"Alexander Executes Janusiyar and Mahiyar, the Slayers of Darius", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi

dated 887 AH/1482 CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 455

Alexander the Great figures prominently in Persian literature and histories, including in the Shahnama, where he is described as the half-brother of the Persian king Darab, who is sometimes considered to be the historical figure Darius. Alexander and Darius go to war, and Darius’s attendants decide to kill him and pledge their allegiance to Alexander. When Alexander discovers the dying Darius, however, he tells him of their common parentage and executes Janusiyar and Mahiyar.

Artwork Details

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Title: "Alexander Executes Janusiyar and Mahiyar, the Slayers of Darius", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
Author: Abu'l Qasim Firdausi (Iranian, Paj ca. 940/41–1020 Tus)
Date: dated 887 AH/1482 CE
Geography: Made in Iran, Shiraz
Medium: Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper
Dimensions: H. 8 3/4 (22.2 cm)
W. 5 3/8 in. (13.6cm)
Classification: Codices
Credit Line: Samuel D. Lee Fund, 1940
Object Number: 40.38.1
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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