Bibliographia Iranica

A predominantly bibliographic blog for Iranian Studies

  • Lecture series: Visual and Spatial Cultures of Power in Iran between Alexander and Islam

    Matthew Canepa, University of Minnesota (Minneapolis), will deliver a series of four lectures at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris.

    Les cultures visuelles et spatiales du pouvoir en Iran entre Alexandre et l’Islam

    • Mercredi 1er juin 2016, 17h-19h
      Rebâtir le passé perse et imaginer de nouvelles identités iraniennes
    • Mercredi 8 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      L’image royale en Iran après Alexandre
    • Mercredi 15 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      Les espaces du pouvoir iranien : palais, jardins et paysage
    • Mercredi 22 juin 2016, 17h-19h
      La scène mondiale

    Source: Matthew CANEPA | École Pratique des Hautes Études

  • The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion

    Pendleton, Elizabeth,  Touraj Daryaee, Michael Alram & Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis (eds.). 2016. The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Proceeding of a Conference Held in Vienna, 14-16 June 2012.  Oxbow Books.

    Although much of the primary information about the Parthian period comes from coins, there has been much new research undertaken over the past few decades into wider aspects of both the Parthian and Sasanian Empires including the  Arsacid Parthians, and their material culture. Despite a change of ruling dynasty, the two empires were closely connected and cannot be regarded as totally separate entities. The continuation of Parthian influence particularly into the early Sasanian period cannot be disputed. An historic lack of detailed information arose partly through the relative lack of excavated archaeological sites dating to the Parthian period in Iran and western scholars’ lack of knowledge of recent excavations and their results that are usually published in Persian, coupled with the inevitable difficulties for academic research engendered by the recent political situation in the region. Although an attempt has been made by several scholars in the west to place this important Iranian dynasty in its proper cultural context, the traditional GrecoRoman influenced approach is still prevalent.  The present volume presents 15 papers covering various aspects of Parthian and early Sasanian history, material culture, linguistics and religion which demonstrate a rich surviving heritage and provide many new insights into ideology, royal genealogy, social organisation, military tactics, linguistic developments and trading contacts.

    Table of Contents

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  • New issue of Anabasis

    Anabasis Anabasis. Studia Classica et Orientalia vol. 6 (2015).

    The sixth issue of ANABASIS: Studia Classica et Orientalia is published by department of Ancient History and Oriental Studies, Institute of History at Rzeszów University.

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  • Judeo-Persian Literature

    Iran Name 1,2Iran Nameh, New Series, Volume 1, Number 2 (Summer 2016)

    The second issue of Iran Nameh, New Series, Volume 1, Number 2 (Summer 2016), a memorial volume in honour of Professor Amnon Netzer (1934-2008), the Iranian-Jewish historian and researcher of Iranian Jewry and Judeo-Persian Literature is published. The volume comprises bilingual Persian and English contributions on different aspects of Judeo-Persian Literature and Iranian Jewry.

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  • E’temad al-Saltaneh’s Nativisation of the Qajars

    Daryaee, Touraj. 2016. Persianate Contribution to the Study of Antiquity: E’temad al-Saltaneh’s Nativisation of the Qajars, Iran, LIVI.I, 39-45.
    This essay discusses the contribution of the Iranians to the understanding of their own past and how the Qajars attempted to place themselves within the ancient history of their realm. The first Iranian archaeological excavations and study of monuments and history are analysed and it is concluded that the choice of the Arsacid empire as an ancestor of the Qajars was part of their efforts to become nativised and connected with Iran’s distant past

  • History and Culture of the Ancient Near East

    DiwanBinder, Carsten, Henning Börm & Andreas Luther (eds.). 2016. Diwan. Untersuchungen zu Geschichte und Kultur des Nahen Ostens und des östlichen Mittelmeerraumes im Altertum. Festschrift für Josef Wiesehöfer zum 65. Geburtstag. Duisburg: Wellem Verlag.

    This volume presents a collection of 32 articles contributed by historians, numismatists and scholar of Ancient Near East history and historiography in celebration of Josef Wiesehöfer 65th birthday.

    Table of Contents:

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  • Darius III: The Last Great King

    Safaee, Yazdan. 2016. Darius III: The Last Great King. Tehran: Hamisheh.

    In comparison to his Macedonian antagonist, Darius III has attracted less attention. The present work is an analysis of the events leading to his reign.The author also deals with problems Darius was facing before Alexander’s attacks, and then the battles between the two armies which led to the end of the Empire.

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  • Folly and Violence in the Court of Alexander the Great and his Successors?

    Howe, Time & Sabine Müller (eds.). 2016. Folly and Violence in the Court of Alexander the Great and his Successors?. Bochum & Freiburg: Projekt verlag.

    The ancient Greco-Roman sources on the history of Alexander III and the Successors contain numerous epi­sodes on diverse forms of Macedonian violence. Viewed from a mocking, moralistic perspective, the Macedonians served as a distorted mirror in which Greeks and Romans asserted their identities. The theme of Macedonian violence was also present in Greek comedy. This volume explores four case studies aiming at the deconstruction of these Greco-Roman topoi. The articles examine images of the Macedonians, Alexander, and Demetrius Poliorcetes analyzing the dimensions and expressions of Greco-Roman bias and its socio-political background.

    Table of contents

    • Time Howe & Sabine Müller: “Introduction: Does the cliché suffice?”
    • Sulochana Asirvatham: “Youthful Folly and Intergenerational Violence in Greco-Roman Narratives on Alexander the Great”
    • Matti Borchert: “Between Debauchery and Ludicrousness – Alexander the Great and the Golden Plane Tree”
    • Sabine Müller: “Make It Big: The ‘New Decadence’ of the Macedonians under Alexander in Greco-Roman Narratives“
    • Frances Pownall: “Folly and Violence in Athens Under the Successors”
    • The Editors and Contributors

     

  • An unusual Khotanese terracotta head from the Sherabad oasis

    Stančo, Ladislav. 2015. An unusual Khotanese terracotta head from the Sherabad oasis. Studia Hercynia XIX(1). 218–226.

    This paper deals with a newly found terracotta head from the Sherabad District, southern Uzbekistan. Its probable origin in the eastern Turkestan region of Khotan as well as its iconographic peculiarities and their interpretation is discussed.

  • Sources of the Indo-Iranian Liturgies

    To the sources of the Indo-Iranian Liturgies

    June 9th and 10th 2016, University of Liege

    International conference to be held at the department of “Langues et religions du monde indo-iranien ancien” at the University of Liege. This conference is organized by Philippe Swennen, Céline Redard and Hamid Moein and will take place on June 9th and 10th.

    Programme:

    • J. Kellens: “Ahu, mainiiu, ratu“
    • A. Cantera: “The threefold structure of the Long Liturgy and its daily times of celebration”
    • J. Jurewicz: “Fire and the immortal self. The meaning of Vedic sacrifice”
    • N. Nishimura: “On the first mantra section of the Yajurveda-Saṁhitā”
    • Ph. Swennen: “Lecture de l’ājyaśastra“
    • K. Amano: “What is ‘knowledge’ justifying a ritual action? Uses of yá evám véda / yá ev vidván in the Maitrāyaṇī Samhitā”
    • C. Redard: “Les  āfrīnagāns”
    • A. Panaino: “Mysteries and dangers of the Mazdean Nocturnal Liturgy”
    • A. Hintze: “Rejected Ritual Practices”
    • M. Hale: “Interpreting the Indo-Iranian Tradition of the Gathas: the evidence of the Pahlavi and Sanskrit translations”
    • E. Doyama: “Reflections on YH 40,1 from the Perspective of Indo-Iranian Culture”
    • H. Moein: “Ritual Instructions in the Rivayats”
    • M.Á. Andrés-Toledo: “The Vedic and the Avestan Investitures with the Sacred Girdle”
    • G. König: “daēnā, xratu and the mystical view. Some considerations to Alberto Cantera’s essay ‘Talking with god’”
    • J. Ferrer: “La récitation de l’alphabet avestique dans les rituels : innovation ou archaïsme?”
    • J. Houben: “The Indo-Iranian tradition and ancient Indian ritual and conceptual innovations”
    • T. Goto: “Bergung des gesunkenen Sonnenlichts im Rigveda und Avesta”
    • É. Pirart: “L’idée d’hospitalité dans le sacrifice indo-iranien”