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This relief adorns the rocks at Naqsh-e Rostam (نقش رستم), where the old Achaemenid kings were buried. The king shown here ruled much later: he is Shapur I the Great the second of the Kings of Kings (Shahansah) of the Sassanian Dynasty, and he ruled from 240-270 AD.

Shapur inherited a war against Rome from his father, and managed to advance into Syria, where he was pushed back by Gordian III, who invaded Mesopotamia, where he died (possibly in battle) in 244. The Romans chose Philipp the Arab (244-249) as his successor. The new emperor had to move to Rome to establish his power, which gave Shapur the opportunity to ask for a humiliating peace from the Romans - including the relinquishing of any Roman ambitions to control Armenia, and a huge amount of gold. On this relief, Philipp is represented as begging on his knees.

The peace was not to last: neither side was willing to let matters rest. Shapur eventually managed to capture the major Roman city of Antioch, but was again pushed back by the Romans: Emperor Valerian (253-260) recaptured Syria, and met the Persians in battle at Edessa. The battle was a catastrophe as far as the Romans were concerned. They not only suffered defeat, but the Emperor was amongst the captives - something Shapur shows here by holding the hands of the Roman behind Philip.

The Persians went on to push into Asia Minor, deporting some 400'000 people. Unlike the Romans, the Persians were not a major slave-holding society, but instead preferred to resettle prisoners of war within their far-flung empire, though they did use the Roman as expert engineers for various bridges and the dam and the massive water-mill system at Shushtar (photo to follow). The Romans struck back, and managed to capture the royal harem, before being defeated before the capital of Ctesiphon (near Bagdad). Shapur died in 270 AD of an illness. Valerian probably died in around 264, with the sources contradictory on whether he was treated well or abused; he may have lived out his days in relative comfort in the city of Bishapur.

Of note in this relief is the dress of the Roman emperors, famous from Roman sculpture, but above all the King of Kings himself with broad trousers, wide, locked hair, and the massive crown which protrudes from the frame of the relief. Shapur's neck-jewelry and the sword are also well carved (the curved "Persian" sabre or scimitar was not adopted until much later), as is the elaborately cared-for tail of the horse.

The man behind Shapur is possibly the high priest Kartir, who advanced the cause of Mazdaic Zoroastrianism but had Jews, Christians and the Manichaeans persecuted: the Prophet Mani, who had gained some influence, was arrested in 274 AD. He is a later addition to the relief. The inscription which was cut into the tomb is too weathered to read, I think.

The tombs are located in Fars Province, Iran, 12 km from Persepolis.

Description
[Download for details]

This relief adorns the rocks at Naqsh-e Rostam (نقش رستم), where the old Achaemenid kings were buried. The king shown here ruled much later: he is Shapur I the Great the second of the Kings of Kings (Shahansah) of the Sassanian Dynasty, and he ruled from 240-270 AD.

Shapur inherited a war against Rome from his father, and managed to advance into Syria, where he was pushed back by Gordian III, who invaded Mesopotamia, where he died (possibly in battle) in 244. The Romans chose Philipp the Arab (244-249) as his successor. The new emperor had to move to Rome to establish his power, which gave Shapur the opportunity to ask for a humiliating peace from the Romans - including the relinquishing of any Roman ambitions to control Armenia, and a huge amount of gold. On this relief, Philipp is represented as begging on his knees.

The peace was not to last: neither side was willing to let matters rest. Shapur eventually managed to capture the major Roman city of Antioch, but was again pushed back by the Romans: Emperor Valerian (253-260) recaptured Syria, and met the Persians in battle at Edessa. The battle was a catastrophe as far as the Romans were concerned. They not only suffered defeat, but the Emperor was amongst the captives - something Shapur shows here by holding the hands of the Roman behind Philip.

The Persians went on to push into Asia Minor, deporting some 400'000 people. Unlike the Romans, the Persians were not a major slave-holding society, but instead preferred to resettle prisoners of war within their far-flung empire, though they did use the Roman as expert engineers for various bridges and the dam and the massive water-mill system at Shushtar (photo to follow). The Romans struck back, and managed to capture the royal harem, before being defeated before the capital of Ctesiphon (near Bagdad). Shapur died in 270 AD of an illness. Valerian probably died in around 264, with the sources contradictory on whether he was treated well or abused; he may have lived out his days in relative comfort in the city of Bishapur.

Of note in this relief is the dress of the Roman emperors, famous from Roman sculpture, but above all the King of Kings himself with broad trousers, wide, locked hair, and the massive crown which protrudes from the frame of the relief. Shapur's neck-jewelry and the sword are also well carved (the curved "Persian" sabre or scimitar was not adopted until much later), as is the elaborately cared-for tail of the horse.

The man behind Shapur is possibly the high priest Kartir, who advanced the cause of Mazdaic Zoroastrianism but had Jews, Christians and the Manichaeans persecuted: the Prophet Mani, who had gained some influence, was arrested in 274 AD. He is a later addition to the relief. The inscription which was cut into the tomb is too weathered to read, I think.

The tombs are located in Fars Province, Iran, 12 km from Persepolis.