse for the royals, in addition to currency

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<v Speaker 1>and precious metals, it also held expensive treasures.

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<v Speaker 2>And then there were two palaces, the Palace of Darius

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<v Speaker 2>and the Palace of Xerxes. Twelve impressive columns supported the

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<v Speaker 2>roof of the central hall in the Palace of Darius,

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<v Speaker 2>his palace was also known as Tatara. Many reliefs depicting

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<v Speaker 2>animals covered the walls, but on the northern and southern

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<v Speaker 2>doorways the reliefs depicted the king fighting monsters. Xerxes Palace,

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<v Speaker 2>also called Hadiz Palace, was almost twice as large as

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<v Speaker 2>that of his father's. It had similar architectural features, as

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<v Speaker 2>well as reliefs carved throughout the space, though none known

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<v Speaker 2>were of Xerxes fighting monsters. Xerxes was king when Persepolis burned,

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<v Speaker 2>and this palace took the brunt of the destruction, and

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<v Speaker 2>it's believed this was the first building to be torched.

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<v Speaker 2>Next the council Hall, some modern scholars believe it was

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<v Speaker 2>a meeting place, though others believe it may have been

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<v Speaker 2>a huge corridor between three building You could access the

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<v Speaker 2>royal apartments from the council Hall via an intricate stairway

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<v Speaker 2>which led to three doorways. While two of those doors

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<v Speaker 2>were for official purposes, the third was a secret passage

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<v Speaker 2>into a harem. The Harem of Xerxes was the home

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<v Speaker 2>of the king's wives and concubines and contained twenty two apartments.

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<v Speaker 2>In addition to access from the council hall, two ornate

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<v Speaker 2>stairways connected the apartments with the Palace of Xerxes, and lastly,

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<v Speaker 2>the Tomb of the Kings. Is the site of four

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<v Speaker 2>burial tombs at Naksha Rostam. Only the tomb of Daryus

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<v Speaker 2>the first has been identified without a doubt by associated inscriptions.

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<v Speaker 2>The three other tombs discovered are believed to belong to

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<v Speaker 2>his immediate successors, Xerxes art of Xerxes the first and

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<v Speaker 2>Darius the second. There are other miscellane unknown structures that

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<v Speaker 2>have been uncovered at the site of Persepolis, including what's

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<v Speaker 2>thought to be housing towers and defensive walls. Experts believe

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<v Speaker 2>that west of the Xerxes Palace may have been the

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<v Speaker 2>site of the Palace of our de Xerxes the First.

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<v Speaker 1>Modern scholars differ on the possible motivations Alexander may have

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<v Speaker 1>had for destroying Persepolis, and they also differ on whether

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<v Speaker 1>or not it was actually Alexander who burned it down.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe some have wondered it was an accident. Some accounts

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<v Speaker 1>suggest that when Alexander entered the city, he was shocked

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<v Speaker 1>by its extravagance and ordered it to be burned down. Then,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, there is that revenge theory which is the

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<v Speaker 1>most popular, and perhaps for good reason, overwhelmingly the story

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<v Speaker 1>left to us in the historical record, including in the

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<v Speaker 1>ancient writings of Diodorus, Siculus, arm Plutarch, as well as

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<v Speaker 1>other ancient historians and chroniclers. Is this. It's said that

0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:04.280
<v Speaker 1>Alexander and his army stayed in Persepolis for five months.

0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:07.600
<v Speaker 1>He was known to hold games to celebrate his victories,

0:15:07.800 --> 0:15:10.640
<v Speaker 1>and one night he and the forces of his army

0:15:11.160 --> 0:15:15.520
<v Speaker 1>burned down Persepolis with torches while they were drunk, partying

0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:19.600
<v Speaker 1>and inspired by Thius's call for revenge against the Persians

0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:22.920
<v Speaker 1>and the call to seek a lot of loot as well.

0:15:23.440 --> 0:15:26.280
<v Speaker 1>Who is this tious the woman who fired everyone up?

0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:30.640
<v Speaker 1>She was what was known as a Hataira, an ancient

0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:35.240
<v Speaker 1>Greek cortison who often accompanied Alexander and his army on campaigns.

0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.880
<v Speaker 1>She was later married to Ptolemy the First, a Macedonian

0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:41.640
<v Speaker 1>Greek general and successor of Alexander.

0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:46.120
<v Speaker 2>So, speaking of Diodorus, that chronicler we just mentioned a

0:15:46.160 --> 0:15:50.040
<v Speaker 2>moment ago, he was a first century BCE Greek historian

0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:54.240
<v Speaker 2>who wrote that Persepolis was quote the richest city under

0:15:54.280 --> 0:15:56.960
<v Speaker 2>the sun. And the private houses had been furnished with

0:15:57.120 --> 0:16:01.119
<v Speaker 2>every sort of wealth over the years. He also documented

0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.600
<v Speaker 2>that Alexander helped himself to roughly thirty five hundred tons

0:16:04.640 --> 0:16:08.080
<v Speaker 2>of precious metals from Persepolis, and that he carried away

0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:14.120
<v Speaker 2>innumerable pack animals. Deodorus continued quote Alexander ascended to the

0:16:14.120 --> 0:16:17.600
<v Speaker 2>citadel terrace and took possession of the treasure there. This

0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:21.080
<v Speaker 2>had been accumulated from the state revenues beginning with Cyrus,

0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:23.880
<v Speaker 2>the first king of the Persians, down to that time,

0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:28.200
<v Speaker 2>and the vaults were packed full of silver and gold.

0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:30.640
<v Speaker 2>The total was found to be one hundred and twenty

0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:33.960
<v Speaker 2>thousand talents when the gold was estimated in terms of silver.

0:16:34.720 --> 0:16:40.160
<v Speaker 2>Because Alexander was thorough in destroying and looting Persepolis, there

0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.560
<v Speaker 2>are only a few pieces of jewelry and several gold

0:16:43.600 --> 0:16:47.320
<v Speaker 2>and silver coins left. Some silver buttons have also been found.

0:16:47.360 --> 0:16:50.800
<v Speaker 2>Some everyday objects such as bulls and bottles have been recovered,

0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.720
<v Speaker 2>but by far the biggest loss here is the culture

0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:59.200
<v Speaker 2>of ancient Persia. Persians have condemned Alexander, not only for

0:16:59.240 --> 0:17:02.840
<v Speaker 2>the destruction Persepolisk, considered the pride of the Persian Empire

0:17:02.880 --> 0:17:06.720
<v Speaker 2>at the time, but also for encouraging destruction of cultural

0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.640
<v Speaker 2>and religious sites throughout the Persian Empire.

0:17:11.200 --> 0:17:17.280
<v Speaker 1>Alexander's legacy is far reaching and profound, and also quite short.

0:17:17.920 --> 0:17:20.920
<v Speaker 1>He died in June of three, twenty three BCE, at

0:17:20.920 --> 0:17:23.560
<v Speaker 1>the age of thirty two, and the cause of his

0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:27.639
<v Speaker 1>death remains something of a mystery. Historians know that he

0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:31.080
<v Speaker 1>fell ill and died in Babylon, an ancient city close

0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:34.800
<v Speaker 1>to its modern day Baghdad, but it's unclear what happened,

0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:37.639
<v Speaker 1>and as we see happen, a lot different versions of

0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:40.320
<v Speaker 1>the story of how he died have developed over the years.

0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:44.879
<v Speaker 1>Various theories suggest that perhaps he was a victim of malaria,

0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:51.080
<v Speaker 1>or typhoid fever, or strychnine poisoning, or perhaps just something

0:17:51.119 --> 0:17:55.320
<v Speaker 1>else entirely. According to a report published by the University

0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.119
<v Speaker 1>of Maryland School of Medicine back in nineteen ninety eight,

0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:03.080
<v Speaker 1>they theorize that atl Lexander died of typhoid fever. According

0:18:03.119 --> 0:18:06.240
<v Speaker 1>to other historical writings about him, shortly before he died,

0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:11.760
<v Speaker 1>he experienced tremors, sweats, and a severe fever, all symptoms

0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:16.600
<v Speaker 1>of an infection or two symptoms of some poisons. Some

0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:21.240
<v Speaker 1>sources suggest Alexander had severe abdominal pain, pain so great

0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:25.840
<v Speaker 1>that he would scream, also a possible symptom of poisoning,

0:18:26.560 --> 0:18:32.560
<v Speaker 1>and then there was the Macedonian aristocracy's penchant for assassination. Poisoning, though,

0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.200
<v Speaker 1>is what's mentioned in most ancient accounts of Alexander's death,

0:18:36.520 --> 0:18:40.400
<v Speaker 1>including the writings of Diodorus plutarch Aryan, as well as

0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:44.000
<v Speaker 1>in Justinus's Epitome of Pompeo's Trogus histories.

0:18:45.200 --> 0:18:49.679
<v Speaker 2>The first scientific investigation of the Persepolist site was conducted

0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:54.359
<v Speaker 2>in nineteen thirty one after German archaeologist, geographer, and historian

0:18:54.640 --> 0:18:59.720
<v Speaker 2>Ernst Emil Hersfeld was appointed excavation director by the Oriental

0:18:59.760 --> 0:19:03.720
<v Speaker 2>Institute at the University of Chicago now known as the

0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.920
<v Speaker 2>Institute for the Study of Ancient Culture's Museum. He described

0:19:07.960 --> 0:19:11.119
<v Speaker 2>the city of Persepolis as quote the glory of the

0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:14.480
<v Speaker 2>Persian world, and it's said he found the ancient site

0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:17.600
<v Speaker 2>to be more impressive than the famous ruins of Palmyra

0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:22.040
<v Speaker 2>and Syria. In nineteen seventy nine, UNESCO declared the ruins

0:19:22.080 --> 0:19:26.560
<v Speaker 2>of Percephalis a World Heritage Site.

0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:32.640
<v Speaker 1>Would you like a little lighter fluid?

0:19:33.240 --> 0:19:34.679
<v Speaker 2>I hear there's some going around.

0:19:36.560 --> 0:19:39.240
<v Speaker 1>Okay, this one was very exciting to me. And here's

0:19:39.280 --> 0:19:42.320
<v Speaker 1>why Holly loves Persian.

0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:44.560
<v Speaker 2>Food and why so let's do this.

0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:47.000
<v Speaker 1>Like I love it. I would never claim to be

0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:49.320
<v Speaker 1>an expert on it, but anytime I'm somewhere with a

0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:52.240
<v Speaker 1>Persian restaurant, that's usually the one I'm gonna pick. Love,

0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:55.280
<v Speaker 1>love love think it does not get enough representation in

0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:58.679
<v Speaker 1>the when people are doing the different types of restaurants.

0:19:58.720 --> 0:20:00.560
<v Speaker 1>I'm like, but do you have a Persian restaurant in

0:20:00.600 --> 0:20:04.000
<v Speaker 1>your city? Because if not, you are missing out. One

0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:08.639
<v Speaker 1>of the things that I really love about Persian food

0:20:09.680 --> 0:20:13.560
<v Speaker 1>is the combination of fruit and florals that often goes on.

0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:16.919
<v Speaker 1>And so I thought we would do a drink that

0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:21.280
<v Speaker 1>is in that space because hello, guess what gets used

0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:25.800
<v Speaker 1>a lot in Persian cooking and beverages. Roses?

0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:29.560
<v Speaker 2>I know, like my favorite thing.

0:20:29.800 --> 0:20:33.879
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, my favorite thing. Oh, I love it so much.

0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:36.560
<v Speaker 1>We're going to make a drink that's really pretty easy.

0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:41.560
<v Speaker 1>It does involve what I call a quick infusion. Now, normally,

0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:44.800
<v Speaker 1>if you're building a drink, most experts will say start

0:20:44.880 --> 0:20:48.560
<v Speaker 1>from cheapest ingredient to most expensive, So you're usually starting

0:20:48.560 --> 0:20:52.280
<v Speaker 1>with put your citrus juice in first your syrups, et cetera.

0:20:52.520 --> 0:20:54.880
<v Speaker 1>In this case, we're doing it a little backward. You're

0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:58.160
<v Speaker 1>going to take i don't know, like a handful of

0:20:58.800 --> 0:21:02.720
<v Speaker 1>culinary rosebud it's like the little baby ones and throw

0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:05.760
<v Speaker 1>them in your shaker. Don't put any ice in yet,

0:21:05.800 --> 0:21:08.280
<v Speaker 1>and then you're gonna put in an ounce and a

0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:12.000
<v Speaker 1>half of gin and you're gonna muddle this together, so

0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:14.120
<v Speaker 1>you basically want to make sure you have felt each

0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:17.199
<v Speaker 1>one of those rosebuds get crushed along the way. You

0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:19.440
<v Speaker 1>don't have to go bananas after that, but if you want,

0:21:19.520 --> 0:21:21.160
<v Speaker 1>you can. You're not gonna hurt it. You're just gonna

0:21:21.200 --> 0:21:24.440
<v Speaker 1>give it more rose flavor. And then once that is done,

0:21:24.760 --> 0:21:28.080
<v Speaker 1>you can add a half ounce of rose syrups, so

0:21:28.119 --> 0:21:31.159
<v Speaker 1>it is a bit rose heavy, three quarters of an

0:21:31.200 --> 0:21:36.280
<v Speaker 1>ounce of apricot liqueur, three quarters of an ounce of lime,

0:21:36.560 --> 0:21:40.400
<v Speaker 1>also very often used in Persian cuisine. And then you're

0:21:40.400 --> 0:21:42.439
<v Speaker 1>gonna add your ice and give that a good shake,

0:21:43.400 --> 0:21:46.560
<v Speaker 1>and then you'll just strain that over ice. You'll get

0:21:46.600 --> 0:21:49.200
<v Speaker 1>some flex from those broken up rosebuds, which is quite

0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:50.720
<v Speaker 1>pretty in the drink, and you just top it with

0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:54.119
<v Speaker 1>club soda and you are ready for a refresher. I

0:21:54.160 --> 0:21:56.959
<v Speaker 1>love this one because there's nothing heavy about it. You

0:21:57.000 --> 0:21:59.080
<v Speaker 1>get all of those notes of flavor, you get the

0:21:59.080 --> 0:22:02.040
<v Speaker 1>fruity note, you get the floral note. But because you're

0:22:02.080 --> 0:22:04.880
<v Speaker 1>just using club soda, and because it's a gin based drink,

0:22:04.960 --> 0:22:08.640
<v Speaker 1>like none of it feels heavy even with the rose

0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:12.919
<v Speaker 1>syrup added in. It's a pretty gentle, lovely drink.

0:22:13.760 --> 0:22:16.800
<v Speaker 2>It's taken me a long time to become a gin drinker,

0:22:17.600 --> 0:22:21.080
<v Speaker 2>but I very much like the combination of a floral

0:22:21.280 --> 0:22:23.280
<v Speaker 2>and a gin, and I think that helped me get there.

0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:25.560
<v Speaker 2>So I'm super intrigued by this drink.

0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:28.840
<v Speaker 1>Some gins will have a floral note that leans a

0:22:28.840 --> 0:22:32.760
<v Speaker 1>little bit away from the juniper note. That is what

0:22:32.800 --> 0:22:35.720
<v Speaker 1>most people that don't like gin don't respond well to.

0:22:35.880 --> 0:22:37.800
<v Speaker 1>That's what they don't like. Because I for a long

0:22:37.840 --> 0:22:39.879
<v Speaker 1>time was like gin tastes like pine sal to me.

0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:42.959
<v Speaker 1>But then when I started trying different gins that have

0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:46.480
<v Speaker 1>slightly different flavor profiles and have different notes in them,

0:22:46.720 --> 0:22:49.000
<v Speaker 1>and I was like, oh, some gin is actually quite lovely.

0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:54.720
<v Speaker 1>This one is pretty easy to do a mocktail out of.

0:22:54.800 --> 0:22:59.560
<v Speaker 1>So instead of a rose infused gin, you're just gonna

0:22:59.560 --> 0:23:03.520
<v Speaker 1>make rose tea. So take those culinary roastbuds, throw them

0:23:03.520 --> 0:23:07.680
<v Speaker 1>in a little mini saucepan with a cup and a

0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:09.840
<v Speaker 1>half of water, and let that simmer for a little bit.

0:23:10.359 --> 0:23:13.480
<v Speaker 1>You can crush them down either before or after you

0:23:13.560 --> 0:23:15.359
<v Speaker 1>simmer it. I would do before so they stay a

0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:17.680
<v Speaker 1>little more. You don't get soggy ones that you're trying

0:23:17.680 --> 0:23:22.160
<v Speaker 1>to push leader. And then in lieu of Apricott LIQUURR,

0:23:22.200 --> 0:23:26.120
<v Speaker 1>you're just going to use like Apricott juice eCPC, or

0:23:26.200 --> 0:23:29.560
<v Speaker 1>if you want to just take like apricotts, chop them up,

0:23:29.600 --> 0:23:33.080
<v Speaker 1>make a slurry and then mix that with water. You

0:23:33.119 --> 0:23:34.600
<v Speaker 1>can do that in lieu of a if you can't

0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:37.840
<v Speaker 1>find Apricot juice. I love apricots in e barby thing.

0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:40.239
<v Speaker 2>I'm actually people can't see this. I'm actually really sitting here.

0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:42.960
<v Speaker 2>Started with this big smile, half laughing because it has

0:23:43.040 --> 0:23:45.479
<v Speaker 2>it has apricot in it, which means I'm gonna drink it.

0:23:46.440 --> 0:23:50.159
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's a really good I'm glad this came up

0:23:50.280 --> 0:23:53.280
<v Speaker 1>now because it's such a good summer drink. And then

0:23:53.320 --> 0:23:55.920
<v Speaker 1>all of the measures exactly the same, so you're still

0:23:55.920 --> 0:23:57.679
<v Speaker 1>going to use an ounce and a half at that point,

0:23:57.680 --> 0:24:01.879
<v Speaker 1>of your rose tea. You could probably ease back on

0:24:01.920 --> 0:24:04.480
<v Speaker 1>the rose syrup because you're gonna have the Apricott juice,

0:24:04.480 --> 0:24:07.160
<v Speaker 1>which is a little bit sweeter than an Apricot liqueur.

0:24:07.720 --> 0:24:10.679
<v Speaker 1>Throw your limean, get your ice involved, top it with

0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:13.919
<v Speaker 1>club soda, and you're ready for a beautiful sit in

0:24:13.960 --> 0:24:17.080
<v Speaker 1>the sun or shade. And we're calling that the gardens

0:24:17.119 --> 0:24:20.280
<v Speaker 1>of Persepolis because those things would have been growing there.

0:24:21.000 --> 0:24:22.399
<v Speaker 2>What a lovely name for that drink.

0:24:23.240 --> 0:24:26.920
<v Speaker 1>Oh, I'm so happy. Yeah, And it is a very yummy,

0:24:27.800 --> 0:24:31.560
<v Speaker 1>this one where I put it together and I took

0:24:31.640 --> 0:24:33.880
<v Speaker 1>a sip and I called out in such a way

0:24:34.040 --> 0:24:37.080
<v Speaker 1>because I was excited that my husband thought something was wrong.

0:24:37.920 --> 0:24:40.640
<v Speaker 1>It's like, nope, just a delicious cocktail.

0:24:40.760 --> 0:24:44.440
<v Speaker 2>Nope, everything is perfecting.

0:24:43.160 --> 0:24:46.560
<v Speaker 1>Is great. So we hope there's nothing wrong at your

0:24:46.560 --> 0:24:49.200
<v Speaker 1>house and you make a delicious drink, whether it be

0:24:49.280 --> 0:24:52.320
<v Speaker 1>a mocktail or a cocktail. We will be right back

0:24:52.359 --> 0:24:56.679
<v Speaker 1>here next week with another story of fire and another drink.

0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:10.560
<v Speaker 1>Criminalia is a production of Shondaland Audio in partnership with iHeartRadio.

0:25:10.960 --> 0:25:15.320
<v Speaker 1>For more podcasts from Shondaland Audio, please visit the iHeartRadio app,

0:25:15.520 --> 0:25:19.600
<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,