Persians in the Greek Imagination
by Margaret Miller
Abstract: The rendering of Persians in Attic vase-painting provides one of the great apparent exceptions to the general principle of ‘no historical subjects’ in Greek art. In the period of the Persian invasions of Greece, battle scenes with accurate detailing of equipment and clothing predominate, but over the course of the 5th century depictions of Persians shift dramatically: genre scenes appear, in which the Persian is simply inserted into standard schemata for Greek domestic activity. Persian imperial propaganda and representations of élite activities are deliberately subverted and late battle scenes assume a fantastic quality, while in reality her great military and economic strength made the Achaemenid Empire an object of concern and distrust among Athenians throughout the 5th century. The strategy of reduction of Persian potency in Attic representation can be viewed in ideological terms.
Published in Mediterranean Archaeology Vol. 19/20. pp.109-123, (2006).