University of Tabriz
Islamic World Science Citation Center (ISC)
Basir Tariqat Talab, H., Afkhami, B., Rezaloo, R. (2025). Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. , 2(2), 41-62. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2025.67832.1068
Hosein Basir Tariqat Talab; Behroz Afkhami; Reza Rezaloo. "Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh". , 2, 2, 2025, 41-62. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2025.67832.1068
Basir Tariqat Talab, H., Afkhami, B., Rezaloo, R. (2025). 'Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh', , 2(2), pp. 41-62. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2025.67832.1068
Basir Tariqat Talab, H., Afkhami, B., Rezaloo, R. Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. , 2025; 2(2): 41-62. doi: 10.22034/ihc.2025.67832.1068

Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh

تاریخ فرهنگ ایران
Article 3, Volume 2, Issue 2, September 2025, Pages 41-62    PDF (2 M)
Document Type: Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license
DOI: 10.22034/ihc.2025.67832.1068
Authors
Hosein Basir Tariqat Talab* ; Behroz Afkhami; Reza Rezaloo
Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
Abstract
One of the briefest sections of the Shahnameh concerns the Parthian dynasty. This article aims to present a different perspective by examining the representation of the Parthians in this key Iranian text. The study focuses on three main aspects: a) the lineage and history of the Parthians in the Shahnameh compared with modern scholarly accounts of ancient Iran; b) the role of Parthians in the heroic part of the epic; and c) the political system and the list of Parthian kings in the Shahnameh compared to historical sources.In the first section, based on verses of the Shahnameh and the dialogue between Bahram Chubin and Khosrow Parviz, it is argued that “Arash,” identified by Ferdowsi as the ancestor of the Parthians, is the same as Arash the Archer in Islamic-era historiography. The article then explores older Indo-Iranian roots and Arash’s connection to Mithraic traditions, referencing mythology, historical documents, archaeology such as coins and Parthian paintings, and the use of the term Ayin-e Milad in the Shahnameh.The second part examines Parthian-related heroes and families and proposes a new interpretation of the Parthian–Sasanian opposition in the Shahnameh, starting with Manuchehr and Arash and ending with Bahman’s reign and the death of Rustam.Finally, the article compares the Shahnameh’s portrayal of the Parthian political system and king list with modern historiography, noting the conflation of Rome and Greece, despite the historical distinction recognized in Parthian coinage.
Keywords
Parthians; Shahnameh; Ferdowsi; Arash kamangir; Mithraism; Representation in literature
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