Page:History of Art in Persia.djvu/449

 424 History of Art in Antiquitv. stands out white on blue ground.' We have no fault to find with the disposition in itself; but were the archers moved down nearer to the ground, a different mode might be preferred. As at the Takht, therefore, the central landing-place or opening intervened between the two processional scenes ; so that on one side of the lobby or doorway, as the case might be, the guards would walk in one direction, whilst the movement was reversed on the opposite wing. Hence another place must be sought for the inscriptions. The guards are represented in profile and in marching order (Plate XII.). They carry a bow strung on the left shoulder, and a quiver hung at the back, oroamented with top-knots and embroidery. They hold up their javelins with both hands, like our soldiers when they present arms. The arrows, which were of wood tipped with metal, were deeply and firmly set; and terminated at their lower extremity in a ball overlaid with a coat of paint of the same tone as the arrow- heads. The archers may be said to have had a uniform; for if the colours and designs of their dress vary from one figure to another, if white predominates in the one and yellow in the otiicr, they are all cut out of the same pattern. The chief article was a long tunic reaching to the ankles, with wide hanging sleeves that covered the arm and wrist ; the robe was ornamented by a rich border of rosettes or lozenges, in pleasing contrast with its coloured ground ; over it was worn a kind of ' T he inscriiJtlon under notice, bearing the names of Darius Hystapsca and Otanes, one of the conspirators who helped to raise Darius to the throne, is composed of several disjointed fragments, without any relation to each other. They were put up fm an ornamental rather than a documenlaiy [Nirpose. FiC. 204.- — l'crsf[Mjlis. Ciuardstiicn. FlandIN and Costs, /'trte aiuu-tiitt:, Plate XCVII. Digitized by Google