Minerva - May/June 2015

Xerxes the Great
Was the most powerful king of Persia a religious revolutionary? An inscription from Persepolis has fired debate about whether or not he held Zoroastrian beliefs. Richard Stoneman

Pictures of paradise
The history of the garden and how it has been depicted by artists since medieval times is the subject of an exhibition currently on show at the Queen’s Gallery in London. Lucia Marchini
Time frame
The American artist Alexander Mihaylovich explains how a deep love of archaeology and museums has infused his art. Lindsay Fulcher

Call for the Cataphracts
The Seleucid Emperor Antiochos III’s successful use of heavily armoured cavalry against the Egyptians set a long-lasting trend. Eric B Anderson

Masters of the Muses
The Cure is the latest collaboration between the composer Harrison Birtwistle and poet David Harsent to turn a Classical myth into a modern opera. Lindsay Fulcher

‘A magical constancy’
A major new exhibition of Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture at Tate Britain reveals the deep influence of ancient art on her work. Inga Fraser

Along the Lycian Way
Following in the footsteps of a freedom-loving people through a wild mountainous region of south-west Turkey. Lindsay Fulcher

A far-off country
Known for its boldly decorated churches, Ethiopia has a history that stretches back to the Queen of Sheba and beyond. Richard Pankhurst