An Ancient Persian akinakes (short sword) with a gold hilt and scabbard, dated to 465–424 BC 😲
In Achaemenid Persia, gold-adorned akinakai were symbols of their owner's high status. The historian Xenophon wrote that such swords, together with bracelets and necklaces, were bestowed by Persian kings as prestigious rewards upon their subjects.
This sword was most likely one of these ceremonial awards. It bears royal symbols of power, including sphinxes, griffins, lions, and eagles (Photo 2). In addition, the reverse side of the scabbard (Photo 3) is inscribed in Old Persian, Babylonian, and Elamite with the name of the Great King Artaxerxes I.
Photos from the exhibition Ancient Iran and the Classical World at the Getty Museum. The Wyvern Collection, United Kingdom.