Drachm of Gotarzes II of Parthia c. 38 - 51

Editor: This is a Drachm of Gotarzes II of Parthia, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It's aged, worn, but still… evocative. What symbolic weight do you think it carries? Curator: Consider the ruler's headdress. It’s more than just adornment, isn’t it? It signifies power, lineage, divine right. The details, even eroded, speak to deliberate choices about self-representation and how rulers wanted to be remembered. Editor: So, these symbols are like a memory preserved in metal? Curator: Precisely. The imagery becomes a condensed form of cultural memory, reinforcing identity and authority across generations. We see echoes of similar symbols in other cultures, revealing shared human preoccupations. What does that tell us? Editor: It shows how symbols can transcend time and place. I never considered that before. Thanks!