Papak
Ruler of Istakhr ~205 – ~207 AD
Pābag | Bābak | بابک | 𐭯𐭠𐭯𐭪𐭩
Recreation of Papak as he appears on the coins of his son(?) Ardeshir. Download
An alternative version of his image with a red background. The helmet in this image is inspired by later Sassanid helmets, though it is possible that he was wearing somethin softer, and more ceremonial. Download
Ver.1 - Last updated: June 10th 2021, by Mo. Rasoulipour
Papak, a Persian nobleman living in 3rd century is said to have had an impact on the foundation of the Sassanid Empire. His dominion, Istakhr is marked in the map below. A city very close to ruins of Persepolis, and very important to the house of Sassan for the years to come. There are different stories about his relation to Ardeshir the founder of Sassanid Empire (Second Persian Empire). Some sources, like Tabari, say that he was the father of Ardeshir and some, including Karnamag-e Ardashir-e Papagan (some versions) and Ferdowsi’s Shahname, claim he was the grandfather of Ardeshir. Nevertheless, he is an influential figure in Iranian history.
Insignia
References
Three coins of Ardeshir possibly from the time he took over the rulership of Pars from his brother, Shapur. It is believed that the figures on the coins are of Papak, his father(?)
These sets of coins, although low in facial realism, offer valuable information, since they are one of the few types of coins minted in this period showing a full facial view next to a profile.
Likely Accuracy of the Creative Recreation
Weak Guess:
Due to low realism of the faces and non uniformity of pictured figures, this can not be considered a fair guess. However, unlike many other coins of this period, a full facial view could also be found, which adds to the confidence of the creation in terms of face shape and proportions.
Note: There is a chance that this is entirely based on Ardeshir’s likeness and not that of Papak. Although a figure very similar to this also appears on Shapur’s (His other son) coins as well.
See the latest work in progress:
Permissions
This is as close as a creative project can get to being open source. You are welcome to download, use, and modify the images.
You are however not permitted to sell the products or place barriers of access for public view and use.
See any issues with this page? Want to say hi to the creator of this page? Reach them via the link below:
Are you a content creator?
If you are a content creator and would like access to the working files please sign up here. We’d love to connect with you and help promote your work.