Greek Cities and Diplomatic Gifts in the Classical Period

In the world of Greek cities of the classical period, guest-friendship (xenia) was a personal relationship, and ambassadors did not officially receive gifts. When Greek cities had diplomatic encounters with the Great King of the Persian Empire, they discovered other customs, since at the court they were offered sumptuous gifts which were part of a cultural and political code. Because of its difference, this use could be interpreted in various ways, such as an attempted bribery, but Greeks generally understood very well the role of gifts in Persian diplomatic practice. Greek embassies of independent cities nevertheless did not themselves bring gifts to the King, since in the Persian imperial code this was a practice of subject peoples. Greek practise changed outside Athens from the fourth century BC and mainly in the Hellenistic period, since some cities began to offer gifts to visiting ambassadors, hospitality-gifts which were officially offered, and fell both within the Greek tradition of guest-friendship (xenia) and the politics of civic honours.