Religion, Art and Literacy:

This paper aims to present three critical devices which King Darius employed to justify his ascendency to kingship, which was problematic because of the fact that he was not a direct heir to the throne. When he planned to engrave royal propaganda on the cliff of Mt. Bisotun, Iran, he utilized the well-known and effective devices of religion, art and literacy. He introduced Zoroastrianism as state religion, carved a relief according to the traditional ancient Near Eastern style, and invented the Old Persian syllabary. By utilizing these methods, he succeeded in usurping the kingship and paved the way to establishing the Persian Empire.