Silhouettes of Xerxes I, the legendary Persian king best known for his war against the Greeks, can be seen all over the exhibition. A stone foundation carved with his enthronement edict, written in old Persian cuneiform script, marks the beginning of a reign that cast a lasting influence on the trajectory of history.

Despite this, Darius' image is more than the political ambition and belligerence with which he is associated by historians. Another exhibit, a bust in blue paste that was chosen to feature on the exhibition poster, shows another side of the legendary monarch.

Portrayed without a beard, the bust is thought to portray Darius in his early years, a time before he became a powerful monarch, when he was still just a handsome young man with a smiling face.