Iran's Sarises

Albert T. Olmstead was a professor of oriental history at the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago. Professor Olmstead spent his life studying the Persian empire. Olmstead's History of the Persian Empire is a vivid narrative of the rise and fall of this Aryan nation.

Today, when I look at pictures of Iran's Ayatollahs (Khamenei or Khomenei), why do I see the scowling faces of men emasculated centuries ago.

Professor Olmstead tells us about the men behind the throne, carrying the cup of power. Often these eunuchs (sarises) are king-makers themselves; and on occasion, they dispatched the king, and ruled in his stead. A cavalacade of them marched through ancient Persian history: Atiyawahy, Aspamitres, Artoxares, Nehemiah, Pharnacyas, Hermeias, and Bagoas.

The story of the eunuch Bagoas is most illuminating. Ochus was emperor of Persia at the end of the 5th Century (423-404 BC). On orders of Bagoas, Ochus was poisoned by an unnamed physician. Bagoas placed on the throne Arses. Two years later, Arses tried to poison Bagoas, but fell victim instead. Bagoas slew all of Arses' children and offered the throne to Darius III, the brother of Artaxerxes II. Later, Bagoas tried to poison Darius, but he was forced to drink the poisoned cup instead. Tellingly, Olmstead says, "Bagoas destroyed the Persian Empire."

Today, the Islamic Republic of Iran is ruled by Mullahs. In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected the sixth president of the country. During his inauguration ceremony, he kissed Ayatollah Khamenei's hand, the scowling eunuch behind the throne, carrying the cup of power.