Communicating power and legitimacy? Dynastic display in ancient Persia and the Near East

Abstract

Display has formed part of human life since antiquity and maintains its importance in the modern day, being used to communicate with audiences and communities. There are many types of display that have been employed by states and empires across the centuries, including processions, audiences, gift–giving, performances, and ceremonies. Whilst the displays being enacted in antiquity cannot be witnessed first–hand, they have been preserved in iconographic representations, thus enabling an understanding of ancient ceremonies. These were not created for scholars to analyse and interpret thousands of years later, but to speak to their contemporary audiences, capturing their lived experiences in the stone walls of palaces, temples and high up on mountains. Such displays were employed by rulers of empires and states to showcase ideologies surrounding their legitimacy and right to rule through a variety of motifs and themes. [excerpt]