The policy of Darius and Xerxes towards Thrace and Macedonia /
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In The Policy of Darius and Xerxes towards Thrace and Macedonia Miroslav Vasilev analyses in detail the policy of the Persian kings towards their European possessions in the years 514-465 BC. The book examines the status of Macedonian rulers under the Persian kings, as well as the status of the Thracian territories conquered as a result of the campaigns of Darius and Megabazus. In addition, the author localizes many tribes, rivers, lakes, mountains, and other geographical features of primary importance in defining the territorial span of the European lands conquered by the Persians. Vasilev examines literary sources, epigraphic evidence, coins, and archaeological finds relevant to the topic.
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1 online resource (xi, 257 pages) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004282155 :
2352-8656 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Theater state and the formation of early modern public sphere in Iran : studies on Safavid Muharram rituals, 1590-1641 CE /
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During the Safavid period, the Shi'i Muharram commemorative rites which had been publically practiced since the 7th century, became a manifestation of state power. Already during the reign of Shah 'Abbas I (1587-1629) the Muharram rituals had transformed into an extraordinary rich repertoire of ceremonies and ceremonial spaces that can be defined as 'theater state'. Under Shah Safi I (1629-1642) these ceremonies ultimately led to carnivalesque celebrations of misrule and transgression. This first systematic study of a wide range of Persian and European archival and primary sources, analyzes how the Muharram rites changed from being an originally devotional practice to an ambiguous ritualization that in combination with other public arenas, such as the bazaar, coffeehouses or travel lodges, created distinct spaces of communication whereby the widening gap between state and society gave way to the formation of the early Iranian public sphere. Ultimately, the Muharram public spaces allowed for a shift in individual and collective identities, opening the way to multifaceted living fields of interaction, as well as being sites of contestation where innovative expressions of politics were made. In particular, the construction of the new Isfahan in 1590 is linked with the widespread proliferation of the Muharram mortuary rites by discussing rituals performed in major urban spaces.
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1 online resource (404 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references. :
9789004207561 :
1569-7401 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Tombes d'époque parthe : chantiers de la ville des artisans /
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Among the hundred or so tombs of post-Alexander date excavated by Roman Ghirshman between 1947 and 1952 on the mound of the "Ville des Artisans" at Susa, six are remarkable for their construction and burial contents. Shortly before his death in 1979, Ghirshman, director of the French "Mission de Suse" from 1946 until 1968, had started to write up his final report. Based on his notes, the authors have engaged to publish these tombs, together with the original plans, drawings and photographs of the burial goods. The grave contents consisted mainly of pottery, but also included glass vessels, figurines, metal objects and other small finds. The study of the material from these large vaulted subterranean structures indicates that they were most likely intended as family tombs, thus remaining in use for several decades and should be dated in the first or second century AD. Similar tombs are known at other sites in the region of Susa, and even in Mesopotamia, e.g. at Seleucia on the Tigris. A synthesis of the evolution in tomb architecture and typology, as well as the burial practices, for the whole site of Susa between the Seleucid and early Sasanian periods (third century BC to third century AD), is also presented, based on the short reports and unpublished excavation notes of Ghirshman, in addition to unpublished reports by his predecessors at the site.
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1 online resource (91 pages, 35 pages of plates) : illustrations. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-91). :
9789004229365 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
'Ala' al-Dawla al-Simnani between spiritual authority and political power : a Persian lord and intellectual, in the heart of the Ilkhanate, With a critical edition and translation...
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In ʿAlāʾ al-Dawla al-Simnānī between Spiritual Authority and Political Power: A Persian Lord and Intellectual in the Heart of the Ilkhanate , Giovanni Maria Martini investigates the personality of a major figure in the socio-political and cultural landscape of Mongol Iran. In pursuing this objective, the author follows parallel paths: Chapter 1 provides the most updated reconstruction of Simnānī's (d. 736/1336) biography, which, thanks to its unique features, emerges as a cross-section of Iranian society and as a microhistory of the complex relationships between a Sufi master, Persian elites and Mongol rulers during the Ilkhanid period; Chapter 2 contains a study on the phenomenon of Arabic-Persian diglossia in Simnānī's written work, arguing for its socio-religious function; in Chapters 3 to 6 the critical editions of two important, interrelated treatises by Simnānī are presented; finally, Chapter 7 offers the first full-length annotated translation of a long work by Simnānī ever to appear in a Western language.
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1 online resource (525 pages) :
9789004356740 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.