The basis for the formation and survival of the governments from the past to the present
depends on the status and support of the people, which is called legitimacy. Legitimacy in
governments is based on specific principles rooted in the traditions and cultural beliefs of the
people of their land. The Sassanians, as one of the most important states in the historical
period, were founded on the basis of the Zoroastrian religion by Ardashir I. Investigating
Sasanian rock reliefs in order to examine the elements of legitimacy in this period is a
necessity that has not been addressed independently and extensively so far. This study
attempts to investigate this issue with the help of archaeological evidence and historical
evidence. To this end, the symbolic motifs and symbols found in Sasanian rock reliefs within
the geography of present-day Iran have been identified and carefully studied. The most
important goal of this research is to attempt to semeiotics each of the symbolic motifs and
symbols as well as to clarify the true identity and the real meaning of each. The results of this
research, that based on its purpose is considered a fundamental research and based on the
nature and method a historical research, clearly show: Most of the motifs of the Sasanian rock
reliefs have religious origins, and some of them, like the crown of the Sasanian kings,
represent one of the gods in their various forms. Symbolic motifs and nonreligious symbols
mainly represent the themes of victory, the captivity of the enemy, and respect, depicting the
power and grandeur of the empire, all of which represent the legitimacy of the Sasanian king.