A Signet of Persia’s King Darius

Like other kings in the ancient Mediterranean region, the Persian king hunted lions to show his courage and his ability to overcome nature’s threats. In this scene from a signet, used to impress the royal seal into wet clay to verify documents, Darius I shoots arrows from a chariot driven for him by a charioteer. He is depicted wearing his crown so that his status as ruler would be obvious. The symbol of Ahura Mazda, the chief god of Persian religion, hovers in the sky to indicate that the king enjoys divine favor. (The British Museum, London, UK / akg-images.)