² At the time when King Xerxes sat on the royal throne in the fortress of Susa, ³ he held a banquet in the third year of his reign. The banquet was for all his officials and advisers, that is, the military officers of the Persians and Medes, the nobles and officials of the provinces who had access to him. ⁴ He showed them the enormous wealth of his kingdom and the costly splendor of his greatness for many days, 180 to be exact.