Conflict between two or more powerful creatures is a recurring theme in ancient art of the Near East. Fierce animals shown locked in combat were perhaps meant to embody strong opposing forces in nature.
The Parthian Empire, also known as the Arsacid Empire, was a major political and cultural power. The Parthians largely adopted the art, architecture, religious beliefs, and royal insignia of their culturally heterogeneous empire, which encompassed Western asiatic (Luristan and Elamite), Hellenistic, and regional cultures.
