Iconography, identity and inclusion: The winged disk and royal power during the reign of Darius the ...

مرکز و کتابخانه مطالعات اسلامی به زبان های اروپایی

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" Iconography, identity and inclusion: The winged disk and royal power during the reign of Darius the Great "
Sabrina Sonia Maras D. B. F. Stronach, Marian

Document Type	:	Latin Dissertation
Language of Document	:	English
Record Number	:	52651
Doc. No	:	TL22605
Call number	:	‭3383293‬
Main Entry	:	Sabrina Sonia Maras
Title & Author	:	Iconography, identity and inclusion: The winged disk and royal power during the reign of Darius the Great\ Sabrina Sonia Maras
College	:	University of California, Berkeley
Date	:	2009
Degree	:	Ph.D.
student score	:	2009
Page No	:	272
Abstract	:	As a symbol of Ahuramazda the winged disk represents a powerful marker of Achaemenid Persian identity from c. 520 BCE onwards, i.e., from almost the very beginning of Darius' reign down to at least 330 BCE. At the same time we have observed that many more examples of this imagery are to be found in the homeland than in the more distant reaches of the empire. And although there could be other contributing reasons for this, I have concluded that the visual tie between the Achaemenid monarch and his chosen god was more meaningful in the Persian homeland than anywhere else. I propose that a need to "bring order to the land" is the most plausible explanation for Darius' promotion of Ahuramazda and the Achaemenid visual program. Those already established in power in the homeland no doubt identified themselves as Mazda worshippers, and Darius' full-blown promotion of Ahuramazda along with his proudly proclaimed Persian identity no doubt resonated with this significant power base. Accordingly, even if Darius usurped power that was not rightfully his, he was able to emerge as the accepted heir to the throne of Persia. He was able to replace the Teispid dynasty with his own, while keeping the essence of the empire's power intact. The symbol of the winged disk represented validation and inclusion into an elite group of autocrats and ruling figures: it became, in short, the most potent emblem of the durable Achaemenid rule.
Subject	:	Communication and the arts; Social sciences; Darius I, King of Persia; Persian Empire; Achaemenid; Glyptic; Iran; Winged disk; Ahuramazda; Iconography; Archaeology; Middle Eastern history; Art history; 0324:Archaeology; 0333:Middle Eastern history; 0377:Art history
Added Entry	:	D. B. F. Stronach, Marian
Added Entry	:	University of California, Berkeley