Figure 1.1 Sargon II Palace ComplexSargon II ruled Assyria from 721-706 B.C. and within this time he managed to build a colossal palace in the capital Dur Sharrukin. In Figure 1.1, you see a drawing of the palace and all its details. The palace itself once contained a higher building, 40 feet raised, above the complex where the King resided. The details of this complex as well as the guardian figures at the gate of the citadel show the immense power and strength this ruler was believed to have had.
Starting by looking at the overall palace complex we see the fortification of the site with the citadel, which creates a fortress. This means that the ruling empire not only must have had many enemies, but also a strong and conquering leader, to build such a high wall to protect against invasion. Next we can look at the King’s complex that resided 40 feet above the rest of the city. This alone shows political power, that Sargon II himself must have believed himself to be a high power because it is usually sacred temples that are the highest built in a city. Therefore this King referred to himself close to the status of a God. Another reason to believe this is the place where the stairs were built. There is only one way into his complex and it is through one large staircase, the other areas around his complex are guarded by towers. This proves that he saw himself as sacred because there was only one way to get to him. There were no ladders or holes in the surrounding walls of his complex, so other way in.
The most fascinating detail of Sargon II complex is the guarded figures at the gate of citadel A (figure 1.2). This image shows two great statues made of stone standing on both sides of the pathway to get into the palace. People who wanted to see the King in his courtyard, once allowed, would have to walk through this gate passing both colossal statues. The statues themselves seem to be a man’s head connected to the body of a winged lion wearing a headdress, a sign of a god. The lion or bull’s body represents an ability of great strength and the headdress obviously shows the power of a god. It is then accurate to suspect the reasoning behind the statues placement in the complex. They are there to ‘watch over’ those who pass through the gates and serve as a warning or to create a feeling of insignificance and fear in the presence of the King. These giant statues towering over a person would make anyone feel fear. The strength of their leader shown in the statue and the power of leader, so god-like that it would make a person anxious and would persuade them to do no harm to their King, for he has the power over your life and can take that life from you so easily. This statue and overall complex is so fascinating, especially the great power and strength it shows of Sargon II.
Figure 1.2 the Guardians at Gate A of the citadel
Hi Karlie! I think that this citadel also conveys the idea of power through the rigid, geometric qualities of the buildings. If you look at the complex, it is comprised of a lot of square and rectangular shapes. The buildings themselves give off an angular, immoveable quality - which also ties into your idea of power.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I think that the idea of power can also be seen in the positioning of the palace, which is in axial alignment with the citadel gate. That strong axial alignment also gives an impression of solidity and power.
-Prof. Bowen
Hi! Good job on the post! I was actually thinking to write about this palace as my first choice, but then I saw that it was already written by you:)
ReplyDeleteIts amazing how the two man/lion/god statues were put in the gates of the palace to make everyone that comes through the gate fear what they're about to see. Also that king Sargon II thought of this so that people would know and fear his power that he had over everyone there.
Great formal analysis! I almost picked the Sargon II complex as well, but mainly focusing on the gate of citadel. These great stone statues seem fitting guards for royalty. I believe the King had to portray himself as a very strong person and did exactly that in choosing these figures to guard his gates. This must have been very important to the king to send a strong message to any who dared demand a presence before him. Friend or foe would have gotten the message that their King (or enemy) was a very strong ruler and like his stone guards, was very intimidating and powerful. If for some reason anyone toyed with thoughts of declaring war against him, they would probably believe it was not going to be easy. The simple fact that the this particular king would want such massive and intimidating statues could have given anyone insight to the way the king thought of himself–powerful.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks for the comment, but I think your formal analysis was great! You really supported your thesis when you talked about the palace complex and connected those elements to how powerful of a ruler Sargon II was. It was nice reading your post since I didn't know that much about his palace complex. I only talked about the guardian statues, but I think the way you talked about the complex made your argument of how the ruler's strength and power was shown is much stronger than just the statues alone. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI think these are very beautiful statues and amazing pieces of ancient artwork. I understand how the look and feel of them portrays a very strong and intimidating message, especially when placed at a doorway; what I do not quite understand is why the kind chose to have them placed at HIS doorway. Assuming the majority of his visitors were his own people why did he want to send such an intense message of warning? He built himself and his people an amazing kingdom, I would almost see the statues being better placed at the entrances of the kingdom, so that they may 'protect' and the community as a whole in the face of enemies and not just the king himself. To me it almost feels like it would be similar to meeting with your professor outside of class, and arriving to their office to see two huge scary animal/human creatures that make you even more scared and nervous than you were to begin with! I would have hoped that the king was the sort of ruler who respected his people and hopefully made them feel somewhat connected to him, like they could speak with him if need be. With these statues guarding his door I feel like he really gave off a sense of power and intimidation, which in my opinion would be better directed at outside sources and enemies; I feel like the current placement is somewhat harsh.
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