THE PERSIAN PERIOD
in the treasuries as spoils of war. It is a fact too that Seleucus Nicator did plunder the treasury of Ecbatana and may have taken books as well as other spoils. It may not be true that plundered books from Athens were among the book spoils of the Treasury libraries of Persians but it is not absurd or even unlikely. Xerxes was not in such a hurry when he left Athens that he could not take with him whatever he wanted that was easily portable.
It is of interest too in this connection that the little portable chest in which Alexander the Great carried about his Homer was taken from one of these Persian treasuries, where however it is alleged it held not books but ointment!
Whether the Library-archive at Ecbatana was a room or suite of rooms in a great administration building like two at least of the collections of Nippur or a separate building of the palace like one of
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