He was promoted to chargé d'affaires the following year.[82] The histories of Persia and Greece had played prominent roles in the Essai and Gobineau wanted to see both places for himself.[83] His mission was to keep Persia out of the Russian sphere of influence, but he cynically wrote: "If the Persians ... unite with the western powers, they will march against the Russians in the morning, be defeated by them at noon and become their allies by evening".[83] Gobineau's time was not taxed by his diplomatic duties, and he spent time studying ancient cuneiform texts and learning Persian.