Richard Kalmin
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195306194
- eISBN:
- 9780199784998
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195306198.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The Babylonian Talmud was compiled in the 3rd through 6th centuries CE, by rabbis living under Sasanian Persian rule in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What kind of society did ...
More
The Babylonian Talmud was compiled in the 3rd through 6th centuries CE, by rabbis living under Sasanian Persian rule in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What kind of society did these rabbis inhabit? What effect did that society have on important rabbinic texts? This book offers a re-examination of rabbinic culture of late antique Babylonia. It shows how this culture was shaped in part by Persia on the one hand, and by Roman Palestine on the other. The mid 4th century CE in Jewish Babylonia was a period of particularly intense “Palestinianization,” at the same time that the Mesopotamian and east Persian Christian communities were undergoing a period of intense “Syrianization.” The book argues that these closely related processes were accelerated by 3rd-century Persian conquests deep into Roman territory, which resulted in the resettlement of thousands of Christian and Jewish inhabitants of the eastern Roman provinces in Persian Mesopotamia, eastern Syria, and western Persia, profoundly altering the cultural landscape for centuries to come. The book also offers new interpretations of several fascinating rabbinic texts of late antiquity. It also demonstrates how Babylonian rabbis interacted with the non-rabbinic Jewish world, often in the form of the incorporation of centuries-old non-rabbinic Jewish texts into the developing Talmud, rather than via the encounter with actual non-rabbinic Jews in the streets and marketplaces of Babylonia.Less
The Babylonian Talmud was compiled in the 3rd through 6th centuries CE, by rabbis living under Sasanian Persian rule in the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. What kind of society did these rabbis inhabit? What effect did that society have on important rabbinic texts? This book offers a re-examination of rabbinic culture of late antique Babylonia. It shows how this culture was shaped in part by Persia on the one hand, and by Roman Palestine on the other. The mid 4th century CE in Jewish Babylonia was a period of particularly intense “Palestinianization,” at the same time that the Mesopotamian and east Persian Christian communities were undergoing a period of intense “Syrianization.” The book argues that these closely related processes were accelerated by 3rd-century Persian conquests deep into Roman territory, which resulted in the resettlement of thousands of Christian and Jewish inhabitants of the eastern Roman provinces in Persian Mesopotamia, eastern Syria, and western Persia, profoundly altering the cultural landscape for centuries to come. The book also offers new interpretations of several fascinating rabbinic texts of late antiquity. It also demonstrates how Babylonian rabbis interacted with the non-rabbinic Jewish world, often in the form of the incorporation of centuries-old non-rabbinic Jewish texts into the developing Talmud, rather than via the encounter with actual non-rabbinic Jews in the streets and marketplaces of Babylonia.
Jason Sion Mokhtarian
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286207
- eISBN:
- 9780520961548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286207.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter draws from the field of comparative religion in order to map out the prospects and pitfalls of juxtaposing the Talmudic and Middle Persian corpora, a task beset with significant ...
More
This chapter draws from the field of comparative religion in order to map out the prospects and pitfalls of juxtaposing the Talmudic and Middle Persian corpora, a task beset with significant limitations. Building on the writings of Jonathan Z. Smith, this chapter argues that the best comparative approaches toward Talmudic and Middle Persian literatures are ones that seek a nuanced application of sameness and difference and avoid humanistic attempts at harmonization. Instead of forcing insular, exegetical Talmudic and Middle Persian texts into dialogue with one another through parallel taxonomies, this chapter explains why the rabbis are insular in a diverse social context and how comparativists can differentiate between (a) which types of data are phenomenological affinities between two ancient religions in contact, and (b) which are evidence of intercultural activity. After this theoretical discussion of comparison, the chapter goes on to provide readers with a sweeping overview of the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) corpus, highlighting the key differences between it and the Talmud, such as their dates and transmissional backgrounds, as well as those sources that prove most useful for Talmudic studies, such as the Book of a Thousand Judgments, the Zand-Avesta, and archaeological relics such as seals and inscriptions.Less
This chapter draws from the field of comparative religion in order to map out the prospects and pitfalls of juxtaposing the Talmudic and Middle Persian corpora, a task beset with significant limitations. Building on the writings of Jonathan Z. Smith, this chapter argues that the best comparative approaches toward Talmudic and Middle Persian literatures are ones that seek a nuanced application of sameness and difference and avoid humanistic attempts at harmonization. Instead of forcing insular, exegetical Talmudic and Middle Persian texts into dialogue with one another through parallel taxonomies, this chapter explains why the rabbis are insular in a diverse social context and how comparativists can differentiate between (a) which types of data are phenomenological affinities between two ancient religions in contact, and (b) which are evidence of intercultural activity. After this theoretical discussion of comparison, the chapter goes on to provide readers with a sweeping overview of the Middle Persian (Pahlavi) corpus, highlighting the key differences between it and the Talmud, such as their dates and transmissional backgrounds, as well as those sources that prove most useful for Talmudic studies, such as the Book of a Thousand Judgments, the Zand-Avesta, and archaeological relics such as seals and inscriptions.
VESTA SARKHOSH CURTIS
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0021
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter aims to draw attention to the importance of coin iconography in the Parthian and Sasanian periods and to suggest an alternative approach to the conventional reading of the symbolism. The ...
More
This chapter aims to draw attention to the importance of coin iconography in the Parthian and Sasanian periods and to suggest an alternative approach to the conventional reading of the symbolism. The iconography of Iranian coins after the conquest of Alexander shows similarity with the iconography of Seleucid coins, and in both cases the king on the obverse enjoys divine support. The chapter suggests that the iconography of pre-Islamic Iranian coins must therefore be understood not as part of the Hellenistic tradition but should be seen within its Iranian/Zoroastrian context.Less
This chapter aims to draw attention to the importance of coin iconography in the Parthian and Sasanian periods and to suggest an alternative approach to the conventional reading of the symbolism. The iconography of Iranian coins after the conquest of Alexander shows similarity with the iconography of Seleucid coins, and in both cases the king on the obverse enjoys divine support. The chapter suggests that the iconography of pre-Islamic Iranian coins must therefore be understood not as part of the Hellenistic tradition but should be seen within its Iranian/Zoroastrian context.
MEHDI RAHBAR
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0023
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can ...
More
This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that every religion, including Zoroastrianism, has undergone changes due to social and political pressures. The chapter argues that the unusual and unexpected range of buildings discovered at Bandiyan are of exceptional importance and have opened a new chapter in the religious architecture of the Sasanian period.Less
This chapter discusses some observations about dakhmas in Zoroastrianism during the Sasanian period in Bandiyan based on 1994 archaeological excavations. On the basis of the evidence gathered, it can be concluded that every religion, including Zoroastrianism, has undergone changes due to social and political pressures. The chapter argues that the unusual and unexpected range of buildings discovered at Bandiyan are of exceptional importance and have opened a new chapter in the religious architecture of the Sasanian period.
Jason Sion Mokhtarian
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286207
- eISBN:
- 9780520961548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286207.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
The Talmud includes around two dozen passages about the Arsacid or Sasanian monarchs Ardawan IV, Shapur I, Shapur II, Yazdegird I, and Peroz. This chapter researches the Talmudic texts that describe ...
More
The Talmud includes around two dozen passages about the Arsacid or Sasanian monarchs Ardawan IV, Shapur I, Shapur II, Yazdegird I, and Peroz. This chapter researches the Talmudic texts that describe the rabbis and Persian kings in dialogue with one another. Although the sage-king dialogues do not contain direct citations from Middle Persian sources, they nevertheless were influenced by the Sasanian Empire’s historiography and propaganda about the deeds of these monarchs. As this chapter shows, the Persian context affects the way in which the Talmud depicts the monarchs as symbols of authority.Less
The Talmud includes around two dozen passages about the Arsacid or Sasanian monarchs Ardawan IV, Shapur I, Shapur II, Yazdegird I, and Peroz. This chapter researches the Talmudic texts that describe the rabbis and Persian kings in dialogue with one another. Although the sage-king dialogues do not contain direct citations from Middle Persian sources, they nevertheless were influenced by the Sasanian Empire’s historiography and propaganda about the deeds of these monarchs. As this chapter shows, the Persian context affects the way in which the Talmud depicts the monarchs as symbols of authority.
Kevin van Bladel
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195376135
- eISBN:
- 9780199871636
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195376135.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
The first references to Hermes and his works in Arabic appear among the Iranian astrologers at the court of the ʿAbbāsid caliphs during the second half of the 8th century. These astrologers knew ...
More
The first references to Hermes and his works in Arabic appear among the Iranian astrologers at the court of the ʿAbbāsid caliphs during the second half of the 8th century. These astrologers knew works of Hermes written in Middle Persian. This chapter investigates the existence of this pre-Islamic tradition of Hermetica in Arabic. First it verifies that Middle Persian Hermetica did indeed exist, although no Hermetic work survives in Middle Persian today. Then it investigates the extant accounts of how Hermetica came to be translated into Middle Persian in the Sasanian Empire. The chapter includes an extended discussion of precisely when these Middle Persian works were composed or translated from Greek. The extant sources suggest, albeit inconclusively, that Greek Hermetica were translated into Arabic already in the 3rd century. The pre-Islamic Persian Hermetic tradition provides a historical basis for understanding the origins of the Arabic Hermetica and the earliest Arabic accounts of Hermes’ identity.Less
The first references to Hermes and his works in Arabic appear among the Iranian astrologers at the court of the ʿAbbāsid caliphs during the second half of the 8th century. These astrologers knew works of Hermes written in Middle Persian. This chapter investigates the existence of this pre-Islamic tradition of Hermetica in Arabic. First it verifies that Middle Persian Hermetica did indeed exist, although no Hermetic work survives in Middle Persian today. Then it investigates the extant accounts of how Hermetica came to be translated into Middle Persian in the Sasanian Empire. The chapter includes an extended discussion of precisely when these Middle Persian works were composed or translated from Greek. The extant sources suggest, albeit inconclusively, that Greek Hermetica were translated into Arabic already in the 3rd century. The pre-Islamic Persian Hermetic tradition provides a historical basis for understanding the origins of the Arabic Hermetica and the earliest Arabic accounts of Hermes’ identity.
Kyle Smith
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520289604
- eISBN:
- 9780520964204
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520289604.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading ...
More
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, the book presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.Less
It is widely believed that the Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity politicized religious allegiances, dividing the Christian Roman Empire from the Zoroastrian Sasanian Empire and leading to the persecution of Christians in Persia. This account, however, is based on Greek ecclesiastical histories and Syriac martyrdom narratives that date to centuries after the fact. In this groundbreaking study, the author analyzes diverse Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources to show that there was not a single history of fourth-century Mesopotamia. By examining the conflicting hagiographical and historical evidence, the book presents an evocative and evolving portrait of the first Christian emperor, uncovering how Syriac Christians manipulated the image of their western Christian counterparts to fashion their own political and religious identities during this century of radical change.
Eberhard Sauer (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9781474401012
- eISBN:
- 9781474435277
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474401012.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, World History: BCE to 500CE
The Sasanian Empire (third-seventh centuries) was one of the largest empires of antiquity, stretching from Mesopotamia to modern Pakistan and from Central Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. This ...
More
The Sasanian Empire (third-seventh centuries) was one of the largest empires of antiquity, stretching from Mesopotamia to modern Pakistan and from Central Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. This mega-empire withstood powerful opponents in the steppe and expanded further in Late Antiquity, whilst the Roman world shrunk in size. Recent research has revealed the reasons for this success, notably population growth in some territories, economic prosperity and urban development, made possible through investment in agriculture and military infrastructure on a scale unparalleled in the late antique world. This volume explores the empire’s relations with its neighbours and key phenomena which contributed to its wealth and power, from the empire’s armed forces to agriculture, trade and treatment of minorities. The latest discoveries, notably major urban foundations, fortifications and irrigations systems, feature prominently. An empire whose military might and urban culture rivalled Rome and foreshadowed the caliphate will be of interest to scholars of the Roman and Islamic world.Less
The Sasanian Empire (third-seventh centuries) was one of the largest empires of antiquity, stretching from Mesopotamia to modern Pakistan and from Central Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. This mega-empire withstood powerful opponents in the steppe and expanded further in Late Antiquity, whilst the Roman world shrunk in size. Recent research has revealed the reasons for this success, notably population growth in some territories, economic prosperity and urban development, made possible through investment in agriculture and military infrastructure on a scale unparalleled in the late antique world. This volume explores the empire’s relations with its neighbours and key phenomena which contributed to its wealth and power, from the empire’s armed forces to agriculture, trade and treatment of minorities. The latest discoveries, notably major urban foundations, fortifications and irrigations systems, feature prominently. An empire whose military might and urban culture rivalled Rome and foreshadowed the caliphate will be of interest to scholars of the Roman and Islamic world.
John Boardman
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780691181752
- eISBN:
- 9780691184043
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691181752.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter discusses the challenge of determining how modern Persia/Iran might value Alexander. The land whose great empire had been destroyed by Alexander did not forget its conqueror and could ...
More
This chapter discusses the challenge of determining how modern Persia/Iran might value Alexander. The land whose great empire had been destroyed by Alexander did not forget its conqueror and could even be more inclined to forgive him. Indeed, it proved to have the longest memory of antiquity, although not in the immediate aftermath of its defeat. There is virtually nothing of Alexander in Parthian story or art, and Sasanian art appears to ignore him, often in favour of more “classical” subjects. In the years before the advent of Islam, there was knowledge of the Alexander Romances via the Pahlavi and Arabic versions, but then two great compilations of Persian history gave him prominence, as did artists.Less
This chapter discusses the challenge of determining how modern Persia/Iran might value Alexander. The land whose great empire had been destroyed by Alexander did not forget its conqueror and could even be more inclined to forgive him. Indeed, it proved to have the longest memory of antiquity, although not in the immediate aftermath of its defeat. There is virtually nothing of Alexander in Parthian story or art, and Sasanian art appears to ignore him, often in favour of more “classical” subjects. In the years before the advent of Islam, there was knowledge of the Alexander Romances via the Pahlavi and Arabic versions, but then two great compilations of Persian history gave him prominence, as did artists.
Jason Sion Mokhtarian
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286207
- eISBN:
- 9780520961548
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286207.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This book is a synthetic study of the impact of the Persian Sasanian context on the Babylonian Talmud, perhaps the most important corpus in the Jewish sacred canon. What impact did the Persian ...
More
This book is a synthetic study of the impact of the Persian Sasanian context on the Babylonian Talmud, perhaps the most important corpus in the Jewish sacred canon. What impact did the Persian Zoroastrian Empire, as both a real historical force and imaginary interlocutor, have on rabbinic identity and authority as expressed in the Talmud? Drawing from the field of comparative religion, this monograph aims to answer this question by bringing into mutual fruition Talmudic studies and ancient Iranology, two historically distinct disciplines. In addition to providing a vigorous defense of the need to contextualize the Talmud in its Sasanian milieu, as well as a roadmap for how to do so, the book includes a detailed examination of the Talmud’s dozens of texts that portray three Persian “others”—namely, the Persians, the Sasanian kings, and the Zoroastrian priests. While most research on the Talmud assumes that the rabbis were an insular group isolated from the cultural horizon outside of the rabbinic academies, this book contextualizes the rabbis and Talmud within a broader sociocultural orbit by drawing from a wide range of sources from Sasanian Iran, including Middle Persian Zoroastrian literature, archaeological data such as seals and inscriptions, and the Aramaic magical bowl spells. The final chapters of the book target two specific social contexts—courts of law and magic—where the Jews interacted with other groups. In all, this book demonstrates the rich penetration of Persian imperial society and culture on the Jews of late antique Iran.Less
This book is a synthetic study of the impact of the Persian Sasanian context on the Babylonian Talmud, perhaps the most important corpus in the Jewish sacred canon. What impact did the Persian Zoroastrian Empire, as both a real historical force and imaginary interlocutor, have on rabbinic identity and authority as expressed in the Talmud? Drawing from the field of comparative religion, this monograph aims to answer this question by bringing into mutual fruition Talmudic studies and ancient Iranology, two historically distinct disciplines. In addition to providing a vigorous defense of the need to contextualize the Talmud in its Sasanian milieu, as well as a roadmap for how to do so, the book includes a detailed examination of the Talmud’s dozens of texts that portray three Persian “others”—namely, the Persians, the Sasanian kings, and the Zoroastrian priests. While most research on the Talmud assumes that the rabbis were an insular group isolated from the cultural horizon outside of the rabbinic academies, this book contextualizes the rabbis and Talmud within a broader sociocultural orbit by drawing from a wide range of sources from Sasanian Iran, including Middle Persian Zoroastrian literature, archaeological data such as seals and inscriptions, and the Aramaic magical bowl spells. The final chapters of the book target two specific social contexts—courts of law and magic—where the Jews interacted with other groups. In all, this book demonstrates the rich penetration of Persian imperial society and culture on the Jews of late antique Iran.
Matthew P. Canepa
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780520290037
- eISBN:
- 9780520964365
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520290037.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
The product of a decade of research, The Iranian Expanse is a study of the natural and built environments of power in Persia and the ancient Iranian world from the consolidation of the Achaemenid ...
More
The product of a decade of research, The Iranian Expanse is a study of the natural and built environments of power in Persia and the ancient Iranian world from the consolidation of the Achaemenid Empire in the sixth century BCE to the fall of the Sasanian Empire in the seventh century CE. It analyzes the formation and development of some of the most enduring expressions of power in Persia and the ancient Iranian world: palaces, paradise gardens and hunting enclosures, royal cities, sanctuaries and landscapes marked with a rich history of rock art and ritual activity. It explores how these structures, landscapes and urban spaces constructed and transformed Iranian imperial cosmologies, royal identities, and understandings of the past. While previous studies have often noted startling continuities between the traditions of the Achaemenids and the art and architecture of medieval or Early Modern Islam, they have routinely downplayed or ignored the tumultuous millennium between Alexander and Islam. The first study of its kind, the Iranian Expanse shows how the Seleucids, Arsacids and Sasanians played a transformative role in the development of a new Iranian royal culture that impacted early Islam and the wider Persianate world of such dynasties as the Il-Khans, Safavids, Timurids and Mughals.Less
The product of a decade of research, The Iranian Expanse is a study of the natural and built environments of power in Persia and the ancient Iranian world from the consolidation of the Achaemenid Empire in the sixth century BCE to the fall of the Sasanian Empire in the seventh century CE. It analyzes the formation and development of some of the most enduring expressions of power in Persia and the ancient Iranian world: palaces, paradise gardens and hunting enclosures, royal cities, sanctuaries and landscapes marked with a rich history of rock art and ritual activity. It explores how these structures, landscapes and urban spaces constructed and transformed Iranian imperial cosmologies, royal identities, and understandings of the past. While previous studies have often noted startling continuities between the traditions of the Achaemenids and the art and architecture of medieval or Early Modern Islam, they have routinely downplayed or ignored the tumultuous millennium between Alexander and Islam. The first study of its kind, the Iranian Expanse shows how the Seleucids, Arsacids and Sasanians played a transformative role in the development of a new Iranian royal culture that impacted early Islam and the wider Persianate world of such dynasties as the Il-Khans, Safavids, Timurids and Mughals.
Matthew P. Canepa
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520257276
- eISBN:
- 9780520944572
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520257276.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
Rome and Sasanian Iran's fraught relationship as brothers and enemies was the crucible that forged the late antique Mediterranean, Europe, and western Asia. The end result of their coexistence was ...
More
Rome and Sasanian Iran's fraught relationship as brothers and enemies was the crucible that forged the late antique Mediterranean, Europe, and western Asia. The end result of their coexistence was not just an exchange of cultural material, but a truly global, cross-cultural, and extrareligious language of debate and legitimacy. Despite the collapse of the Sasanian empire and the radical transformation of the Roman empire after the Muslim invasions, the traditions of the earth's two eyes survived this cataclysmic period and endured long after the empires themselves fell. The meeting and melding of Roman and Sasanian practices of kingship shaped the expression of power in the Mediterranean, Near East, Central and South Asia, and China from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century. Despite the destruction of the old order, Rome and Sasanian Iran's relationship indelibly imprinted world politics and symbolics of power for almost a millennium thereafter, serving as a prestigious template for the exercise of power and diplomacy from the Atlantic to Central and South Asia.Less
Rome and Sasanian Iran's fraught relationship as brothers and enemies was the crucible that forged the late antique Mediterranean, Europe, and western Asia. The end result of their coexistence was not just an exchange of cultural material, but a truly global, cross-cultural, and extrareligious language of debate and legitimacy. Despite the collapse of the Sasanian empire and the radical transformation of the Roman empire after the Muslim invasions, the traditions of the earth's two eyes survived this cataclysmic period and endured long after the empires themselves fell. The meeting and melding of Roman and Sasanian practices of kingship shaped the expression of power in the Mediterranean, Near East, Central and South Asia, and China from the Middle Ages to the seventeenth century. Despite the destruction of the old order, Rome and Sasanian Iran's relationship indelibly imprinted world politics and symbolics of power for almost a millennium thereafter, serving as a prestigious template for the exercise of power and diplomacy from the Atlantic to Central and South Asia.
Jason Sion Mokhtarian
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286207
- eISBN:
- 9780520961548
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286207.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores the ties between the Babylonian rabbis and Zoroastrian priests in judicial contexts. After giving a detailed review of the philological background of the two terms that the ...
More
This chapter explores the ties between the Babylonian rabbis and Zoroastrian priests in judicial contexts. After giving a detailed review of the philological background of the two terms that the Talmud uses in reference to the Persian priests (amgosha and chabarim), this chapter then delves into the historical context of Jewish and Persian courts of law in the Sasanian Empire. As demonstrated in the Book of a Thousand Judgments and seals, the Zoroastrian priesthood, which was composed of administrative mowbeds and scholar-priests called herbeds, functioned in numerous capacities in Sasanian society that exhibit both similarities to and differences from the role of the rabbis in Jewish society. This chapter argues that the Jewish courts—and especially the role of the public experts (mumkheh) —were to some degree a subsystem of the Sasanian judicial structure that supported the adjudication of monetary and other noncriminal cases by local non-imperial authorities. In the end, the representations of the Zoroastrian priests in the Babylonian Talmud are illuminated by keeping an eye open toward the social ties between the Jews and Persians in courts of law.Less
This chapter explores the ties between the Babylonian rabbis and Zoroastrian priests in judicial contexts. After giving a detailed review of the philological background of the two terms that the Talmud uses in reference to the Persian priests (amgosha and chabarim), this chapter then delves into the historical context of Jewish and Persian courts of law in the Sasanian Empire. As demonstrated in the Book of a Thousand Judgments and seals, the Zoroastrian priesthood, which was composed of administrative mowbeds and scholar-priests called herbeds, functioned in numerous capacities in Sasanian society that exhibit both similarities to and differences from the role of the rabbis in Jewish society. This chapter argues that the Jewish courts—and especially the role of the public experts (mumkheh) —were to some degree a subsystem of the Sasanian judicial structure that supported the adjudication of monetary and other noncriminal cases by local non-imperial authorities. In the end, the representations of the Zoroastrian priests in the Babylonian Talmud are illuminated by keeping an eye open toward the social ties between the Jews and Persians in courts of law.
Joel Thomas Walker
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520245785
- eISBN:
- 9780520932197
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520245785.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter examines the rhetoric of family relations in Sasanian martyr literature, focusing on the legend of Mar Qardagh. Familial strife is a critical leitmotif of the Qardagh legend, yet there ...
More
This chapter examines the rhetoric of family relations in Sasanian martyr literature, focusing on the legend of Mar Qardagh. Familial strife is a critical leitmotif of the Qardagh legend, yet there has been no previous commentary on this aspect of the legend. En route to his martyrdom, Qardagh separates himself from the obligations invoked by his parents, wife, father-in-law, and other “noble relatives,” only to be executed by his own father. Both the historical and the narrative dimensions of these events require explication. The fierce clash between Qardagh and his father assumes a familiarity with the traditions of Sasanian patriarchy, revealed for instance in Zoroastrian law. The hagiographer understood, and expected his audience to recognize, the normative family structures of the Persian (and “Persianized”) elites of late Sasanian Iraq. Identifying and defining these Sasanian elements clarifies the hagiographer's distinctive rendition of the topos of familial renunciation.Less
This chapter examines the rhetoric of family relations in Sasanian martyr literature, focusing on the legend of Mar Qardagh. Familial strife is a critical leitmotif of the Qardagh legend, yet there has been no previous commentary on this aspect of the legend. En route to his martyrdom, Qardagh separates himself from the obligations invoked by his parents, wife, father-in-law, and other “noble relatives,” only to be executed by his own father. Both the historical and the narrative dimensions of these events require explication. The fierce clash between Qardagh and his father assumes a familiarity with the traditions of Sasanian patriarchy, revealed for instance in Zoroastrian law. The hagiographer understood, and expected his audience to recognize, the normative family structures of the Persian (and “Persianized”) elites of late Sasanian Iraq. Identifying and defining these Sasanian elements clarifies the hagiographer's distinctive rendition of the topos of familial renunciation.
Richard E. Payne
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780520286191
- eISBN:
- 9780520961531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520286191.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This concluding chapter traces the development of the relationship between the Church of the East and the Iranian Empire, which took shape over the course of two centuries. It details how Christians ...
More
This concluding chapter traces the development of the relationship between the Church of the East and the Iranian Empire, which took shape over the course of two centuries. It details how Christians were the unwavering allies of Iran, even potentially more committed to the Sasanian dynasty than the Iranian aristocrats who had abandoned Yazdgird III, the last king of kings. It also discusses the integration of Christian elites and institutions into the imperial network during the reign of Husraw II; East Syrian elites' participation in Iranian political culture; and how East Syrians were as much the heirs of Iran as were their Zoroastrian peers.Less
This concluding chapter traces the development of the relationship between the Church of the East and the Iranian Empire, which took shape over the course of two centuries. It details how Christians were the unwavering allies of Iran, even potentially more committed to the Sasanian dynasty than the Iranian aristocrats who had abandoned Yazdgird III, the last king of kings. It also discusses the integration of Christian elites and institutions into the imperial network during the reign of Husraw II; East Syrian elites' participation in Iranian political culture; and how East Syrians were as much the heirs of Iran as were their Zoroastrian peers.
ZEEV RUBIN
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- January 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199245062
- eISBN:
- 9780191715129
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199245062.003.0011
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
The Res Gestae Diυi Saporis (RGDS) is an extraordinary inscriptional document, an account given by the Sasanian king Shāpūr I (240-271) of his empire, its extent and structure, of some of his ...
More
The Res Gestae Diυi Saporis (RGDS) is an extraordinary inscriptional document, an account given by the Sasanian king Shāpūr I (240-271) of his empire, its extent and structure, of some of his exploits, mainly his wars against the Romans, and of some honours bestowed on distinguished members of the royal court, both living and dead. The name Res Gestae is therefore far from being an accurate description of the nature of this document, since it is appropriate only for one part of it, which by no means intends to cover the whole extent of the king’s exploits. The inscription was set up in three languages: Middle Persian (now much mutilated), Parthian, and Greek. This chapter examines who the Greek-reading destinees of Sasanian royal propaganda in the district of Stakhr were supposed to be and the implications of the use of the Greek language on a royal monument erected at a spot beyond the range of Greek civilisation.Less
The Res Gestae Diυi Saporis (RGDS) is an extraordinary inscriptional document, an account given by the Sasanian king Shāpūr I (240-271) of his empire, its extent and structure, of some of his exploits, mainly his wars against the Romans, and of some honours bestowed on distinguished members of the royal court, both living and dead. The name Res Gestae is therefore far from being an accurate description of the nature of this document, since it is appropriate only for one part of it, which by no means intends to cover the whole extent of the king’s exploits. The inscription was set up in three languages: Middle Persian (now much mutilated), Parthian, and Greek. This chapter examines who the Greek-reading destinees of Sasanian royal propaganda in the district of Stakhr were supposed to be and the implications of the use of the Greek language on a royal monument erected at a spot beyond the range of Greek civilisation.
Garth Fowden
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520236653
- eISBN:
- 9780520929609
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520236653.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
The Quṣayr 'Amra bathing beauty panel was placed right next to the six kings. It now more or less obliges us to suppose that the Umayyads deployed a similar plan in one or more of their grander ...
More
The Quṣayr 'Amra bathing beauty panel was placed right next to the six kings. It now more or less obliges us to suppose that the Umayyads deployed a similar plan in one or more of their grander baths. The Sasanians set an example the Umayyads followed, perhaps in part because the later Sasanian kings' model of perfect beauty had been none other than an Arab girl. Quṣayr 'Amra offers valuable confirmation and illustration of tastes which are also abundantly attested in classical Arabic literature, though the fact that most of these texts reached their present form under the Abbasids often undermines one's confidence in their authenticity as sources for the Umayyad period. It would not have been surprising had Shāh-i Āfrīd's appearance on the wall at Quṣayr 'Amra evoked stories about other princesses too.Less
The Quṣayr 'Amra bathing beauty panel was placed right next to the six kings. It now more or less obliges us to suppose that the Umayyads deployed a similar plan in one or more of their grander baths. The Sasanians set an example the Umayyads followed, perhaps in part because the later Sasanian kings' model of perfect beauty had been none other than an Arab girl. Quṣayr 'Amra offers valuable confirmation and illustration of tastes which are also abundantly attested in classical Arabic literature, though the fact that most of these texts reached their present form under the Abbasids often undermines one's confidence in their authenticity as sources for the Umayyad period. It would not have been surprising had Shāh-i Āfrīd's appearance on the wall at Quṣayr 'Amra evoked stories about other princesses too.
Marcus Milwright
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748623105
- eISBN:
- 9780748671298
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748623105.003.0002
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Methodology and Techniques
This chapter deals with the degree to which the earliest phase of Islamic history (seventh and early eighth centuries) exhibits continuity with the patterns of urban and rural life in the preceding ...
More
This chapter deals with the degree to which the earliest phase of Islamic history (seventh and early eighth centuries) exhibits continuity with the patterns of urban and rural life in the preceding centuries (i.e. late antiquity). The first section deals with the earliest archaeological evidence for the new Muslim community in the seventh century, and concentrates upon monumental inscriptions and texts found on portable objects such as coins and papyri. The second section presents a brief survey of the archaeology of late antiquity in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. The final section is concerned with the elite residences (qusur) constructed in Greater Syria during the late seventh and the first half of the eighth century. The distribution and morphology of these structures is considered in relation to the architectural patronage of other Arab groups between the fifth and the early seventh centuries.Less
This chapter deals with the degree to which the earliest phase of Islamic history (seventh and early eighth centuries) exhibits continuity with the patterns of urban and rural life in the preceding centuries (i.e. late antiquity). The first section deals with the earliest archaeological evidence for the new Muslim community in the seventh century, and concentrates upon monumental inscriptions and texts found on portable objects such as coins and papyri. The second section presents a brief survey of the archaeology of late antiquity in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. The final section is concerned with the elite residences (qusur) constructed in Greater Syria during the late seventh and the first half of the eighth century. The distribution and morphology of these structures is considered in relation to the architectural patronage of other Arab groups between the fifth and the early seventh centuries.
Matthew Canepa
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520257276
- eISBN:
- 9780520944572
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520257276.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History
This study examines a pivotal period in the history of Europe and the Near East. Spanning the ancient and medieval worlds, it investigates the shared ideal of sacred kingship that emerged in the late ...
More
This study examines a pivotal period in the history of Europe and the Near East. Spanning the ancient and medieval worlds, it investigates the shared ideal of sacred kingship that emerged in the late Roman and Persian empires. This shared ideal, while often generating conflict during the four centuries of the empires' coexistence (224–642), also drove exchange, especially the means and methods Roman and Persian sovereigns used to project their notions of universal rule—elaborate systems of ritual and their cultures' visual, architectural, and urban environments. The book explores the artistic, ritual, and ideological interactions between Rome and Iran under the Sasanian dynasty, the last great Persian dynasty before Islam. It analyzes how these two hostile systems of sacred universal sovereignty not only coexisted, but fostered cross-cultural exchange and communication, despite their undying rivalry. Bridging the traditional divide between classical and Iranian history, this book brings to life the dazzling courts of two global powers that deeply affected the cultures of medieval Europe, Byzantium, Islam, South Asia, and China.Less
This study examines a pivotal period in the history of Europe and the Near East. Spanning the ancient and medieval worlds, it investigates the shared ideal of sacred kingship that emerged in the late Roman and Persian empires. This shared ideal, while often generating conflict during the four centuries of the empires' coexistence (224–642), also drove exchange, especially the means and methods Roman and Persian sovereigns used to project their notions of universal rule—elaborate systems of ritual and their cultures' visual, architectural, and urban environments. The book explores the artistic, ritual, and ideological interactions between Rome and Iran under the Sasanian dynasty, the last great Persian dynasty before Islam. It analyzes how these two hostile systems of sacred universal sovereignty not only coexisted, but fostered cross-cultural exchange and communication, despite their undying rivalry. Bridging the traditional divide between classical and Iranian history, this book brings to life the dazzling courts of two global powers that deeply affected the cultures of medieval Europe, Byzantium, Islam, South Asia, and China.
Greg Fisher
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199599271
- eISBN:
- 9780191724992
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199599271.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter examines in detail the political relationship between the Romans and the Arabs, tracing the evident developments in political confidence exhibited by 6th century Arab elites as far back ...
More
This chapter examines in detail the political relationship between the Romans and the Arabs, tracing the evident developments in political confidence exhibited by 6th century Arab elites as far back as the second century. Using the inscriptions of Ruwwafa and Nemara as its starting point, and making use of comparative material addressing the status of barbarians in the western Roman Empire, as well as material from other historical periods, it traces the increasing complexity of relations between Romans and Arabs which culminated in Justinian's elevation of the Jafnid al‐Harith in 527. It explores the importance of North Arabia to Rome and Iran, and the involvement of the kingdom of Himyar with the Hujrid dynasty. Finally, it uses the Treaty of 562 between Rome and the Sasanians to underscore the changes in status accorded to the Jafnids by the time that the Romans decided to eliminate their leader al‐Mundhir in 582.Less
This chapter examines in detail the political relationship between the Romans and the Arabs, tracing the evident developments in political confidence exhibited by 6th century Arab elites as far back as the second century. Using the inscriptions of Ruwwafa and Nemara as its starting point, and making use of comparative material addressing the status of barbarians in the western Roman Empire, as well as material from other historical periods, it traces the increasing complexity of relations between Romans and Arabs which culminated in Justinian's elevation of the Jafnid al‐Harith in 527. It explores the importance of North Arabia to Rome and Iran, and the involvement of the kingdom of Himyar with the Hujrid dynasty. Finally, it uses the Treaty of 562 between Rome and the Sasanians to underscore the changes in status accorded to the Jafnids by the time that the Romans decided to eliminate their leader al‐Mundhir in 582.
