Sasanian Persia: Between Rome and the Steppes of Eurasia

Eberhard Sauer

Published by Edinburgh University Press 2017

Sasanian Persia

Between Rome and the Steppes of Eurasia

Eberhard Sauer

In the series Edinburgh Studies in Ancient Persia

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474401029

Overview
Contents

About this book

Details Persia’s growing military and economic power in the late antique world

The Sasanian Empire (3rd–7th centuries) was one of the largest empires of antiquity, stretching from Mesopotamia to modern Pakistan and from Central Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. This mega-empire withstood powerful opponents in the steppe and expanded further in Late Antiquity, whilst the Roman world shrunk in size. Recent research has revealed the reasons for this success: notably population growth in some key territories, economic prosperity, and urban development, made possible through investment in agriculture and military infrastructure on a scale unparalleled in the late antique world.

Our volume explores the empire’s relations with its neighbours and key phenomena which contributed to its wealth and power, from the empire’s armed forces to agriculture, trade and treatment of minorities. The latest discoveries, notably major urban foundations, fortifications and irrigations systems, feature prominently. An empire whose military might and culture rivalled Rome and foreshadowed the caliphate will be of interest to scholars of the Roman and Islamic world.

Challenges our Eurocentric world view by presenting a Near-Eastern empire whose urban culture and military apparatus rivalled that of Rome
Covers the latest discoveries on foundations, fortifications and irrigation systems
Includes case studies on Sasanian frontier walls and urban culture in the Sasanian Empire

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
List of Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Acknowledgements Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Notes on Contributors Publicly Available Download PDF	xvii
Series Editor’s Preface Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones Publicly Available Download PDF	xx
1. Introduction Eberhard W. Sauer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I. Surplus Production, Urban Growth and the Environment
2. Sasanian Cities: Archaeological Perspectives on the Urban Economy and Built Environment of an Empire John Simpson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
3. Palaeoecological Insights into Agri-Horti-Cultural and Pastoral Practices Before, During and After the Sasanian Empire Lyudmila Shumilovskikh, Morteza Djamali, Valérie Andrieu-Ponel, Philippe Ponel, Jacques-Louis de Beaulieu, Abdolmajid Naderi-Beni and Eberhard W. Sauer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
4. Animal Exploitation and Subsistence on the Borders of the Sasanian Empire: From the Gorgan Wall (Iran) to the Gates of the Alans (Georgia) Marjan Mashkour, Roya Khazaeli, Homa Fathi, Sarieh Amiri, Delphine Decruyenaere, Azadeh Mohaseb, Hossein Davoudi, Shiva Sheikhi and Eberhard W. Sauer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	74
Part II. Frontiers and Frontier Landscapes
5. The Northern and Western Borderlands of the Sasanian Empire: Contextualising the Roman/Byzantine and Sasanian Frontier Dan Lawrence and Tony J. Wilkinson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	97
6. Connectivity on a Sasanian frontier: Route Systems in the Gorgan Plain of North-East Iran Kristen Hopper Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	126
7. The Sasanian Empire and the East: A Summary of the Evidence and its Implications for Rome Warwick Ball Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	151
Part III. Contested Territories and Cultural Contacts Between Persia and Rome
8. Minority Religions in the Sasanian Empire: Suppression, Integration and Relations with Rome Lee E. Patterson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	179
9. A Contested Jurisdiction: Armenia in Late Antiquity Tim Greenwood Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	199
10. Cultural Contacts Between Rome and Persia at the Time of Ardashir I (c. ad 224–40) Pierfrancesco Callieri Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	221
Part IV. Imperial Power Balance and International Relations
11. Innovation and Stagnation: Military Infrastructure and the Shifting Balance of Power Between Rome and Persia Eberhard W. Sauer, Jebrael Nokandeh, Konstantin Pitskhelauri and Hamid Omrani Rekavandi Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	239
12. The Arabian Frontier: A Keystone of the Sasanian Empire Craig Morley Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	268
13. The India Trade in Late Antiquity James Howard-Johnston Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	284
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	305

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Audience: College/higher education;
Pages
- Main content: 336
Illustrations
- Other: 84 B/W illustrations 5 B/W tables
Keywords: Classics & Ancient History

eBook

Published: June 27, 2017
ISBN: 9781474401029