Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/313

 The Hypostyle Hall op Xerxes. 299 the straight line of wall, against which leans the central landing- place, and finally merges into the great exterior rampart of the platform, which' at this point has a salience of ten metres (Fig. 143). The whole front, embraced between the two lower stairs at either extremity, is some eighty-three metres long and entirely covered with sculptures ; it constitutes the whole plinth of the facade whereon stands the palace. Three tablets intended to receive inscriptions occur, one directly under the landing and the other two at the sides of this same fa^de (Plate IV.). One bears the name of Xerxes, and the usual invocation to Ahuri-Mazda.' Bas-reliefs enframed within rich decorative designs adorn the walls of the stairs, as well as that next to the esplanade, and the parapet wall (Figs. 61, 65, 69). Here runs a line of figures answering in number with the steps ; they follow the slope of the stairs, and look as if they ascended them to go and relieve guard at the palace gate (Fig. 61). On the front of the central landing-place are two groups of guardsmen of four each ; they walk towards each other, or, rather, they watch over the shield whereon the king was to affix his signature and proclaim his belief, but which, for some unexplained reason, was left blank. The field here is divided into two sections. In the next flight, however, three rows of figures appear on either side of the stairs ; on the left are the kings attendants, serving-men who drive his chariots and lead his horses, courtiers, doryphores, and the like ; on the right, personages of a more varied aspect, clad in their national costume, the various people of the empire, bringing or leading, as a token of fealty, rare grains, fruit, and native animals. Of the upper row of figures their lower extremities alone remain, but they suffice to show that they were in every respect similar to those that filled the other bands. Except towards the top of the basement the sculptures arc well pre- served everywhere. The theme which, owin;^ to its greater proportion and high relief, attracts attention most is that which appears in the spandrils of all the stairs, both at each extremity and on either side of the central projection they present to the spectator; in these compartments statuary has represented the ^ Spiecel, Die oUpersis^em KuHmckriflen^ p. 63. The 0AI7 one of these tablets that has been filled contains a text in the (old) Per ian language; the other two tablets, intended for the Assyrian and Suaian l^eods, were never inscribed Digitized by Google