Born in Cefn Cribwr, Wales, Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones is Professor of Ancient History at Cardiff University and Director of the Ancient Iran Program for the British Institute of Persian Studies. He has previously taught at Edinburgh University, where he was Professor of Ancient Iranian and Greek History. He has spent extensive time in Iran, and is a specialist in the histories and cultures of Persia, the Near East, and Greece. He has also appeared on the BBC, Channel 4, in The Times and other media outlets. His previous books include King and Court in Ancient Persia, Ctesias' History of Persia, The Culture of Animals in Antiquity, and Designs on the Past: How Hollywood Created the Ancient World.