Earth and water.
To give in to this demand of 'soil and water' would be equivalent to surrendering the nation and it's people to Persian control : it meant to surrender .
he committed suicide.
Unconditional Surrender
Demand... Is correct
U.S.-British demand for "unconditional surrender
Truman inherited Unconditional Surrender from from FDR.
during the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hand over their weapons and surrender.
Earth and water, as a symbol of their agreement to Persian rule under Persian provincial governors and local tyrants appointed by Persia.
They wanted their emperor to stay in power.
A weak verbal substitute for the promised "second front".
April 1861