|
.
|
CAIS
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
& CULTURAL NEWS©
|
One
of the Finest Depictions of an Ancient Civilisation in BM
|
09
September 2005
As
Tamburlaine asked, is it not passing brave to be a
King and ride in triumph through Persepolis? Had
Marlowe seen for himself the glories of that
fabled capital, he could, perhaps, have dwelt
further on the riches of ancient Persia: the vast
bas-reliefs of warriors and horsemen ornamenting
the palaces and staircases, the elaborate stone
pillars, lions of lapis lazuli (pictured), gold
and silver drinking bowls, reliefs depicting the
procession of subjects — delegates of an empire
that stretched from India to Libya — bearing
gifts to King Darius, and exquisite bracelets,
torcs and gilded amphora handles in the form of a
winged ibex.
At its height, the empire created by Cyrus and
ruled in subsequent splendour by Darius [the
Great] and Xerxes covered most of the known world.
It reached a level of sophistication, artistry and
innovation barely equalled by Rome almost a
millennium later: the first postal system, a
global currency, a tax and communications system,
a canal linking the Nile and the Red Sea, a
federal administration that relied on local
governors known as satraps, religious tolerance
and, above all, equine prowess and mastery.
How much of all this do we, the distant
beneficiaries, now remember? Alas, very little.
The Persian empire lasted a mere two centuries,
from 550-330BC. It ended in catastrophe, when
Alexander of Macedon burnt Persepolis and smashed
the imperial system.
And, thanks to Thermopylae, Marathon and
Thucydides, we have seen the titanic struggle
between Persians and Greeks only through the eyes
of Persia’s enemy. But even a century ago more
was known of this ancient realm than now: the
British Museum, from earliest days, began amassing
relics, bracelets and jewellery from the far-flung
provinces once ruled by Persia. Many came from a
huge cache found in the 19th century, known as the
“Oxus Treasure”.
Now, augmented by holdings from the Louvre and an
unpredented loan from Iran, it has put these
treasures together in a magnificent new
exhibition: Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient
Persia.
The sweep of glory is there, including much that
has never been outside Iran or even on public
display before. There are painted tiles and
artefacts from the palaces, as well as delicate
vessels and objects from the royal dining tables.
One room displays the workings of the postal
system on the long road from Susa to Sardis. There
are clay tablets with details of ancient divorce
settlements or messages from Jewish soldiers
serving in the army. A wonderful mastiff stands
guard with a patina of polished stone as gleaming
now as 2,500 years ago. The luxury in life and
death as well as the influence and objects from
Greece are shown, and, famously, the world’s
first declaration of human rights: the iconic
Cyrus [the Great] Cylinder, which records his
decree allowing the Jews to return home from
Babylonian captivity.
Four years in planning, the exhibition has
overcome political tensions and the uncertainties
of Iran’s elections to present one of the finest
depictions of an ancient civilisation of which we
have seen too little. It is well worth seeing it
now.
Source:
Time Online
Top
of Page
|
|
