DIE DARSTELLUNG DER 23 VÖLKER AUF DEN RELIEFS DES APADANA VON PERSEPOLIS

Abstract

Article title: »The 23 subject peoples on the Apadana staircases of Persepolis«. Many scholars tried from 1910 to 2006 to identify the peoples depicted on the staircases of the Apadana in Persepolis, but up to now without finding an accord. The staircases were not constructed in the time of Xerxes (as his inscription may signify) but by Dareios during the Ionian revolt of 499-494 BC. The list is similar to that on the statue of Dareios from Susa, there are depicted the 24 peoples of the empire (together with the Persians), at the Apadana you see the 23 satrapies (the Persis was not a satrapy, it was the personal property of the Great King). The Jonians (Greek) are not mentioned in both lists, at the Apadana they were wrongly looked for. During the revolt Thracia was no more part of the empire, so the Skudra, depicted on the Apadana, can not be located there, their satrapy was Paphlagonia in Asia Minor. At the Apadana the peoples are not arranged in geographical or ethnical order, but Persian and Median magistrates regularly exchange to lead the delegations, these are the satraps. The satraps were very important rulers of the empire, but as Kyros had promised after his victory over Astyages to give the Medes a share in government, the Medes were taking half part of this office also. Identifying the peoples you will observe groups with similar garments, getting informations about historical tribal ties. There are some more reliefs and inscriptions with lists of satrapies at Persepolis. By comparison you will observe three distributions of satrapies by Dareios and Xerxes. There were also added new peoples, which are to be located in western Anatolia and around the Caspian Sea. The reason of arranging the peoples against geographical order in these lists of satrapies is that they follow the personal dignity of the satraps. Our first attempt to call the satraps depicted at the Apadana by their names is still quite provisory and should be completed with the help of collegues in near future.