Myth and History in Ancient Persia - (Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia) by Reza Shaghaghi Zarghamee (Hardcover)

About the Book

Traces ancient Iranian mythical-legendary traditions within classical sources on Median and Persian royalty.

Book Synopsis

This book fills an important gap in Achaemenid studies by using traditional Iranian narratives, such as those found in the famous Shahnameh, or 'Book of Kings', of Ferdowsi, to analyse the Greco-Roman accounts of Median and Persian royalty. The study shows that the classical authors derived their accounts from Iranian traditions, grounded in age-old myths and legends. This analysis serves many purposes. It refines the extent to which the classical sources may be used in historical reconstructions and sheds new light on the literary methods of authors, such as Herodotus, Ctesias, and Xenophon. Finally, the book offers insights into one of the thorniest enigmas in Iranian historiography, the apparent disappearance of Illustrious rulers like Cyrus II, Darius I, and Xerxes I from native historical traditions. Standing at the crossroads of Iranian studies and Classics, this book is an indispensable source for scholars of ancient Iran, Greek historiography, and the Shahnameh.

Review Quotes

This book by Reza Zarghamee, Myth and History in Ancient Persia, is yet another radiant entry in Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia. What is particularly admirable about the book is its almost uncanny precision and clarity in dealing with the complex diversity of primary sources centering on the self-presentation of the imperial civilization of ancient Medes and Persians.--Olga M. Davidson, Boston University