The Rise of Civilization: The Art of the Ancient Near East

The Persian Empire was defeated by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C. A new Persian Empire ruled by Sasanian kings was established in A.D. 224

The new Persian empire:

With the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C., ancient Near Eastern history becomes part of Greek and Roman history.

A soaring audience hall:

The son and successor of Artaxerxes, Shapur I (r. A.D. 241-272), succeeded in further extending Sasanian territory.

2-28 Palace of Shapur I, Ctesiphon, Iraq, ca. A.D. 250.

1. Palace of Shapur
2. Palace of Shapur
3. Palace of Shapur
4. Palace of Shapur
5. Palace of Shapur
6. detail

Sasanian splendor:

A silver head thought by many to portray Shapur II (r. 310 - 379), suggests the splendor of Sasanian court life.

2-29 Head of a Sasanian king (Shapur II?), ca. A.D. 350. Silver with mercury guilding, 1' 3 3/4" high. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Image courtesy of Saskia, Ltd.

1. head
2. head
3. head
4. head
5. head

A reversal of fortunes:

So powerful was the Sasanian army that in A.D. 260 Shapur I even succeeded in capturing the Roman emperor Valerian near Edess (in modern Turkey).

2-30 Triumph of Shapur I over Valerian, rock-cut relief, Bishapur, Iran, ca. A.D. 260.

1. king
2. king
3. king
4. king