Persia from the Earliest Period to the Arab

HISTORY OF PERSIA. 109
approaching carrying two heads), Mr. Morier, pro-
bably with justice, supposes the whole scene represents
the king in his hall of audience, surrounded by his
people, and perhaps by the representatives of the
nations tributary to him. Further on Mr. Morier met
"
In the
with another sculpture which he thus describes :
first row, at the top on the right,
slight figures with their arms folded;
are a number of
the second is
filled with a crowd, some of whom carry baskets ;
the
third is equally covered; and in the right corner is a
man conducting a lion by a chain. In the fourth, and
just opposite the king, is a very remarkable group,
whose loose and folded dresses denote Indians. One
leads a horse, whose furniture I have drawn \vith some
care, and behind the horse is an elephant. Under this
and close to the ground are men in Roman costume ;
among them is a chariot, to which two horses are harnessed."
On recrossing the river Mr. Morier discovered
some splendidly built masonry, each stone four feet
long, twenty-seven inches thick, and cut to the finest
angles, the front, in fact, of a square building, the area
of which is fifty -five feet. At the top there had been
sphinxes couchant. Beyond this again were the remains
of a small theatre.
It is natural that the chief subject of the sculptures
at Shahpur should be the overthrow of the emperor
Valerian, as this city was in the heart of the ancient
province of Persis. Indeed the province, of which it was
a leading town, was their native seat, and contained their
tombs, palaces, and treasures; moreover, when their
empire was overthrown,
it was slill as a rule administered
by its native princes. Here it is probable that the