Journey with us to the magnificent ancient Persian city of Persepolis. Around 518 BC, King Darius I founded a new ceremonial capital in southwestern Iran. This city, Persepolis, was a place of awe-inspiring grandeur that included palaces, audience halls, and a treasury. Delegations from the Achaemenid Empire’s 23 subject nations journeyed to Persepolis to offer tribute to the Great King. Stone scenes carved in relief decorated the facades of the structures at Persepolis. One repeated motif is that of a lion attacking a bull. The exact meaning of this dynamic composition is unknown, but it may have symbolized the power of the king to marshal the wild forces of nature. Swipe to see a digital recreation of this motif on the staircase of the main audience hall at Persepolis, the Apadana. Some palace staircases at Persepolis bore images of men in Persian dress carrying covered bowls that may have contained provisions for elaborate banquets. Swipe further to see some examples. Persepolis...