Tombs I and II |
Naqš-i
Rustam:
archaeological site in Fars (Iran), best known for its Achaemenid
tombs
and Sasanian
rock reliefs.
Tomb II (Artaxerxes I?)
Although Tomb
I (left) and II (right) have no inscriptions that may help us
identify its owners, they probably belonged to Darius
II Nothus (423-404) and to Artaxerxes
I Makrocheir (465-424). Like Tomb IV, which is generally
attributed to Xerxes
(486-465), they are almost exact copies of the final
resting
place of Darius
the Great.
The upper register is identical to the relief of Darius' tomb: the king
is standing in front of an altar, praying to
the supreme Ahuramazda
and sacrificing to the holy fire. In his right hand, the king has his
bow,
the royal attribute par excellence. Again, the
plaform is carried
by people that represent the subject nations. The symbol in the upper
right
corner represents the moon.
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