Visual Tools of Power Argumentation. Models in Contrast?

Propaganda studies have been highly utilised by sociologists and psy- chologists, particularly from the second half of 20th century with the technology- driven growth of mass media. Later, they developed in other branches of knowledge, including history. M. Liverani has keenly observed that the study of ancient propaganda is increasingly important because it allows us to preserve our intellectual freedom in our modern societies that, unfortunately, still experience forms of autocracy. Nevertheless, the term “propaganda”, intended as a deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions in order to achieve the desired intent of the communicator, is a modern concept. Therefore, the application of propa- ganda mechanisms to ancient societies (including the notions of message and au- dience) requires further investigation and potentially other definitions. In the an- cient Near East, propaganda studies (in the 1980s and some of the 1990s) focused on the Neo-Assyrian period and the nexus between (visual) message and audience, rather than on the initial intentions of the communicator: the characteristics and tools of reconstructed propaganda were borrowed (often unknowingly) from meth- ods and concepts used to investigate these phenomena in social sciences. By providing a basis for evaluating research evidence, this paper offers some reflec- tions on different visual tools of the power argumentations used for influencing beliefs and behaviours: the communicative process seems to be rather based on practices such as “persuasion” and “self-presentation”.