Persepolis

STAIRCASE RELIEF OF A LION BATTLING A BULL Central Building, Main Staircase Field Negative P-480 Schmidt Expedition 1935

The motif of a lion biting the backside of a bull is found in the preserved triangular sections of the staircase reliefs at Persepolis. The message of imperial power and prosperity represented by the neighboring reliefs of subject peoples bringing gifts to the king is also expressed by this motif:

“the lion and the bull were the two most powerful and noble beasts in the Iranian sphere. The emblem projects their union in a symbolic landscape of abundance signifying the combined powers of nature brought together by and for the Achaemenid empire” (Margaret Root, Professor of Near Eastern and Classical Art and Archaeology, University of Michigan).

DOORWAY RELIEF OF AN ENTHRONED KING Hall of 100 Columns Field Negative P-321 Schmidt Expedition 1935

This relief symbolizes the Achaemenid king’s far-reaching power. The king — resolute with staff in hand and attendant behind — is shown seated on a throne supported by a colossal platform with lion’s paws and rows of throne-bearers who represent the subject peoples of the empire. Darius explains this image in the inscription on his tomb at Naqsh-i-Rustam:

“If you think, ‘How many are the lands of which Darius the King took possession?’ consider the images that carry the throne; then you will know, then it will be known to you ‘The land of the Persian man has gone far,’ then it will be known to you ‘The Persian man beat back the enemy far from Persia.’”

THE PALACE OF DARIUS AND COLUMNS OF THE APADANA (AUDIENCE HALL) Field Negative P-205 Schmidt Expedition 1935

The stark contrast between the terrace of Persepolis and the surrounding vast landscape is captured beautifully in this picture through the opposition of the monumental columns and stone doorways with the preceding plain. An ancient visitor to Persepolis, however, would not have experienced this same contrast. The accounts of historians from the time of Alexander the Great say that Persia was the best populated, cultivated, and maintained territory of the empire. The plain surrounding Persepolis would have likely been densely populated and exploited for its natural resources.

"The situation of the city, or the palaces, is glorious. The wide, starshaped valley, completely flat, and framed by bizarre ragged and highpiled mountains." - Ernst Herzfeld, 1879-1948, German Archaeologist and Architect

STAIRCASE RELIEF AND COLUMNS OF THE APADANA Apadana (Audience Hall), Eastern Staircase Negative N. 14606 Herzfeld Expedition 1933

The reliefs on the northern wing of the eastern staircase of the Apadana depict nobles in Persian and Median dress, followed by soldiers, guards, and the king’s horses and chariots. The Elamite and Babylonian versions of the inscription of King Xerxes commemorating his construction of the Apadana bound the relief on the right-hand side. The comparison of the relief and towering twenty-meter columns with the worker standing in front draws attention to the scale of this building.

DOORWAY RELIEF OF THE KING WITH ATTENDANTS Central Building Field Negative P-496 Schmidt Expedition 1935

The Central Building controlled access between the large ceremonial buildings and spaces to the north, the royal palaces, storage and support buildings to the south. Above the king and attendants in this relief is a winged disc from which a human figure emerges with lotus flower in hand. The winged figure may be interpreted as the king’s glory (khvarnah) or the god Ahuramazda, who is invoked by the Achaemenid kings from the time of Darius onward in their royal inscriptions. The god Ahuramazda is the supreme god in Zoroastrian religion.

THE RUINS OF THE PALACE OF XERXES Field Negative P-505 Schmidt Expedition 1935

The Palace of Xerxes is among the less well-preserved monuments on the terrace at Persepolis, yet elements characteristic of Achaemenid court style are still visible in its art and architecture. The staircase reliefs with the lion and bull and Persian and Median nobles still stand on display, as do the monumental stone doorways with their eclectic design and carvings, reminiscent of those in the Palace of Darius.

"The columns are of white marble, which has weathered to cream, brown, and black .... The reliefs are carved of dull grey stone, quite opaque and very fine in texture, which exposure has turned to mottled black." - Robert Byron, 104-1941, British Travel Writer

WINGED SPHINX FROM THE PALACE OF DARIUS Field Negative P-565 Schmidt Expedition 1935

The combination of horned headdress, bearded head, and body and wings of a sphinx in this relief demonstrates the expert craftsmanship and imaginative qualities of Achaemenid art. Reinforcing this visual experience is the border of rosettes above and below and the stylized palm trees to left and right. The tips of the feathers of a winged disc are visible to the left.

"Every remains of these noble ruins indicate their former grandeur and magnificence, truly worthy of being the residence of a great and powerful monarch; and whilst viewing them, the mind becomes impressed with an awful solemnity!" - William Francklin, 1763-1839, British Officer of the East India Company

What Was Persepolis to the King?

“Persepolis is a unique place. As the most completely excavated Achaemenid capital, it is vitally important for helping us understand how kingship, ritual, and political power all came together and actually functioned in the Persian empire. The Great King did not reside at Persepolis full time. Instead he traveled over the course of the year, holding court in Susa, Babylon, Ecbatana, and Persepolis. But Persepolis seems to have been different from the other capitals; it was not a pre-existing city, but rather a royal center specifically built for both administration and as the setting for royal rituals—political and religious. Although there is some debate, it is quite possible that the king was actually present for public rituals where representatives of the different provinces brought tribute as a public display of allegiance and imperial unity. The king may well have held court and received the tribute of the subject nations in person. The power and impact of this public political ceremony would have been overwhelming.”

- Gil Stein, Professor of Near Eastern Archaeology; Director, Oriental Institute

What Was Persepolis to the Greeks?

“The exact nature and function of Persepolis may still elude us. Persepolis is said to have been a place where the representatives of the subject nations of the Achaemenid empire annually came to pay homage to the King. Yet Herodotus, who lived during the reign of Xerxes and his son Artaxerxes I, never mentions Persepolis, but mentions Susa, Ecbatana, and Babylon, the three Achaemenid capitals. It was not until after Alexander conquered the Persian empire that the Greeks began to mention Persepolis in their records!”

- Abbas Alizadeh, Senior Research Associate, Iranian Prehistoric Project

What Was Persepolis to a Tenth-Century AD Geographer?

“Visitors have always sensed Persepolis is a special place. The great Arab geographer Muqaddasi writing in the late tenth century AD called it ‘the mal’ab (theater) of Sulayman, where one ascends handsome stairs cut in the rock to black pillars and statues in niches, a remarkable construction like the ancient theaters of Syria.’ He may have sensed the spring rituals that were played out with the King and peoples bringing gifts of a unified empire. This was a setting, but not of imperial politics; as Arthur Upham Pope once described, ‘this was the theatrical re-enactment of fundamental, cosmic renewal of life.’”

- Donald Whitcomb, Research Associate (Associate Professor), Medieval and Islamic Archaeology