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The Idea of Iran #2
The Age of the Parthians
The Parthians were nomadic horse-warriors who left few written records, concentrating rather on a rich oral and storytelling tradition. What knowledge we have of this remarkable people derives primarily from their coinage, which mixed Hellenism with Persian influences. In this book, distinguished scholars examine - from a variety of perspectives--the origins of the Parthians, their history, religion and culture, as well as perceptions of their empire through the lens of both imperial Rome and China.
Charting over 1000 years of history, The Idea of Iran series offers a significant new appraisal of one the most fascinating, but also (at least in the West) relatively little known, of the great civilizations of antiquity. Comprising four substantial volumes, which have emerged from a series of seminars held under the joint auspices of the London Middle East Institute and the British Museum, and supported by the Soudavar Memorial Foundation, the series explores the empires which have shaped the culture of Iran. Beginning with the Achaemenid dynasty of Cyrus the Great, which founded Persian imperial rule in the middle of the sixth century BCE, the series goes on to examine, amongst other key topics, the society, religion, and government of ancient Iran under the Parthians, Sasanians and the Arab rulers of the early Islamic period. The Idea of Iran will be mandatory reading for all serious scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Iranian history.
Charting over 1000 years of history, The Idea of Iran series offers a significant new appraisal of one the most fascinating, but also (at least in the West) relatively little known, of the great civilizations of antiquity. Comprising four substantial volumes, which have emerged from a series of seminars held under the joint auspices of the London Middle East Institute and the British Museum, and supported by the Soudavar Memorial Foundation, the series explores the empires which have shaped the culture of Iran. Beginning with the Achaemenid dynasty of Cyrus the Great, which founded Persian imperial rule in the middle of the sixth century BCE, the series goes on to examine, amongst other key topics, the society, religion, and government of ancient Iran under the Parthians, Sasanians and the Arab rulers of the early Islamic period. The Idea of Iran will be mandatory reading for all serious scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Iranian history.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 20, 2021
نادیده گرفتن دوران اشکانی فقط به محققان غربی محدود نمی شود. درواقع ساسانیان سهم قابل توجهی در دیدگاه نادرست و تحریف شده از دوره چهارصد ساله تاریخ و سنت پارتی داشته اند. نه در کتاب خدای نامه و نه در اثر متاخرتر، شاهنامه فردوسی، چیز زیادی درباره پارتیان گفته نمی شود. در شاهنامه فقط سی وهفت بیت به پادشاهان کوچک و بی اهمیت اشکانیان اختصاص یافته درحالی که تاریخ حماسی یا پهلوانی شاهنامه به دوره پارتیان برمی گردد. این کتاب مجموعه مقالاتی است که در گردهمایی موسسه مطالعات شرقی و افریقایی پانزده سال پیش خوانده شده است . بیشتر نویسندگان این مقالات درباره جنبه هایی از دوران پارتی براساس شواهد و مدارکی جدید بحث می کنند که از حوزه های هنر و سکه شناسی، باستان شناسی و اسناد تاریخی به دست آمده است. مجموعه این مقاله ها نشان می دهد که بسیاری از مواردی که به ساسانیان نسبت داده می شود، اصلا ریشه در دوران پارتیان دارد.
دریکی ازمقالات ازنسبت قهرمانان اسطوره ای چون رستم با خاندان سورن درسیستان صحبت میکند .
سه مقاله هم درباره ارتباط پارتیان با چین ، روم و پارتیان درقلمرو هند است که جالب است :
مردمانش به زبانهای مختلفی صحبت میکنند اما می توانندحرفهای یکدیگررابفهمند.این اقوام همگی چشمانی گود وفرورفته دارند. پرنده های عجیب شبیه به اسب دارند ( شترمرغ )که تخم آنها مانند یک خمره یاکوزه دهان گشاداست .این کشور به خاطر ساحرانش ( مغان ) شهرت دارد.
بسیاری ازسفیران داستانهایی رابرای تحت تاثیرقراردادن امپراتورچین ازخودمی ساختند بدون آنکه واقعیتی درپشت این داستانها وجودداشته باشد
درمقاله مربوط به "روم " از قول آنها بارها به " جوانان زیباروی شرقی " اشاره می شود که برای من شبهه برانگیز وموردسوال بود. عکسهایی هم ازسکه های زیبای پارتی واشکانی چاپ شده است . بعضی اسامی پادشاهان هم بسیارسخت بود:)
دریکی ازمقالات ازنسبت قهرمانان اسطوره ای چون رستم با خاندان سورن درسیستان صحبت میکند .
سه مقاله هم درباره ارتباط پارتیان با چین ، روم و پارتیان درقلمرو هند است که جالب است :
مردمانش به زبانهای مختلفی صحبت میکنند اما می توانندحرفهای یکدیگررابفهمند.این اقوام همگی چشمانی گود وفرورفته دارند. پرنده های عجیب شبیه به اسب دارند ( شترمرغ )که تخم آنها مانند یک خمره یاکوزه دهان گشاداست .این کشور به خاطر ساحرانش ( مغان ) شهرت دارد.
بسیاری ازسفیران داستانهایی رابرای تحت تاثیرقراردادن امپراتورچین ازخودمی ساختند بدون آنکه واقعیتی درپشت این داستانها وجودداشته باشد
درمقاله مربوط به "روم " از قول آنها بارها به " جوانان زیباروی شرقی " اشاره می شود که برای من شبهه برانگیز وموردسوال بود. عکسهایی هم ازسکه های زیبای پارتی واشکانی چاپ شده است . بعضی اسامی پادشاهان هم بسیارسخت بود:)
February 24, 2023
The Age of the Parthians was a refreshing and enjoyable read. Aside from the infamous annihilation of the Roman forces under Crassus, Parthian Iran is often glossed over in comparison with the revolutionary Achaemenids and the resurgent superpower that was Sasanian Iran.
This collection of essays offers a broad overview of the Parthian confederation, covering everything from its rise against Seleucid supremacy to its relations with eastern and western neighbours Rome and China. An examination of numismatic evidence reconstructs the reign of kings and the gradual, albeit incomplete, Iranisation of a homeland heavily influenced by Hellenism. It would be the Sasanian successors who'd complete this process in a fusion of church and state that mirrored Constantine's Rome.
The old Avestan texts, a language already difficult and somewhat confusing for the Middle Persian authors who collated the texts in the wake of the Islamic Conquests, is the focus of the final chapter of the book. Although Zarathustra's reforms heavily diverted the core of the faith away from a common Indo-Iranian root, it did not relegate the gods completely into a hierarchy that made Zoroastrianism the world's oldest monotheistic faith.
This collection of essays offers a broad overview of the Parthian confederation, covering everything from its rise against Seleucid supremacy to its relations with eastern and western neighbours Rome and China. An examination of numismatic evidence reconstructs the reign of kings and the gradual, albeit incomplete, Iranisation of a homeland heavily influenced by Hellenism. It would be the Sasanian successors who'd complete this process in a fusion of church and state that mirrored Constantine's Rome.
The old Avestan texts, a language already difficult and somewhat confusing for the Middle Persian authors who collated the texts in the wake of the Islamic Conquests, is the focus of the final chapter of the book. Although Zarathustra's reforms heavily diverted the core of the faith away from a common Indo-Iranian root, it did not relegate the gods completely into a hierarchy that made Zoroastrianism the world's oldest monotheistic faith.
March 31, 2023
همیشه ایده های جدید درباره گذشته ای که قطعی فرضش میکردیم میتونه شگفت انگیز باشه. من با مقالات این کتاب دید تازه ای به تاریخ باستان پیدا کردم
لینک در طاقچه:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.taag...
لینک در طاقچه:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.taag...
December 19, 2025
Great collection of articles of a diverse set of interests about Parthia. Some were relevant to my interests, others were more tangential. Unfortunately there is very little information to go off of, and this work does a great job illustrating why that is, and what is available, and what we can learn from it. Definitely a work for those who are already familiar with the subject.
May 18, 2023
A collection of articles on the Parthian empire by several writers and edited by the venerable Mr. Vesta Sarkhosh. Some articles were good but overall the collection is lacklustre.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews