The horses of the ancient Persian Empire at Persepolis

In a previous communication (Afshar, 1978) historical and topographical notes on Persepolis and the site of the present study were briefly outlined. Among the animals represented on the eastern staircase of the Apadana palace, the horse is the most common. In the royal procession, on the left wing of this staircase, seven horses dominate the scene, while on the right wing, horses are brought by eight of the 21 delegations that bring animals. Six delegations have riding horses, and two have chariots, each drawn by two horses; one other delegation, the Indian, brings another member of the equid family, the onager or wild ass. Not all the horses are represented in a uniform manner. Differences in proportion, configuration and individual features are apparent. This, and the careful depiction of all the figures on the reliefs, suggest that different breeds of horses were represented.