Bishapur - Relief 3
The first page of Bishapur pictures can be found here.
There are many horsemen on this relief, and it has been suggested that it represents a special equestrian victory.
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Bishapur - Relief 3 |
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otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona
Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes,
but you have to acknowledge Livius.
The first page of Bishapur pictures can be found here. |
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Seen from relief 2, this cliff (note the interesting geological layers) is on the other side of the river (map). Here are four more Sasanian rock reliefs, usually called -as you may have expected- three, four, five, and six. On this picture, you can discern the two last-mentioned monuments, which were made later than reliefs 1 and 2. | |
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The third, extremely weathered relief has five horizontal registers. Like reliefs 1 and 2, it was made by the Sasanian king Shapur I (241-272). Like the other monuments on this side of the river, it was damaged when an aqueduct of stone was constructed along the rock. This was removed in the 1970's. | |
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In the center, we see Shapur's triple victory, which was also the theme
of the second relief at Bishapur, and is depicted
in Naqš-e
Rajab and Naqš-i
Rustam too. Underneath the king's horse, we see the Roman emperor Gordian
III, who was killed in in 244; elsewhere, we
recognize Philippus
Arabs, who was made emperor by Shapur; and finally,
we see the captured Valerian.
These figures are very damaged.
There are many horsemen on this relief, and it has been suggested that it represents a special equestrian victory. |
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As always, the cavalry approaches from the left. The horsemen in the middle register are more elaborated than those in the upper and lower registers. Probably, those in the center are courtiers and officers. | |
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On the right-hand side, we see infantry approaching. They carry the tribute that was paid by Shapur's enemies. This is not only Roman tribute, because we can discern an elephant (right), which suggests a victory against the Yuezhi nomads or Kushans of Gandara, the valley of the river Kabul. The Persians took Peshawar and carried away a precious religious object, Buddha's begging bowl. Was it brought to Bishapur? | |
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In the fourth and fifth register, we see other people carrying tribute. These men have been identified with Romans, although their dress is a bit unusual (some have trousers). | |
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Even more Romans bringing gifts. | |
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Although art had changed considerably, the motif of people bringing tribute was old. We can also see it in Achaemenid art (e.g. on the famous eastern stairs stairs of the Apadana at Persepolis). | |
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