The Idea of Iran, volume II: The Age of the Parthians

173 Pages·2007·2.66 MB·English

by  Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis

The Age of the Parthians
This Volume is dedicated to the memory of

A. Shapur Shahbazi

(1942-2006)
The Age of the Parthians

The Idea of Iran

Volum e II

Edited By

Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis
and
Sarah Stewart

in association with The London Middle East Institute at SOAS
and
The British Museum
Published in 2007 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.ibtauris.com

In the United States of America and Canada distributed by
Palgrave Macmillan a division of St. Martin’s Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010

Copyright © London Middle East Institute, 2007

The right of Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis & Sarah Stewart to be identified as
editors of this work has been asserted by the editors in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patent Act 1988.

The publication of this book was generously supported by the Soudavar
Memorial Foundation.

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any
part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher.

ISBN 978 1 84511 406 0

The Idea of Iran Vol. 2

A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number: available

Typeset by P. Fozooni

Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow,
Cornwall from camera-ready copy edited and supplied by the editors
Contents

List of Figures vi
Acknowledgements ix
Map of the Parthian Empire x
Introduction 1
1 - The Iranian Revival in the Parthian Period 7
2 - Gondophares and the Indo-Parthians 26
3 - Fars under Seleucid and Parthian Rule 37
4 - Friend and Foe: the Orient in Rome 50
5 - Parthia in China: a Re-examination of the Historical Records 87
6 - The Videvdad: its Ritual-Mythical Significance 105
List of Abbreviations 142
Bibliography 143
List of Figures

Gold coin of Andragoras 7
Silver coin of ArsacesI 8

Silver coin of satrap Tissaphernes 8
Silver coin of satrap Autophradates 8
Silver coin of satrap Tarkamuwa (Datames) 9
Silver coins of Mithradates I (Mihrdad) 9
Silver coin of Mithradates I (Mihrdad) 10
Silver coin of Kamnaskires I of Elymais 10
Silver coin of Artabanus (Ardavan) I 11
Silver coins of Mithradates (Mihrdad) II 12
Silver coin of Phraates (Farhad) IV 13
Silver coin of Artabanus (Ardavan) IV 14
Sasanian rock-relief of Ardashir I at Naqsh-i Rustam, Iran 14
Silver coin of Ardashir I 15
Silver coin of Artabanus (Ardavan) II 17
Silver coin of “unknown King”, perhaps Darius of Media Atropatene 17
Gold coins of Kanishka I 17
Silver coin of Bagadates of Persis (Pars) 18
Sliver coin of Kamnaskires and Anzaze of Elymais 19
Bronze coins of Elymais, southwestern Iran 20
Silver coins of Persis (Pars) 22
Coloured lithograph of King Otto of Greece 52
Statue of Augustus, from the imperial villa of Livia at Prima Porta. 55
Statue of Augustus. Detail of the Roman and the Parthian. 55
Bronze statue of a Parthian prince from Shami 56
Fragment of a monumental relief. A Parthian fights against Romans (not 57
extant). From Rome, c. CE 60
Ivory frieze. Captive Parthians in front of Trajan(?) and Roman soldiers. 58
From Ephesus
Relief of local stone. A Parthian proffers gold bars. From Coblenz, c. CE 59
170
Two bars of gold of Valentian I. From Czófalva, Romania. 59
Glass gem. Two kneeling Parthians present Roman standards to Victory 61
Marble table-leg. Oriental servant with wine ladle. From Pompeii, Casa 62
del Camillo (VII.12.22-27, room “e”), c. CE 50-70
Stone figure. Parthian servant with jug and wine ladle. From Palmyra 62
Statue made of “marmor Phrygium”. Ganymede in the clutches of Zeus’ 64
eagle. From the villa in Sperlonga
Reconstruction of the grotto at the villa in Sperlonga, showing the statue 64
of Ganymede
Rome, Ara Pacis Augustae. Relief to the right of the main entrance. 65
Aeneas, behind him Iulus/Ascanius
Rome, plan of the Forum Augustum 66
Marble relief. Aeneas carrying his father Anchises and holding the hand of 67
his son Iulus/Ascanius. In the background Aphrodite
Grand Camée de France made of sardonyx. In the centre Tiberius and 69
Livia seated, above them Iulus/Ascanius in Oriental dress carrying Divus
Augustus
Statue made of “marmor Phrygium”. Kneeling Oriental. From Rome 71
Reconstruction of a victory monument (now lost). Originally in Rome and 71
Athens. Three kneeling Orientals made of “marmor Phrygium” carrying a
bronze tripod
Reconstruction of the Delphian tripod. Dedicated at the sanctuary of 72
Apollo at Delphi
Torso made of “marmor Phrygium”. Standing Oriental (“telamon”) 73
originally shown in the gesture of support. From Rome, Basilica Aemilia
Reconstruction of the support gesture of the standing Oriental from the 73
Basilica Aemilia
Marble relief. Two Oriental “telamons” support the inscription of a 74
Roman magistrate. From Nuceria Alfertana
Wall painting. Attis holding a sickle in his right hand 77
Wall painting. Mithras subdues the bull 77
Acknowledgements

The editors would like to thank a number of people whose assistance in the
planning and production of this volume has been invaluable. In particular, Mrs.
Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian, Narguess Farzad, Elizabeth Pendleton,
Elizabeth Errington and Louise Hosking. We are also grateful to Mr
Mohammad-Reza Kargar, the Director of the National Museum of Iran, Tehran,
for allowing us to use the photograph of the Shami bronze statue.
We would also like to thank Dr Parvis Fozooni for his expert handling of the
text and for typesetting and formatting the book. Without his generous support,
these volumes would not materialise.
We are grateful to Iradj Bagherzade, Alex Wright, Nicola Denny and
Elizabeth Munns for their help in producing the publication.
Finally, we are indebted to the Soudavar Memorial for their sponsorship of
the lecture series.