'Persia and the Persian Question by the Hon. George Nathaniel Curzon, M.P.' [‎563] (628/714)

THE NORTH-WEST AND WESTERN PROVINCES 663
nearly at the top of the sculpture, entering the field in state, under
the shade of an umbrella, and mounted on a richly caparisoned
horse. Below he is again pourtrayed riding at full speed, while
at the bottom, the chase over, he canters gaily home. Towards
the top of the bas-relief is raised a scaffold, on which rows of
musicians are seated, playing on various instruments. In adjoining
compartments we see elephants in pursuit of the deer, and camels
carrying off the spoil. This bas-relief is finished in only a few
places, but what has been completed is executed in a masterly style.
The second arch is smaller in its dimensions than the former,
being only 19 feet wide by 11^ in depth and 17 in height. The
figures on the back wall were originally rudely and carelessly sculp
tured, and are now still less visible owing to the wilful mutilation
they have sustained. The monument, however, is of value from the
inscriptions still remaining on it, which prove that one of the
figures is meant for Shapur II. (Zulaktaf), and the other for his son
Shapur III. 1
A little to the right on the face of the cliff, is sculped another
Sassanian panel, in which two crowned figures, standing upon the
prostrate body of a third, are holding the cydaris or royal circlet ;
while behiud the left-hand king is a fourth figure, whose head is
surrounded with a radiated nimbus. This is generally accepted as
representing the investiture of Shapur I. with a share of the royal
dominion by his father Ardeshir Babekan, in the presence of the
god Ormuzd; an act which is also indicated by the double heads
that appear on some of Ardeshir's coins. The prostrate figure
is conjectured to be that of Artabanus, the last Parthian king.
Twenty-four miles to the east of Kermanshah the splendid
Behistun roc k, 1 ,500 feet in height above the plain, of which
I have spoken, and whose grandeur of outline is matched
by its steepness of face, presents upon a smoothed portion of its
1 Vide E. Thomas, Early Sassanian Inscriptions, p. 104. I had originally
quoted the three last paragraphs in inverted commas from W. S. Vaux, Per da
(Ancient History from the Monuments) 1884 ; but a closer examination revealed
that he had incorrectly copied them from R. K. Porter, who had also himself
made many mistakes; and accordingly I have been obliged to recast the whole
description. For other accounts of Tak-i-Bostan vide Sir R. K. Porter (1818),
Travels, vol. ii. pp. 147—163 ; Sir H. Rawlinson (1836), Journal of the R. G. S., vol.
ix. p. 116; E. Flandin and P. Coste (1841), Perse Ancienne, vol. i. pis. 1-14, and
Voyage en Perse, vol. i. caps, xxvi.-vii.; Com. F. Jones (1844), Records of Bomlay
Government (1857); Silvestre de Sacy, Mem. sur dir. Antiq. de la Perse, 1793,
pp- 211-270; M. Dieulafoy, L'Art Antique de la Perse, 1890, Part V. pp. 95-108.
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