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Tags: History, Lang:en
Summary
Includes pictures
During the first half of the 1st millennium CE, an empire
arose in Persia that extended its power and influence to
Mesopotamia in the east, Arabia in the south, the Caucasus
Mountains in the north, and as far east as India. This empire,
known alternatively as the Sasanian Empire or Sassanid Empire,
was the last of three great dynasties in Persia—the
Achaemenid and the Parthian being the first two
dynasties—before the rise of Islam. In fact, many
scholars consider the Sasanian Empire to be the last great
empire of the ancient Near East because once it had been
obliterated, Islam became the standard religion of the region,
ushering in the Middle Ages. The Sasanian Empire was important for a number of reasons.
Besides being the last of three great Persian dynasties, they
carried on many Persian cultural traditions relating to
religion and kingship. The Sasanians fostered and promoted the
native religion of Zoroastrianism to the point of persecuting
other religions from time to time. It was during the Sasanian
period that the numerous Zoroastrian hymns, prayers, and
rituals were collected under one book, known as the Avesta.
The Sasanians, like the Achaemenids and Parthians, also
carried forth the Persian conflicts with the Hellenic world.
Although the Achaemenids fought the Macedonian Greeks and the
Parthians challenged the imperial Romans for control of
Mesopotamia, the Sasanians faced Rome in its later stages of
collapse and subsequently fought the revitalized Byzantine
Empire. An examination of Sasanian chronology and culture
reveals that it was a much more important dynasty and empire
than most may think. The Sassanid Empire: The History and Legacy of the
Neo-Persian Empire Before the Arab Conquest and Rise of Islam
examines the history of one of the most important empires of
the ancient world. Along with pictures depicting important
people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sassanid
Empire like never before. **
Includes ancient accounts
Includes online resources and a bibliography for further
reading
Includes a table of contents
Thanks to the Sasanians’ efforts with regard to religion,
modern scholars know much more about Zoroastrianism than they
would have if the religion continued to disseminate orally.
Their efforts also protected Zoroastrian knowledge in later
years after the dynasty was long gone and Islam became
ascendant in Persia.