Editing Ardashir II (section)

== Rock relief ==
[[Image:Taq-e Bostan - High-relief of Ardeshir II investiture.jpg|thumb|280px|right|[[Coronation of Ardashir II|Rock relief at Taq-e Bostan]] of the investiture of Ardashir II, flanked by [[Mithra]] and [[Shapur II]].]]
Ardashir, like his forefathers, also had himself memorialized on reliefs. However, instead of using the sites of [[Pars (Sasanian province)|Pars]] (present-day [[Fars province]]) as a place for his relief, he instead had a relief carved in [[Taq-e Bostan]] in the province of [[Media (region)|Media]] (near present-day [[Kermanshah]]).{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}} The relief shows three standing figures wearing [[regalia]]; Ardashir being in the middle, flanked by two male figures.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}} The figure to the right, who is giving the [[diadem]] to Ardashir originally used to recognized as the [[Zoroastrian]] supreme god [[Ahura Mazda]], but is now agreed to be Shapur II due to the style of his crown, and which also fits well due to Shapur being the one designating Ardashir as shah to begin with.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}}

The two shahs are standing on the body of a fallen enemy, unmistakably a Roman, whose crown indicates that he is an emperor.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}} The fallen figure is most likely supposed to represent the Roman emperor [[Julian (emperor)|Julian]], who invaded Iran in 363 and was [[Battle of Samarra|killed]] west of the Sasanian capital of [[Ctesiphon]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}} The figure standing to the far left, perceived by some to be the Zoroastrian prophet [[Zoroaster]], is most likely the angelic [[divinity]] [[Mithra]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}} He is wearing a crown embellished with twelve rays of the sun, whilst holding a raised [[barsom]], thus sanctifying the investiture.{{sfn|Grenet|2006}}{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|pp=380–381}}