Ahuramazda in the Winged Disk, Persepolis, 486-460 BC (limestone)

The Hall of 100 Columns, constructed for the Persian king Xerxes (r. 486–465 BCE), has multiple doorways that show a royal hero fighting mythical beasts and the king elevated by his troops and the empire’s subject peoples. Above the king hovers a figure in a winged disk, likely the god Ahuramazda. Xerxes’ predecessor Darius stated: “A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder heaven, who created man, who created happiness for man, who made Darius king, one king of many, one lord of many.” In representing their supreme power, the Persian kings emphasized religious legitimization, control over evil forces, and the establishment of an imperial world order. These timeless images are in marked contrast to the particular battle and hunt scenes dominating many Neo-Assyrian palace reliefs. Both Assyrian and Persian reliefs were painted; this fragment preserves traces of color and incised patterns.