Representation of the Parthians in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Authors

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article then explores older Indo-Iranian roots and Arash’s connection to Mithraic traditions, referencing mythology, historical documents, archaeology such as coins and Parthian paintings, and the use of the term Ayin-e Milad in the Shahnameh.The second part examines Parthian-related heroes and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.

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Publisher: University of Tabriz       Copyright © The Authors   

   

 

This is an open access article distributed under the following Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

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Iranian History of Culture
Volume 2, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 41-62

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History

  • Receive Date: 14 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 02 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 07 October 2025
  • Publish Date: 23 September 2025

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