Ancient Iran Profile picture
Feb 25, 2023 5 tweets 3 min read Read on X
Don't just compare #Cyrus the Great (کوروش بزرگ
; 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁) to rulers before him

This is not a convenient fact, so it's is ignored by modern authors: Compare him to what came after:

Romans had no issues destroying what there was in Britain, Germany...: old beliefs...

⤵️ Pasargadae
See e.g., Boudican revolt.

Centuries later authors had to invent the magical world of "western civilization" by connecting Greece to Rome, Rome to various parts of the world. Now it's basically skin color & religion that connect such widely different cultures in

⤵️ https://andrewmtanner.medium.com/the-sick-myth-of-western-ci
Hungary to Scotland, But can't let Turkey into EU cause they're not Christian & white enough!

Arabs had no issues force converting Egyptians, Central Asians... to Islam, and forcing people to speak Arabic in various places. They didn't need to write a cylinder to pretend!

⤵️ Arabs besieging the city of Samarkand, captured in 722 CE. PModern statue of Devashtich in Penjikent, Tajikistan
Mongols had NO issues destroying everything and murdering everyone, No issues I assure you.

White people had No issues murdering, raping, robbing land, force converting indigenous people all over the world, among other atrocities.

England had no issues destroying

⤵️
cultures & places in name of "civilizing" societies.

Cyrus & the Persians Respected other cultures, other religions. Cyrus Respected other people. He had no reason to "pretend"

This is not Convenient for writers today, so they have to go to great lengths to Rewrite "history". Not saying this is depiction of Cyrus, but it is from Pasarg

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More from @iran_antigua

Mar 30
Rhytons are rather rare in Sasanian Iran. But one known shape shared with others in Central Asia as well is the compact horn & gazelle's head protome

This one only entered the Smithsonian in the 80s, though it was known since the 60s ... ⤵️ https://asia.si.edu/explore-art-culture/collections/search/edanmdm:fsg_S1987.33/
Based on the analysis in "Ancient Iranian metalwork in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art" it's likely early Sasanian

In any event, similar ones were used for centuries in West & Central Asia

Partho-Sasanian rhyton, excavated @ Babylon ... Image
Rhyton in private collection, Russia ... Image
Read 7 tweets
Jan 7
Achaemenid amphora & amphora-rhytons

Depiction: Armenian delegation, Persepolis

⤵️🧵 Image
Other depictions @ Persepolis:

1: Armenian
2: Lydian
4: Medes


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Amphora with griffin handles, Karaburun ...
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Read 15 tweets
Sep 13, 2023
Some additional notes on Sasanian instruments, from the MP text Khosrow and Ridak:

A) This instrument is the barbat (with later changes called oud (photo 3)), not "win"/ ون, I made detailed notes on it in multiple threads



Image
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B) Some sources note "win" and "win-kenār" are types of harp, e.g.,

بررسی ابزار موسیقی دوره ی ساسانی بر پایه ی متن پهلوی خسرو قبادان و ریدگ

Although some sources note these could be instruments from India

Azarnouche translates the first 3 to French as... Image
"Le joueur de (petite) harpe, le joueur de harpe (droite?), le joueur de lyre"

C) An interesting consideration is this: could we use the maxim of interpretation/ construction Noscitur a Sociis: “know a thing by its associates”?

It would make sense for tambur and barbat Image
Read 7 tweets
Jun 18, 2023
Achaemenid Royal Audience Scene, inside shield of Persian soldier on so-called 'Alexander Sarcophagus'

4th C BCE, from Sidon, @ Istanbul Archaeology Museums, Photos: Fluorescent UV & Reconstruction

⤵️ Imagehttps://www.metmuseum.org/a...
An older drawing without some of the details (1);

There are parallels, precedents to #Achaemenid royal scenes in Assyrian, Elamite, other Near Eastern art. Drawing in photo 2 for example is likely of an older, Elamite seal which continued to be used in Achaemenid court

⤵️ ImageImage
We see examples of this royal audience scene @ Persepolis, here reconstructed from the fuller image @ Apadana, and another modern recreation @ Zinat al-Molk House

⤵️ ImageImage
Read 9 tweets
Jun 17, 2023
History of Dogs in Iran

Treatment of dogs was very different in ancient Iran. They were considered beneficial, helpful animals and were to be treated well.

Photo: Persian hound or Saluki, 16th C CE

⤵️🧵 Image
I started this research to show Simurgh should not be called the "dog-bird". Along the way, I found ancient & modern breeds across the Near East and Central Asia regions, with a lot of continuity

For example see these Assyrian (1-3) & old Babylonian examples (@britishmuseum) ImageImageImageImage
likely hounds and the last one in the last tweet being an older type of mastiff

Also consider this Kassite Mastiff, @metmuseum

⤵️ ImageImage
Read 30 tweets
Jun 10, 2023
Study of Colour in #Sasanian Iran

We have enough reference materials for study & recreation of colours in Parthian-Sasanian eras

Photo: Etchmiadzin Gospels, likely 6-7 C CE depiction of 3 magi

⤵️ Image
Together with refs to royal colours, like Hamza al-Isfahani's Tarīk̲h̲ sinī mulūk al-arḍ wa ’l-anbiyā, we can work on recreating colours of that era

I've talked about colours in Achaemenid era, though that needs updating. Previous threads on motifs etc:
Some references from Parthian era: we can certainly assume the colours did not change in Sasanian era, and like many other ways, the same colours were used later on as well

Ref 1: Parthian era textile with colours like purple

⤵️ Image
Read 43 tweets

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