The Idea of Iran, volume I: Birth of the Persian Empire

This Book Explores The Formation Of The First Persian Empire Under The Achaemenid Persians. It Brings Together A Multi-disciplinary View Of Ancient Iran In The First Millennium Bc And Concentrates On The Art, Archaeology, History And Religion Of A Vast Geographical Area Far Beyond The Present Borders Of Modern Iran In The Period Beginning Just Before The Formation Of The Persian Empire In The Middle Of The 6th Century Up To Its Collapse Following Conquest By Alexander The Great In The Late 4th Century Bc. Eminent Scholars Offer A Critical Approach To Some Of The Traditional Interpretations And Guide The Reader Towards A Better Understanding Of The Formation Of The Persian Empire. This Is The First Volume In The Four-volume Idea Of Iran Series. Charting Over 1000 Years Of History, The Idea Of Iran Series Offers A Significant New Appraisal Of One The Most Fascinating, But Also (at Least In The West) Relatively Little Known, Of The Great Civilizations Of Antiquity. Comprising Four Substantial Volumes, Which Have Emerged From A Series Of Seminars Held Under The Joint Auspices Of The London Middle East Institute And The British Museum, And Supported By The Soudavar Memorial Foundation, The Series Explores The Empires Which Have Shaped The Culture Of Iran. Beginning With The Achaemenid Dynasty Of Cyrus The Great, Which Founded Persian Imperial Rule In The Middle Of The Sixth Century Bce, The Series Goes On To Examine, Amongst Other Key Topics, The Society, Religion, And Government Of Ancient Iran Under The Parthians, Sasanians And The Arab Rulers Of The Early Islamic Period. The Idea Of Iran Will Be Mandatory Reading For All Serious Scholars And Students Of Ancient And Early Medieval Iranian History. Cyrus The Great And The Kingdom Of Anshan / [d.t. Potts] -- An Archaeologist's Approach To Avestan Geography / [frantz Grenet] -- The Achaemenids And The Avesta / [p.o. Skærvø] -- The Contribution Of The Magi / [albert De Jong] -- The History Of The Idea Of Iran / [a. Shapur Shahbazi] -- Iron Age Iran And The Transition To The Achaemenid Period / [john Curtis]. Edited By Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis And Sarah Stewart. A Series Of Six Lectures Delivered At The School Of Oriental And African Studies In The Spring And Summer Terms 2004, Organised By The London Middle East Institute At Soas And The British Museum.--p. [1]. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [133]-147). "Of the great ancient civilizations, that of Persia is the least known and the most enigmatic. This book explores the formation of the first Persian Empire under the Achaemenid Persians. It brings together a multi-disciplinary view of ancient Iran in the first millennium BC and concentrates on the art, archaeology, history and religion of a geographical area far beyond the present borders of modern Iran in the period beginning just before the formation of the Persian empire in the middle of the 6th century up to its collapse following conquest by Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BC. Eminent scholars here give a critical approach to some of the traditional interpretations and discuss topics which help the reader towards a better understanding of the formation of the Persian empire. This is the first volume in the "Idea of Iran" series which will be a four-volume collection encompassing the history of that country."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Contents......Page 6 Introduction......Page 10 1. Cyrus the Great and the Kingdom of Anshan......Page 16 2. An Archaeologist's Approach to Avestan Geography......Page 38 3. The Achaemenids and the Avesta......Page 61 4. The Contribution of the Magi......Page 94 5. The History of the Idea of Iran......Page 109 6. Iron Age Iran and the Transition to the Achaemenid Period......Page 121 List of Abbreviations......Page 141 Bibliography......Page 142 The fact that a lecture series on the "Idea of Iran" commences with the Elamite contribution to Iranian identity is, to say the least, anomalous.