Sasanians Against Arsacids, Three Ardašīrs in Battle: A Reinterpretation of the Fīrūzābād I Rock Relief

The Fīrūzābād I relief captures a significant historical event, symbolizing the triumph of the Sasanian dynasty over the Arsacid King of Kings. This artwork is divided into three distinct scenes. The first scene illustrates the victory of Ardašīr I (ad 224–240) over Ardawān V (ad 212–224). The subsequent scenes feature two Sasanian horsemen, commonly identified as Shāpūr I, Ardašīr’s son, and another figure, possibly a page or royal servant of Ardašīr. Most theories proposed to date have been based on Perso-Arabic sources. However, this article introduces a fresh perspective, drawing upon the author’s field survey of the province of Pārs rock reliefs. It aims to reinterpret the second and third scenes of the relief by relying on symbols and elements common to other rock reliefs and contemporary archaeological sources, such as the Shāpūr Kaʿba-ye Zardošt (ŠKZ).