Abstract
The Persepolis Fortification texts, which cover the period from the 13th to the 28th year of Darayavau- I (509-494 B. C.), are very helpful source materials for elucidating the management of horses in the possession of the royal household.
The Persepolis public administration of this period showed positive concern about control of horses. They were an indispensable factor in organizing and maintaining the far-flung empire.
The Fortification texts record that horses were fed with barley fodder. Each adult horse consumed 3-10 QA of barley per day, and each foal 1-3 QA. These texts refer to the extra ration of grain, wine, beer and other food products, amount of which is much smaller than that of the regular daily ration.
The public administration assigned the men called mudunra horses for official affairs, and stationed the mudunra men in grazing land near the districts where horses would be more frequently needed. The mudunra men were engaged in taking daily care of horses, by themselves or with their assistants. In order to meet the changing demand for horses, the public administration sometimes moved the mudunra men and the horses under their charge to other areas. Evidently the mudunra men played a key role in establishing the effective system for the use of horses as the means of traffic and communication.
