A Roman emperor grovelling to a Persian king: the message behind a new statue in Tehran
- Written by Peter Edwell, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Macquarie University
A new statue unveiled in recent days in Iran depicts a Roman emperor in subjection to a Persian king.
Erected in Tehran’s Enghelab Square, the statue titled Kneeling Before Iran shows the emperor grovelling before Shapur I (who ruled around 242–270 CE).
But where did this imagery come from? And why has this statue gone up now?
The rise...
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