A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library . eries ofthese coins l)ack to a period when Arsac^s VI. (Mitlnadales I.) 253 254 THE EMPIRE OF THE SASSANIANS. was extending the Parthian supremacy over Persis. The secondseries differs from the first by having the expression for king substi-tuted for tliat of prince. Finally, the third series shows the Partliiantype; but the head of the royal effigy is turned to the left, while inboth the other series it shows the right side of the face. The latterposition is generally, though not always, the characteristi
A history of all nations from the earliest times; being a universal historical library . eries ofthese coins l)ack to a period when Arsac^s VI. (Mitlnadales I.) 253 254 THE EMPIRE OF THE SASSANIANS. was extending the Parthian supremacy over Persis. The secondseries differs from the first by having the expression for king substi-tuted for tliat of prince. Finally, the third series shows the Partliiantype; but the head of the royal effigy is turned to the left, while inboth the other series it shows the right side of the face. The latterposition is generally, though not always, the characteristic of the vice-roy, or satrap. The latest of the coins are identical with those of thefirst Sassanians. Nevertheless, it is altogether likely that in theseeffigies we have before us the dynasties of tUfterent regions, andthat only the first series contains the kings of the house of Bazarang,which reigned in Istaklir. The accompanying cut represents a coinof the oldest series (Fig. 63). The prince wears the same tiara asthat of King Darius Codomannus, and as it is represented on count-. FiG. o:!. — Coins of Persepolis. (After Mordtmann.) less ancient pictures of Parthian princes. On the reverse the kingis standing with his bow in liis left hand, exactly as Darius and theother Achaemenians are represented on the facades of their tombs, inthe act of worship before the sacred fire. The fire-tower is a faith-ful copy of the tower opposite the tombs of Naksh-i-Rustam, evento the reproduction of the denticulated frieze, so that therefore allconjectures as to the original destination of this tower and its coun-terpart in Pasargadae are rendered unnecessary. Above the firehovers Ahura Mazda ; at one side of the fire-temple is the royal ban-ner, the staff fixed in the ground. It represented the leathern apronof the smith Kaveh, who saved the Persians from the tyranny of Daliak,and w^is called Dirafsh-i-Kaviyan. The badly printed legend, foundmore distinct on other specimens, gives a hit
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Keywords: ., bookaut, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectworldhistory
