Lecture 4 Empires of Rome and Persia (1)

Late Antiquity in the Middle East

The Empires of Rome and Persia

  • Professor Tim Greenwood


Structure

  • Introduction

  • A comparative exercise

  • Impact

  • Political Culture (Emperor and Shahanshah)

  • Geography, resources, neighbours

  • History (conflict and engagement)

  • Cultural memory

  • Urbanism (Capitals and the built environment)

  • Expressions of Statehood (Seals, coins, law)

  • Conclusion


Introduction

  • East Roman Empire: Predominantly Christian, fusion of Roman imperialism with Christianity.

  • Sasanian Iran: Zoroastrian elite, diverse communities (Christian, Jewish).

    • Characterized by coexistence and cooperation within specific boundaries.

  • Equal power, different characteristics: potential bias from surviving sources.


Impact

Distribution of Finds

  • Late Sasanian finds beyond empire's borders; research by Dr. Caitlin Green (2017).

    • Example artifacts: Coin of Khusro II found in Anglesey, glass bowl from Japan.


Early Byzantine Finds

  • Plotted distribution; examples include coins found in Maldives and South Korea.


Urbanism

  • Capitals: Constantinople (East Roman) and Ctesiphon (Sasanian).

  • Challenge in assessing Sasanian urbanism due to lack of contemporary sources.


Political Culture

  • Emperor vs Shahanshah (King of Kings).

  • Dynasticism: key figures like Constantine I and Ardashir I, focus on patrilineal descent.

  • Monumental inscriptions, e.g., Shapuhr I's rock relief, indicating divine descent claims.


Definitions

  • Roman: Constructed identity varying by legal, political, and religious features.

  • Eran: Follower of the Good religion (Zoroastrian); Aneran: non-believers.


Geography, Resources and Neighbours

  • Roman Empire: Expansion focusing on Egypt under Justinian (527-565).

  • Sasanian Iran: Key infrastructures like the Nahrawan canal and defenses against nomadic threats.

    • Significant conflicts with groups such as the Huns and Hephthalites.


Engagements

  • Historical interactions characterized by warfare but also attempts at peace and diplomacy, exemplified by correspondence between Persian and Roman leaders.


Expressions of Statehood

  • Challenges of administrative records noted; reliance on seals, coins, and laws.

  • Examples of coins and seals highlight administrative practices.


Conclusion

  • Both empires displayed unique administrative and cultural structures, illustrating diverse approaches to governance, resource management, commerce, and urban development.

  • Distinct heritages and ideologies shaped their legacies.

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