The triumph of Shapur I - Relief (c. 241-272) depicting Shapur I (on horseback, wearing royal armour and a crown) with three Roman Emperors.

Shapur I, also known as Shapur I the Great, son of Ardashir, was the second shahanshah (king of kings) of the Sasanian Empire.
He led a series of victorious campaigns against the Romans. He claimed to have killed Emperor Gordian III (whose head was most likely depicted beneath the king's horse) in 244.

One of the great achievements of Shapur's reign was the defeat of the Roman Emperor Valerian.
In this relief, Valerian is the man standing at the background and held captive by Shapur I, his hand is held by the king.
He was taken captive after the Battle of Edessa in 260, becoming the only Roman Emperor who was captured as a prisoner of war, causing instability in the Roman Empire.
Valerian was held prisoner for the rest of his life.


The kneeling man is probably Emperor Philip the Arab, asking for grace, who declared himself vassal of Shapur in that same year.