Iconography and Reading of Eagle Paintings during the Achaemenid Period

Motifs and symbols have had a high status in Iranian art. These motifs contain the experiences, cultural and religious beliefs of their time, so they help to understand better the evolution of the thoughts of the people of their time. One of the important features of Achaemenid works of art is the decorative motifs used in it, affecting the art of different historical periods profoundly. One of the most frequent motifs used in Achaemenid art is the eagle, a bird associated with the sky and the sun. The Achaemenids always used motifs to emphasize their power and legitimacy in their works of art. The eagle's role has been depicted in the main artistic media of the Achaemenid period, namely flags, architecture, ornaments, and embossed designs. This research seeks to address the following questions: 1. Studying the Eagle's iconography, what items are seen as the symbolic value of these works? 2. Why has the eagle's role repeatedly appeared in the Achaemenid art media? 3. And why is it emphasized in most cultural data on the open wings of this bird? The research question focused on the relationship between this role in the Achaemenid period and its iconographic analysis. The present research is descriptive-analytical, and the method is iconography. Gathering information was done using libraries, mythological and field. In this regard, the designs are first described and then analyzed to explain the concepts behind this symbolic role and achieve its values and basic concepts relying on the iconographic method. The results showed that the eagle's role is universal, and according to the characteristics of the wide-winged eagle, it is the archetype of divinity. Thus the Achaemenid kings used an animal archetype to project power and legitimacy to their subjects.