Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T18:13:21.641Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Notes On The ‘Elamite’ Garment Of Cyrus The Great

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2009

Javier Álvarez-Món
Javier Álvarez-Món*
Affiliation:
Javier Álvarez-Món, Department of Archaeology, School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, Main Quadrangle A14, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

According to the latest collation of the Nabonidus Chronicle, a reference is made to Cyrus the Great wearing an ‘Elamite’ garment during the investiture ceremony of Cambyses. This study examines the likely characteristics of this garment in the light of a recent study of seventh- and sixth-century bc Elamite elite garments. Within this context it is suggested that the Chronicle may have done no more than state the obvious. In 538 bc, Cyrus went to Babylon clad in (traditional) Elamite (style) attire. This ceremonial garment is to be identified with a fine (perhaps cotton-made) fringed robe decorated with bands, including golden bracteates.

Résumé

Selon la plus récente collation de la Chronique de Nabonide, on y trouve une référence au fait que Cyrus le Grand portait un vêtement ‘élamite’ pendant la cérémonie d’investiture de Cambyses. Cette étude examine les caractéristiques probables de ce vêtement au regard d’une récente étude des vêtements de l’élite élamite au sixième et au septième siècle avant J-C. C’est dans ce contexte qu’il est suggéré que la Chronique n’avait peut-être pas fait autre que répéter un truisme. En 538 avant J-C, Cyrus était allé à Babylone portant un vêtement de style élamite (traditionnel). On peut identifier ce vêtement de cérémonie avec une fine robe (peut-être en coton) à franges ornée de bandelettes, comportant aussi des bractéates en or.

Zusammenfassung

Gemäß einer Neuabfassung der Nabonid-Chroniken wird erwähnt, daß Kyros der Große während der Königsweihe des Cambyses ein ‘elamisches’ Gewand trug. Diese Studie untersucht die wahrscheinlichen Eigenschaften dieses Gewands im Licht einer neuen Studie von elamischen Gewändern der Elite aus dem siebten und sechsten Jahrhundert vdZ. In diesem Zusammenhang wird angedeutet, daß die Chroniken lediglich das Offensichtliche bestätigt haben. Im Jahr 538 vdZ, ging Kyros in einem traditionellem Gewand im elamitischen Stil nach Babylon. Dieses zeremonielle Gewand wird durch eine feine Bordüre (vielleicht aus Baumwolle) geprägt und war mit Bändern und Goldbrakteaten verziert.

Type
Original Article
Information
The Antiquaries Journal , Volume 89 , September 2009 , pp. 21 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Albenda, P 1986. The Palace of Sargon King of Assyria, Paris: Éditions Recherche sur les civilisationsGoogle Scholar
Álvarez-Món, J forthcoming. The Arjan Tomb: at the crossroads of the Elamite and Persian empires, Leuven: Peeters Acta Iranica SeriesGoogle Scholar
Álvarez-Món, J Garrison, M B (eds) forthcoming a. Elam and Persia, Winona Lake, Indiana: EisenbraunsGoogle Scholar
Álvarez-Món, J Garrison, M B forthcoming b. ‘Postscript: the Elamite heritage’, in Álvarez-Món and Garrison (eds) forthcoming aGoogle Scholar
Barnett, R D 1960. Assyrian Palace Reliefs, London: British MuseumGoogle Scholar
Barnett, R D 1976. Sculptures from the North Palace of Ashurbanipal (668–627 BC), London: British MuseumGoogle Scholar
Beaulieu, P-A 1989. The Reign of Nabonidus, King of Babylon 556–539 BC, New Haven: Yale University PressGoogle Scholar
Bittner, S 1987. Tracht und Bewaffnung des persischen Heeres zur Zeit der Achaimeniden, Munich: Bodem-VerlagGoogle Scholar
Black, J A 1981. ‘The New Year ceremonies in ancient Babylon: “Taking Bel by the Hand” and a cultic picnic’, Religion, 11, 39–59CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brinkman, J A 1984. Prelude to Empire: Babylonian society and politics, 747–626 BC, Philadelphia: Babylonian Fund, University MuseumGoogle Scholar
Brown, K S 1980. ‘The question of Near Eastern textile decoration of the early first millennium BC as a source for Greek vase painting of the orientalizing style’, PhD dissertation, University of PennsylvaniaGoogle Scholar
Calmeyer, P 1988. ‘Zur genese Altiranischer motive X: die elamisch-persische Tracht’, Archäologische Mitteilungen aus Iran, 21, 27–51 (Tafeln 11–29, 2)Google Scholar
Dalley, S 1996. ‘Herodotus and Babylon’, Orientalistische Literaturzeitung, 91, 515–532CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eilers, W 1974. ‘Le texte cunéiforme du cylindre de Cyrus: hommage universel’, Acta Iranica, 2, 25–34Google Scholar
Garrison, M B forthcoming. ‘The seal of “Kuraš the Anzanite, Son of Šešpeš” (Teispes), PFS 93*: Susa–Anšan–Persepolis’, in Álvarez-Món and Garrison (eds) forthcoming aGoogle Scholar
George, A R 1996. ‘Studies on cultic topography and ideology’, Bibliotheca Orientalis, 53, 363–395Google Scholar
Ghirshman, R 1964. Protoiranier, Meder und Achämeniden, Munich: C H BeckGoogle Scholar
Glassner, J-J 1993. Chroniques Mésopotamiennes, Paris: Éditions Les Belles LettresGoogle Scholar
Grayson, A K 1975. Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles: texts from cuneiform sources V, New York: J J AugustinGoogle Scholar
Henkelman, W F M 2003. ‘Persians, Medes and Elamites: acculturation in the neo-Elamite period’, in Continuity of Empire: Assyria, Media, Persia (eds G Lanfranchi, M Roaf and R Rollinger), 180–231, Padua: Sargon Editrice e LibreriaGoogle Scholar
Henkelman, W F M 2008. The Other Gods Who Are: studies in Elamite Iranian acculturation based on the Persepolis Fortification texts, Achaemenid History 14, Leiden: Instituut voor het Nabije OostenGoogle Scholar
Henkelman, W F M forthcoming. ‘Parnakka’s feast, Šip in Pārsa and Elam’, in Álvarez-Món and Garrison (eds) forthcoming aGoogle Scholar
Herzfeld, E E 1968. The Persian Empire: studies in geography and ethnicity of the ancient Near East (edited from the posthumous papers by G Walser), Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner VerlagGoogle Scholar
Kantor, H 1957. ‘Achaemenid jewellery in the Oriental Institute’, J Near Eastern Stud, 16, 1–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kawami, T S 1992. ‘Archaeological evidence for textiles in pre-Islamic Iran’, Iranian Stud, 25, 7–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinneir-Wilson, J V 1972. The Nimrud Wine List, London: British School of Archaeology in IraqGoogle Scholar
Kuhrt, A 1997. The Ancient Near East c 3000–330 BC, London and New York: RoutledgeGoogle Scholar
Oppenheim, A L 1949. ‘The golden garments of the gods’, J Near Eastern Stud, 8, 172–193CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oppenheim, A L 1985. ‘The Babylonian evidence of Achaemenian rule in Mesopotamia’, in Cambridge History of Iran II (ed I Gershevitch), 529–587, Cambridge: Cambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potts, D T 1999. The Archaeology of Elam, Cambridge: Cambridge University PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potts, D T 2005. ‘Cyrus the Great and the Kingdom of Anshan’, in Birth of the Persian Empire (eds V Sarkhosh Curtis and S Stewart), 7–28, London: I B TaurisGoogle Scholar
Potts, D T forthcoming. ‘A note on the limits of Anšan’, in Álvarez-Món and Garrison (eds) forthcoming aGoogle Scholar
Reade, J Walker, C B F 1981/2. ‘Some neo-Assyrian royal inscriptions’, Archiv für Orientforschung, 28, 113–122Google Scholar
Rochberg-Halton, F 1988. Aspects of Babylonian Celestial Divination: the lunar eclipses of Enuma Anu Enlil, Horn: BergerGoogle Scholar
Root, M C 1979. The King and Kingship in Achaemenid Art: essays on the creation of an iconography of empire, Acta Iranica 19, Leiden: PeetersCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sarre, F Herzfeld, E 1910. Iranische Felsreliefs, Berlin: WasmuthGoogle Scholar
Shahbazi, A S 1992. ‘Clothing’, in Encyclopaedia Iranica, v, fasc 7 (ed E Yarshater), 719–737, Costa Mesa, Calif: MazdaGoogle Scholar
Stronach, D 1978. Pasargadae: a report on the excavations conducted by the British Institute of Persian Studies from 1961 to 1963, Oxford: Oxford University PressGoogle Scholar
Stronach, D 2008. ‘The building program of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae and the date of the fall of Sardis’, in Ancient Greece and Ancient Iran: cross-cultural encounters (eds S M R Darbandi and A Zournatzi), 149–173, Athens: Hellenic National Commission for UNESCOGoogle Scholar
Tavernier, J 2004. ‘Some thoughts on neo-Elamite chronology’, Achaemenid Research on Texts and Archaeology (ARTA), 2004.003, 1–44Google Scholar
Vallat, F 1996. ‘Nouvelle analyse des inscriptions néo-élamites’, in Collectanea Orientalia. Histoire, arts de l’espace et industrie de la terre: études offertes en hommage à Agnès Spycket (eds H Gasche and B Hrouda), Civilisations du Proche-Orient: ser 1, L’Archéologie et environnement 3, 385–396, Paris: Recherches et PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Vallat, F 2006. ‘Atta-hamiti-Inšušinak, Sutur-Nahhunte et la chronologie néo-élamite’, Akkadica, 127, 59–63Google Scholar
Van de Mieroop, M 2002. ‘Gutians’, in Encyclopaedia Iranica, xi, fasc 4 (ed E Yarshater), <http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v11f4/v11f4045.html> (27 June 2009)+(27+June+2009)>Google Scholar
Vanderhooft, D S 1999. The Neo-Babylonian Empire and Babylon in the Latter Prophets, Harvard Semitic Mus Monogr 59, Atlanta: Scholarly PressCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waters, M W 2000. A Survey of Neo-Elamite History, State Archives Assyria Stud 12, Helsinki: Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus ProjectGoogle Scholar
Wild, J P 2003. ‘The Near East in the Iron Age, c 1100–500 BCE’, in The Cambridge History of Western Textiles, i (ed D Jenkins), 48–52, Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar