The representation of legitimacy in Sassanian coins (Kavad I and Zamasp eras)

Abstract

In each era, social, cultural and political aspects, and their changes have a prominent role on the creation of the Governmental artworks that tries to act as a public media to show their power and legitimacy trends. This study wishes to survey the symbols of Sassanian coins and the role of this visual media from the power and legitimacy point of view during Kavad I (r. 488-531 AD) and Zamasp (r. 496-499 AD) eras, as a challenging period of the Sassanid dynasty. We try to show how Sassanid kings used artworks, especially coins, because of their spreads to transfer their legitimacy messages, thus they used it as the most principal media to show the power and its changes to publics. The result shows the changes during the first reign of Kavad I and after his deposing by clergies due to supporting the Mazdakites doctrine, raise of Zamasp to the throne and the second reign of Kavad I that they used various icons and symbols rooted in Zoroastrian beliefs to show their power and legitimacy according to condition changes. The emphasis of Kavad I on astrologic signs as the symbol of charisma and, in contrast, the representation of Zamasp, the successor of Kavad I after deposing, in the form of receiving diadem as a sign of his superiority and power, and the reuse of traditional symbols of legitimacy by Kavad I in the combination of diadem as the representation of his legitimacy after his second reign are some documents of visual changes of this challenging period.