Persia from the Earliest Period to the Arab

HISTORY OF PERSIA. iy
man at full charge. In this case, thoiugh the rock
has been smoothed away for a space of about sixteen
by twelve feet, the sculpture has remained unfinished.
The ruins of Shahpur, about fifteen miles north of
Kazerun, are among the most celebrated works of
Sassanian times, and yet, though but a few miles out
of the road, they have been passed by every traveller
from Tavernier and Thevenot down to Scott Waring :
it was not, indeed, till Mr. Morier visited them in
the year 1809, that anything was really known about
them. Mr. Morier considers that the ruins of Shah-
pur
have extended over a circumference of about six
miles, enclosing a tract of plain and a hill, on which
the ancient citadel forms a conspicuous object. Mr.
Morier describes the position as one of singular gran-
deur and beauty, and adds :
" The first object which at-
tracted our attention, was a mutilated sculpture of two
colossal figures on horseback, carved on the upper
superficies of the rock. The figure to the right was
the most injured, the only part, indeed, that we could
ascertain with precision, was one of the front, and two
of the hinder feet of a horse, standing over the statue
of a man, who was extended at his full length, his face
turning outwardly, and reposed on his right hand, and
his attire bearing marks of a Roman costume. A
figure in the same dress 1 was placed in an attitude of
1 This is clearly another representation of the story of Valerian
and Shahpur : the figure kneeling may be Cyriades awaiting in-
vestiture ; a subject more than once repeated with varying details.
On another, but somewhat similar sculpture, the Roman
emperor is not so readily recognised, and it is probable that this
one refers to some other victory of the Persian monarch. It may
be added that there is no trace in any of these reliefs, of any barbarous
treatment of the Roman emperor on the part of his caj tor.