History

Statue of Darius I

Susa, Khuzestan

This magnificent piece is the finest surviving statue in the round from the Achaemenid period. The statue is placed on a rect-angular base, with the head and upper body now missing. The king is depicted wearing a Persian dress with a dagger tucked Into his belt. The pleats of the robe are inscribed in cuneiform on the right side in the three official languages of the empire - Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian-and on the left side in Egyptian hieroglyphs. These inscriptions list the titles of the king and mention that the statue was created in Egypt under the orders of Darius, likely intended to be placed in a temple at Heliopolis. The statue is made of grey granite, with chemical analysis suggesting it originated from the Wadi Hammamat in eastern Egypt.