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Document Details : Title: Ardašīr's Struggle against the Parthians Subtitle: Towards a Reinterpretation of the Fīrūzābād I Relief Author(s): GRABOWSKI, Maciej Journal: Iranica Antiqua Volume: 46 Date: 2011 Pages: 207-233 DOI: 10.2143/IA.46.0.2084420 Abstract : The proposed reinterpretation of the Fīrūzābād I relief is based on the assumption that we deal with a particular iconographic synopsis of the events that occurred during Ardašīr’s war against the Arsacids (c. 220-228). The concept of iconographic summary of several historical events may be traced back to the Achaemenid period (Bīsotūn relief), and may also be observed in the triumph reliefs of Šāpur I. It is thus suggested that each of the three equestrian combat scenes depicted on the Fīrūzābād I relief recalls one of three major stages of Ardašīr’s struggle against the Parthians. Information from textual sources combined with iconographic observations permit to develop a hypothesis concerning the identity of some of the depicted personages, and thus to reveal proper historical context of each scene. New terminus post quem for the Fīrūzābād I relief is also proposed, this being the year 228 which most probably marks the end of the last phase of the war. |
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