Abstract
Monsters are one of the most mysterious and interesting feature of art. Every culture has its own legends and repertoire of mythical creatures, monsters and supernatural beasts.
Those beings are incorporated into the visual representation of individual cultures. The art of the Achaemenid Empire is full of visual representations of mythical creatures of many shapes and forms.
Winged bulls and ibexes, horned lions, griffins and beasts composed of various animals represent typical motives of Persian iconographical repertoire. Appearance of those beasts was influenced by Assyrian art, where the motives of demons are depicted especially on palace reliefs.
Bodies of these beings consist of mixture of animals: lions, bulls and birds of prey. Achaemenid art is full of creatures, which bear anthropomorphic features.
Winged sphinx with lion bodies or bulls with human heads, which is definitely inspired by Mesopotamian art, are examples of many representatives of this group of iconographical motives. In my contribution, I would like to present classification of mythical creatures based on their appearance.
Motives are sorted to the categories according to their body parts. Horns and wings are added to animals, which naturally do not have these parts (lions, ibexes, bulls).
Composition of mythical creatures is sophistically made of specific kinds of animals. According to Avesta there are animals which are beneficial to men, and the others, which are servants of evil spirit.
Neither of the evil beings nor their body parts are used in Achaemenid iconography. It is interesting that even demonic beasts, which represent dangerous forces and hostility, are made of body parts of "beneficial animals".
The usage of iconographical motives in Achaemenid art varies on different types of objects. Monsters of the Achaemenid art are known mostly from the monumental reliefs, which decorate royal palaces at Persepolis and Susa.
Beasts represent significant part of iconographical repertoire in small-scale art as well. Motives of mythical creatures decorate many objects, for example plaques (used in decorating garments), rhyta, jewellery, horse-harnesses, seals etc.
Creatures are depicted individually or in complicated scenes. Terrifying beasts occur in scenes of combat with the great king or royal hero.
In these visual representation monsters usually stand, engaging in the fierce fight with human figure. The king is always (re)presented victorious as he is slaying the monster with a short sword.
This motive is very often on the reliefs positioned in the interior of royal palaces and private rooms of the king. Similar scenes decorate cylindrical seals, where the space and type of media offers greater variety of composition.
The king is grabbing the beast's neck or tail while the beast is hanging upside down. Moreover, scenes on seals are composed in more than one register or extended into various directions.
Occurrence of the supernatural beasts in Achaemenid art is explained in several ways. They are interpreted as symbols of evil powers, which are in most cases defeated by the great king.
This visual representation gives legitimacy of kingship to the ruler and shows his might in protection of the empire.