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People in the Persian empire
Unless 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.
General view of the eastern Apadana stairs, Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. The eastern stairs of the Apadana at Persepolis show a large procession of people bringing tribute to the Achaemenid king. The beautiful reliefs were designed in the last decade of the sixth century, and probably executed by Yaunâ artists. We are allowed to identify the king with Darius I the Great (522-486), but we can also say that this relief is an idealization; the king who receives the presents is not a particular ruler, but an embodiment of Persian rule.
General view of the eastern Apadana stairs, Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. The wall next to the stairs. Here, the tribute bearers are represented. It is almost a miracle that these stairs have survived the fire of Persepolis organized by Alexander the Great in 330. A more extensive overview of all nations can be found here.
An Arab. Relief on the eastern stairs of the apadana, Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Arab. The Arabs were never completely subdued by the Persians, but those living near Gaza accepted to pay tribute to king Cambyses.
An Arachosian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Arachosian. They lived in the valleys of the rivers Helmand and Tarnak in southern Afghanistan. Notice the  tassel.
An Arian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Arian, living near the Kara Kum desert. His turban protects him against dust storms.
An Armenian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Armenian. In front of him you can see a horse's tail - the Armenians paid horses as tribute.
Two Babylonians. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. Two Babylonians, offering ceramics and a garment.
A Bactrian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Bactrian, living in northern Afghanistan.
A Cappadocian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Cappadocian from eastern Turkey.
A Carian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Carian, with the typical round shield (hoplon) that was believed to be a Carian invention.
An Elamite. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Elamite, offering a lion's cub to the great king.
A Gandaran. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Gandaran, from the valley of the river Cophen (modern Kabul in Afghanistan/Pakistan), with a buffalo.
An Indian on the eastern Apadana stairs, Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. An Indian carrying gold. The ancients told lots of tall stories about the proverbial wealth of the Punjab and the valley of the Indus. The Greek researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus tells one of the most remarkable ones (text), which -no doubt- he had heard from a Persian spokesman.
A Libyan. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Libyan.
A Lydian. Relief from the eastern apadana stairs, Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Lydian. Their king Croesus, proverbially rich, was defeated by Cyrus the Great in 547 (or a bit later). The two phials may contain gold from the Pactolus river near Sardes.
Two Medians. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. Two Medes (not on the Apadana relief). They were closely related to the Persians and were in fact the co-rulers of the empire.
A Nubian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Nubian (or Kushite) with an elephant's tusk. To the left, an okapi.
A Parthian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Parthian, living close to the Salt desert, and protecting his face with a part of his turban.
A Sagartian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Sagartian, living in the area of modern Yazd.
Three Sakâ. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. Three Sakâ tigrakhaudâ ('Sacae with pointed hats'). These nomads were living in what is now called Uzbekistan.
A Sogdian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A badly damaged portrait of a Sogdian, from a city like Nautaca or Maracanda (Samarkand), situated along the Silk road.
Two Syrians. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. Two Syrians. The man to the left offers a garment with four tassels and may be a Jew (cf. Deuteronomy 22.12: "Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear").
A Thracian. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Thracian, from what is now Bulgaria and north-eastern Greece. One of Darius' generals subdued them in ca. 514. Together with the Macedonians, they were the only European nations that belonged to the Persian empire.
A Greek. Eastern stairs of the apadana at Persepolis. Photo Marco Prins. A Yaunâ (Greek) offering wool.
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