Editing Ecbatana (section)

==== Polybius of Megalopolis's description ====
[[File:Andrea_Vaccaro_-_Raguel's_Blessing_of_her_Daughter_Sarah_before_Leaving_Ecbatana_with_Tobias_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg|thumb|Raguel's Blessing of her Daughter Sarah before Leaving Ecbatana with Tobias, by [[Andrea Vaccaro]]]]
In the 2nd century BC, [[Polybius]] writes about Ecbatana. He mentions that the wealth and magnificence of its buildings make it stand out among all other cities. It has no walls but an artificial citadel with amazing fortifications. Underneath this is the palace which is about seven stories in circumference, and its magnificence shows the wealth of its founders. During his time, no parts of the woodwork were left exposed. There were silver or gold-plated rafters, compartments in the ceiling, and columns in the porticos and colonnades, and silver tiles were used throughout the structure. In the invasion by [[Alexander the Great|Alexander]], most precious metals were stripped, while the remainder were stripped during [[Antigonus I Monophthalmus|Antigonus]]'s and [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleucus]]'s reigns. However, Antiochus found that the columns of the temple of Aene were still gilded and that several silver tiles were piled up around the temple along with some gold bricks (Polybius, 10.27).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |last2= |title=Polybius Histories |script-title= |url=http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Polybius/10*.html#27 |access-date=2022-12-03 |website=penelope.uchicago.edu |edition=Book 10-27}}</ref>