32548 - Philology and Religious History of Iran II

Learning outcomes

Cultural history of pre-Islamic Iran (philology, linguistic, literature, religions, socio-political institutions). Readings and commentary of texts (literature, epigraphies) related to the history of the geo-cultural area (Iran and Central Asia). Researches about the cultural heritage of Iran, in past and present, with the aim to provide a bold education in inter-cultural communications and topics.

Course contents

Myth, Religion and Power in Ancient and Late Antique Iran

The course (60 hours) will deal with the cultural history of Zoroastrianism on account of didactic means (bibliography and attachements) to be employed during each lessons. The course is divided in two main sections, especially dealing with the religious and political history of the Achaemenids, the Parthians and the Sassanians

1) The Iranian migration into the Plateau and Middle East; the rise of the Median and the Persians; the heritage of Babilonia and Assyria inside the Iranian empires. Aspects of mythology, epic and religion: the personality of Zarathustra and the Zoroastrian religion, its priestly équipe, the Magi; rituals, wisdom of the Afterlife and the journey of the soul, the problem of evil and salvation. The Persia in Greek sources, between reality, imagination and propaganda. The Achaemenid heritage after Alexandros. Implementation 1: Darius and the fight for the kingdom: royal ideology and the battle against the Rebellion/Lie. Reading of Xerxes'inscriptions.

2) The Zoroastrianism in Parthian age: syncretism and tolerance in the Arsacid kingdom. The rise of the Sassanian dynasty and the Zoroastrianism as religion of the empire; the ideology of kingship and the supernatural charismas of the power. Images of royalty in confrontation: the Persian King of Kings and the Byzantine emperor. Cohabitation and conflict between religions: Manichaeism, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism. Socio-religious moviments of protest: the Mazdakisme. Implementation 2: Narseh's inscription and the fight against the usurpation of the Rebellion/Lie: demonization of the enemy. The royal communication and the endorsement of the court and aristocracy.

Targets of the course:

- for the first part, the teaching are addressed to students involved in Near Eastern and Middle East studies (history, archaeology, art), as a completion of teaching in Archaeology and History of Art of Iran; to students of Greek history, Greek literature, Latin literature (images of the Persians in history, tragedy and comedy).

- for the second part: Oriental studies (Middle East, Central Asia) Hellenism, Roman studies, Late Antiquity, Byzantine studies, Christian studies and High Middle Ages (the heritage of dualism, the so called "neo-manicheism", history of heresis in the Middle Age, Balkans, Byzantine world)

Readings/Bibliography

First part: basic bibliography (see further didactic tools on-web)

J. Wiesehoefer, La Persia antica, Il Mulino, Bologna 2000, pp. 7-82.

A.Piras, "Medi e Persiani: dall'Iran al Mare Egeo", in M. Giangiulio (a cura di), Storia d'Europa e del Mediterraneo: il mondo antico II, vol. III, Salerno, Roma 2007, pp. 305-333.

G. Gnoli, "Le religioni dell'Iran antico e Zoroastro", in G. Filoramo (a cura di), Storia delle religioni, vol. I, Laterza, Bari 1999, pp. 455-498.

Further bibliography (if the student is interested in any particular topic)

R.G. Kent, Old Persian. Grammar, Texts, Lexicon, New Haven 1953.

P.O. Skjaervo, "Avestan Quotations in Old Persian? Literary Sources of the Old Persian Inscriptions", in S. Shaked-A. Netzer (eds.), Irano-Judaica IV, Jerusalem 1999, pp. 1-64.

P. Lecoq, Les inscriptions de la Perse achéménide, Paris 1997.

G. Pugliese Carratelli, Gli editti di Ashoka, Milano 2003.

N. Sims-Williams e J. Cribb, A New Bactrian Inscription of Kanishka the Great, Kamakura (Silk Road Art and Studies IV) 1995-1996.

R.N. Frye, The History of Ancient Iran, Muenchen 1984.

R.N. Frye, The Heritage of Persia, Costa Mesa California 1993.

P. Briant, Histoire de l'empire perse, Fayard 1998.

D. Asheri, Tra Ellenismo e Iranismo, Bologna 1983.

A. Panaino, "Greci e Iranici: confronto e conflitti, in S. Settis (a cura di), I Greci. Storia, cultura, arte, società, Torino 2001, pp. 79-136.

A. Piras, "I Magi persiani", in I Tre Saggi e la Stella. Mito e realtà dei Re Magi, Rimini 1999, pp. 7-30.

M. Boyce, A History of Zoroastrianism II: under the Achaemenians, Leiden-Koeln 1982.

M. Boyce, F. Grenet, A History of Zoroastrianism III: under the Macedonian and Roman Rule, London-New York 1991.

N. Sins-Williams, "Le lingue iraniche", in A.Giacalone Ramat e P.Ramat (a cura di), Le lingue indoeuropee, Il Mulino, Bologna 1993.

R. Cantarella, "La Persia nella letteratura greca"; e E. Paratore, "La Persia nella letteratura latina" in La Persia e il mondo-greco-romano, Atti dei convegni della Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma 1966

 

Second part: basic bibliography (see further didactic tools on web)

J. Wiesehoefer, La Persia antica, Il Mulino, Bologna 2022, pp. 83-121.

G. Gnoli, "La religione zoroastriana", in G. Filoramo (a cura di), Storia delle religioni vol. I, Laterza, Bari 1999, pp. 455-498.

G. Gnoli. "L'Iran tardoantico e la regalità sassanide", in Mediterraneo Antico I, 1, 1998, pp. 115-139.

 

further bibliography (if the student is interested in any particular topic)

R.C. Zaehner, Il libro del consiglio di Zarathustra e altri testi, Roma 1976.

A. Bausani, Persia religiosa: da Zaratustra a Baha'u'llah, Cosenza 1998.

A. Bausani, Testi religiosi zoroastriani, Milano 1957.

C.G. Cereti, La letteratura pahlavi, Milano 2001.

W.B. Henning, Il medioiranico, a cura di E. Filippone, Istituto Universitario Orientale, Napoli 1996.

G. Gnoli, The Idea of Iran. En Essay on its Origin, Rome 1989.

A. Panaino, La Novella degli Scacchi e della Tavola Reale, Milano 1999.

P. Huyse, Die dreisprachige Inschrift Shabuhrs I. an der Ka'ba-i Zardusht (ShKZ), vol. I-II, London 1999.

H. Humbach-P. O. Skjaervo, The Sassanian Inscription of Paikuli, vol. I-III, Wiesbaden 1978-1983.

P. Gignoux, Les quatre inscriptions du mage Kirdir, Paris 1991.

G. Pugliese Carratelli, "La Persia dei Sasanidi nella storiografia romana da Ammiano a Procopio"; A. Pertusi, "La Persia nelle fonti bizantine del secolo VII", in La Persia nel Medioevo, Atti dei convegni, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Roma 1971.

H.-J. Polotsky, Il Manicheismo. Gnosi di salvezza tra Egitto e Cina, Rimini 1996.

G.Gnoli, con l'assistenza di A. Piras, (a cura di), Il Manicheismo vol. I. Mani e il Manicheismo, Milano 2003; vol. II. Il mito e la dottrina: i testi manichei copti e la polemica antimanichea, Milano 2006; vol. III. Il mito e la dottrina: testi manichei dell'Asia Centrale e della Cina, Milano 2008.

 

Teaching methods

two hours of lesson, three times a week; discussion about the proposed bibliography; reading, explication and commentary of the didactic tools. Probable employ of power-point and slides.

Assessment methods

The examination concerns in a discussion, to verify the learning skills and achievements of the student. The discussion points to verify the level of mental organization of the matter, the skilfullness in the discourse (ability of argumentation) and the wide-range of a perspective of analysis facing the different periods of history (Antiquity, Late Antiquity, Middle Age) wherein the teaching is structured.

The student must carry the PDF of didactic tools used during the course, with the aim to going into details of whatsoever item.

Teaching tools

a part the bibliography and the file of didactic papers (delivered to the Faculty library), the students have to download the didactic PDF of the first and/or of the second session of the course. On PDF, the number "I" is related to the first session, the number "II" to the second one. Everybody must download for reading the file "GUIDA". The download of the didactic materials is available at the page of the teaching.

Office hours

See the website of Andrea Piras