In the West we learn about the Roman empire and its predecessor Greece, both civilizations being the very foundations of Western thought, civilization and culture. These were remarkable civilizations who advanced technology, science, political workings, social awareness, art and culture to high levels. None can argue the influence Greece and Rome historically, socially and culturally exerted upon Europe and indeed, the entire world.
History has demonstrated that the East and the West are like the balance of a scale, or like the swing of a pendulum, or perhaps like opposites that attract. When we are attracted to opposites, we do bring with us our own existent natures, for we are but human. We as humans are the same, but due to where we live or our historical experiences we in our imagination tend to stress our differences, so as to maintain our identity. Hence human societies will be placed in a position of conflict and competition as we seek markets and resources to further benefit our own civilization. With this competition comes the natural need to downplay the other, regardless of how astounding or amazing the other may actually be, resulting in a socially felt prejudice that informs our every decision. You're amazing, you're wonderful and I really respect you, but I have to survive and therefore convince myself that I am a step or above you, though this may not really be the case. This is how nations inspire their own people to be ready for the eventual conflict that will develop between two civilizations, for as historian Will Durant wrote it is natural for two nations seeking to control the same resources or markets to go to war. It has always been so and remains the same today. The tiny ancient Greek city states went to war over a wheat field, great empires went to war for bigger prizes, markets or resources. Such was the competition which would develop between Rome and Persia in the era of late antiquity.
In the 5th century BC the mighty Persian empire attempted to conquer Greece, which was not a united political nation but rather a collection of city states who warred often with each other. They were united in the linguistic and ethnic sense, all based on a common mindset which, defining Greek civilization, was based on the idea that the human being was at the center of the Cosmos. Thus the life and existence of the individual was ever important, this being reflected in Greek art, sculpture and philosophy. Social issues were dealt with as well, as topics for plays and dramas in the theater. The Greek city state was the fanciful and highly developed version of the ancient pre bronze age Pelasgian tribes, much as their northern neighbors such as the Thracians, Illyrians and Dacians maintained this clan based lifestyle rather than develop sophisticated cities with higher culture. But the creation of the city state did not eliminate the basic mentality of personal freedom among those early mountaineers and they became capable fighters who fiercely protected their personal state in the name of freedom and independence. The Persian empire, which held sway over large portions of Asia, Africa and what is now southern Russia, invaded Greece several times but was defeated time and again by these hardly inhabitants of those rocky hills of southeastern Europe. The famous last stand by the 300 Spartans and their allies at Thermopylae, the defeat of the Persian navy at Salamis, the destruction of the invading army at the battle of Marathon in 490 BC, all became synonymous with defending Greece, thus Western civilization. The small but confident armies of Greece, always at war with one another but identifying as one people speaking one language, defeated the numerically superior Persian force which included in its ranks warriors from dozens of subject and tributary nations. Unity thus was proven to be an important factor on the battlefield, in maintaining cohesion and securing independence. When Alexander marched into Asia, he too defeated a large Persian force at the battle of Gaugamela, led by the Persian king Darius himself. This and other victories tended to inspire a sense of invincibility among the Macedonians and Greeks as well as their allies- Thracians, Illyrians and other southern European neighbors of the Greeks who served in Alexander's army. Thus, the conflict was viewed as a war against 'barbarians' (from the Greek vavaros, foreigner) which was a duty and struggle for what was then considered as Western civilization against the tyranny of the East.
During what became known as the Persian Wars, Greek commentators described the armed conflict between the more numerous Persian forces and the Hellenes. They noted how Greek discipline and armor proved effective against the massed forces who attacked time and again the shield walls of the solid ranks of the bronze clad warriors, unable to move them. The Greek warriors, wearing armor and carrying huge shields that protected the torso from their helmeted heads to the greaves on their shins which reached down to their ankles, seemed impervious to swords, spears, axe and mace attacks by their Asiatic foes, who also used their powerful bows to release swift arrows that had little effect on the formidable body armor and great shields known as aspis of the Hellenes. At Marathon in 490 BC the invading Persian force numbered over 25,000 men while the Greek force was less than about half that number. Yet the defenders took the offense and prevailed over the invading Achaemenid empire, inflicting over 5,000 casualties while suffering only 192 themselves. The story of the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, that of the great invasion of Greece led by the Persian king Xerxes himself who was held off by a small detachment of Spartans and their allies headed by the famous general Leonidas, came down to us through the ages as a legend resulting in the Spartans dying to the last man with casualties inflicted on the invaders as being enormous. This stand inspired the Hellenes to unite in a treaty and achieve a great naval victory against the Persian fleet soon afterwards at Salamis. Indeed, the seemingly unstoppable Persian expansion was at last stopped.
The struggle of civilizations as described by the Greek scholars was sometimes unfair and could be rather one sided. Indeed, the East was far more cultured and in many ways more civilized. The Persians built an empire and united disparate peoples speaking a multitude of languages from varied cultures into a single entity. About two hundred years before Alexander lived a great Persian king, Cyrus, of whom Alexander was in awe. He was a king who sought to unite all the peoples of his then powerful empire in a spirit of unity and is credited with issuing the world's first charter of human rights, respecting and tolerating all the peoples, religions and traditions in his empire, banishing prejudice and establishing equality for all. Cyrus became a model for Alexander to follow, who is believed to have ordered his Macedonian officers to marry foreign women so as to blend the races and do away with the idea of ethnic and racial supremacy. Later, the Roman empire after its rise would incorporate non-Italian born generals, consuls, senators and even emperors into its midst, making the Roman empire a polyglot society that lived according to principles rather than racial purity. This was the legacy of Cyrus The Great, the ancient king of the Persian empire.
Just as Greek history and thought became the foundation of Western civilization, so did the now legendary military successes of the Greeks over the invading barbarians of the East inform the sense of invincibility in later Rome which was the heir of ancient Hellenism. The Romans built their war machine based on the idea of closely ranked, armed and armored men who presented a flexible movement of units who could stand together and present a formidable shield wall. This shield wall could advance or stand its ground as required. Much more effective and flexible than the Macedonian phalanx, that mass of armored men presenting a huge porcupine of bristling sarisas or 16 foot long pikes, the Roman legion, being able to move when needed, became an unbeatable force to be reckoned with which built an empire that centered around the Mediterranean sea. The domains of Rome eventually stretched from the British Isles to Africa, colonizing eastern Europe in the process (modern Romania, hence the name) and went on to control much of the Middle East. It was here however that Rome would come into conflict with the other great world empire of the day, that of Persia.
The struggle of civilizations as described by the Greek scholars was sometimes unfair and could be rather one sided. Indeed, the East was far more cultured and in many ways more civilized. The Persians built an empire and united disparate peoples speaking a multitude of languages from varied cultures into a single entity. About two hundred years before Alexander lived a great Persian king, Cyrus, of whom Alexander was in awe. He was a king who sought to unite all the peoples of his then powerful empire in a spirit of unity and is credited with issuing the world's first charter of human rights, respecting and tolerating all the peoples, religions and traditions in his empire, banishing prejudice and establishing equality for all. Cyrus became a model for Alexander to follow, who is believed to have ordered his Macedonian officers to marry foreign women so as to blend the races and do away with the idea of ethnic and racial supremacy. Later, the Roman empire after its rise would incorporate non-Italian born generals, consuls, senators and even emperors into its midst, making the Roman empire a polyglot society that lived according to principles rather than racial purity. This was the legacy of Cyrus The Great, the ancient king of the Persian empire.
Just as Greek history and thought became the foundation of Western civilization, so did the now legendary military successes of the Greeks over the invading barbarians of the East inform the sense of invincibility in later Rome which was the heir of ancient Hellenism. The Romans built their war machine based on the idea of closely ranked, armed and armored men who presented a flexible movement of units who could stand together and present a formidable shield wall. This shield wall could advance or stand its ground as required. Much more effective and flexible than the Macedonian phalanx, that mass of armored men presenting a huge porcupine of bristling sarisas or 16 foot long pikes, the Roman legion, being able to move when needed, became an unbeatable force to be reckoned with which built an empire that centered around the Mediterranean sea. The domains of Rome eventually stretched from the British Isles to Africa, colonizing eastern Europe in the process (modern Romania, hence the name) and went on to control much of the Middle East. It was here however that Rome would come into conflict with the other great world empire of the day, that of Persia.
The Rise Of Iranshahr
Iran, like Italy, seems to possess that amazing ability to rebirth itself time and again throughout history. Having been conquered by Alexander and controlled by the Macedonians for a time, under the dynasty known as the Seleucids, slowly the Persians made various attempts to reestablish their control. The Parthians were one such dynasty, an Iranic people of the steppe who first acted as mercenaries for the Seleucids but then grew in power and influence until they gained control from the now defunct Seleucid dynasty and soon began to rule Persia themselves. They engaged in some wars with the Romans who did try to control Mesopotamia, the lands between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. The Parthians however were weakened by these wars with the Romans and through internal strife of their own. One warrior named Ardeshir of the house of Sassan rose up and openly challenged the Parthian Dynasty, eventually defeating them in the battle of Hormozdgan in 224 AD. Ardeshir then established the Sassanid Dynasty and set about to revive the glory of the Achaemenid Empire of the past, establishing Persia as a power once again as it was in the days of Cyrus and Darius. He established his power and consolidated his holdings, proclaiming himself as the Shahinshah, or King of Kings. His brought up his son Shahpur as a warrior and took him on campaigns, announcing that he would be his heir. Upon his father's death and following in his footsteps, the new king Shahpur I would convert his kingdom into an empire which would be known as Iranshahr, or the realm of the Iranians, continuing the realization of his father's dream and vision. This entity would become a vast domain that eventually stretched from Syria to the far reaches of Central Asia, controlling the Silk Road spice trade and exacting tolls and tribute from the many merchants who did business in the cities of the fabled road that connected East and West.
It was but a matter of time that the Roman empire, born in war and conquest and always seeking new markets to control, would make their attempt to defeat this new Persian entity and expand into the territory where Alexander once walked. Rome and Persia would be the balance of power in the the Middle East and the two empires would engage in almost constant warfare for the next five centuries. Confident as ever, the Romans made their move and began hostilities, marching their legions east from Syria to the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Rome had faced powerful enemies in the past, yet almost always prevailed. Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded Italy and inflicted defeats on the Roman armies, but was forced to withdraw from the peninsula noting the staunch determination of the Roman legions; "one more such victory and I am lost" he is reputed to have implied, giving rise to the expression 'Pyrrhic victory'. Hannibal of Carthage also invaded the Italian peninsula and soundly defeated the Romans several times. Lacking siege engines, equipment and a steady flow of supplies, he was unable to breach the walls of the fabled city. Low on supplies and new recruits, he had to retreat from Italy just as Pyrrhus had done. The Romans rallied under the general Scipio, who would be awarded the title 'Africanus' for finally defeating Hannibal at Zama in 202 BC. North Africa, Greece and the Balkans eventually came under Roman rule. The Romans made mistakes, such as invading heavily wooded Germania where they were defeated at the battle of the Teutoburg Forest but learned from these mistakes, and made improvements in their military all the time, enabling them to conquer the vast territory they did. At Teutoburg they realized that their legions were invincible on an open plain or field as this is how the legion fought, but were useless fighting against tribesmen who concealed themselves in the tress and attacked the legion as if falling from the sky itself. Unable to use their standard tactics and formations, the Romans were soundly defeated. Germania was no great matter though, as the Romans were able to occupy the fertile valleys and plains of the Rhine region and established orchards of grape and fruit. There were no great empires or cities beyond the Rhine river, but beyond the Persian homeland itself were many rich urban centers waiting to attain the honor of paying their tribute to Rome. At least so the Romans thought. The next five centuries would be a giant stalemate that would weaken the two empires to the point of collapse, and the peoples of the Fertile Crescent suffer from the ravaging of the two armies.
To expand his power and to fight on many fronts both in the east and the west Shapur quickly went about reorganizing his army, establishing various units and regiments. The Persians had a long relationship with the peoples of the steppe whom they both fought and hired as allies. These steppic peoples were a horse culture, people who learned to ride a horse almost immediately after they learned to walk. Therefore, cavalry became an important feature in the Persian army. There were tribesmen who made up the light cavalry who could ride circles around their foes, riding speedy horses and releasing volleys of arrows at their enemies, medium armored horse warriors who charged with sword and shield to effectively engage opposing cavalry, and then there were the cream of the army of Iranshahr- the invincible and much feared mounted warriors known as the Asbaran.
To expand his power and to fight on many fronts both in the east and the west Shapur quickly went about reorganizing his army, establishing various units and regiments. The Persians had a long relationship with the peoples of the steppe whom they both fought and hired as allies. These steppic peoples were a horse culture, people who learned to ride a horse almost immediately after they learned to walk. Therefore, cavalry became an important feature in the Persian army. There were tribesmen who made up the light cavalry who could ride circles around their foes, riding speedy horses and releasing volleys of arrows at their enemies, medium armored horse warriors who charged with sword and shield to effectively engage opposing cavalry, and then there were the cream of the army of Iranshahr- the invincible and much feared mounted warriors known as the Asbaran.
The Invincible Cavalry Of Heaven
The Asbaran were armored horsemen who wore chain mail sometimes studded with metal plates in the form of a suit which fitted closely to the body offering protection but also flexibility, while many others wore scale armor. They wore a pointed helmet upon the head and many sported a metal face mask giving them an awe inspiring appearance. Their mounts were covered in mail as well, and the sound of the armor was like the sound of a musical instrument jingling in time with the horse's gait. A charge of hundreds or thousands of these warriors resounded a frightening sound over the field of battle as the ground literally shook. The Asbaran were armed with a lance for the initial charge, then fought with sword, mace, axe or club and protected themselves further with a shield. They also carried a bow and quiver of arrows at their side. In short, the Asbaran warrior was the predecessor of the modern tank, both fearsome and magnificent to gaze upon. It is interesting to learn when we study history how ancient technology, like ideas, are somehow lost but then resurrected by succeeding civilizations. In the ancient world the armored Assyrian cavalry carried everything before it, feared and respected by the armies who opposed them or the multitudes who fell under their rule. The Asbaran seemed to be a reincarnation of that feared armored cavalry of the Bronze Age rising from the grave as it were, now in the many centuries series of wars between Rome and Persia.
Eye witness accounts from Roman legionaries reveal the dread and fear these heavily armored horsemen drove into the hearts of the stationary infantry facing them. The Roman legions always took up their customary and orderly positions on the field organized into cohorts of six hundred men each, all in good order, ready to move on a moment's notice at the command of their consuls. The Persian army of Shahpur was lined up too but took a more aggressive action, initiating the attack almost immediately. First the light horsemen of the steppe would go forth in an attempt to draw the enemy out of formation. They would ride up to the lines of the legions, in groups of a few hundred or more, release a few volleys of arrows which one chronicler wrote would 'blot out the Sun and darken the sky'. Usually some Roman unit would give chase, only to confront the Persian regular infantry and engage in close combat. Some horsemen might attack and fight in close quarters with the Romans for a time, then suddenly retreat. The Roman legions, excellent in defense and virtually invincible in the use of infantry, might then believe they carried the day and the whole army began to move forward. They would then learn to their dismay that there was one more element of the Persian army they would have to face, the element that turned the tide of battle so many times. The Roman veterans of the Persian wars were awaiting for that moment of impact when the Asbaran would charge and smash into the ranks and lines of the legions, crushing the front line soldiers under the hooves of their heavy mounts. With momentum and speed, lances impaled the now defenseless foot soldiers. Then reaching for their swords or other personal weapons the Asbaran would wreak havoc on the legionnaires, literally cutting them to shreds. Roman gladius swords, renown since ancient times for their destructive power, were seemingly useless against the armor of the Asbaran warriors.
The Asbaran were armored horsemen who wore chain mail sometimes studded with metal plates in the form of a suit which fitted closely to the body offering protection but also flexibility, while many others wore scale armor. They wore a pointed helmet upon the head and many sported a metal face mask giving them an awe inspiring appearance. Their mounts were covered in mail as well, and the sound of the armor was like the sound of a musical instrument jingling in time with the horse's gait. A charge of hundreds or thousands of these warriors resounded a frightening sound over the field of battle as the ground literally shook. The Asbaran were armed with a lance for the initial charge, then fought with sword, mace, axe or club and protected themselves further with a shield. They also carried a bow and quiver of arrows at their side. In short, the Asbaran warrior was the predecessor of the modern tank, both fearsome and magnificent to gaze upon. It is interesting to learn when we study history how ancient technology, like ideas, are somehow lost but then resurrected by succeeding civilizations. In the ancient world the armored Assyrian cavalry carried everything before it, feared and respected by the armies who opposed them or the multitudes who fell under their rule. The Asbaran seemed to be a reincarnation of that feared armored cavalry of the Bronze Age rising from the grave as it were, now in the many centuries series of wars between Rome and Persia.
Eye witness accounts from Roman legionaries reveal the dread and fear these heavily armored horsemen drove into the hearts of the stationary infantry facing them. The Roman legions always took up their customary and orderly positions on the field organized into cohorts of six hundred men each, all in good order, ready to move on a moment's notice at the command of their consuls. The Persian army of Shahpur was lined up too but took a more aggressive action, initiating the attack almost immediately. First the light horsemen of the steppe would go forth in an attempt to draw the enemy out of formation. They would ride up to the lines of the legions, in groups of a few hundred or more, release a few volleys of arrows which one chronicler wrote would 'blot out the Sun and darken the sky'. Usually some Roman unit would give chase, only to confront the Persian regular infantry and engage in close combat. Some horsemen might attack and fight in close quarters with the Romans for a time, then suddenly retreat. The Roman legions, excellent in defense and virtually invincible in the use of infantry, might then believe they carried the day and the whole army began to move forward. They would then learn to their dismay that there was one more element of the Persian army they would have to face, the element that turned the tide of battle so many times. The Roman veterans of the Persian wars were awaiting for that moment of impact when the Asbaran would charge and smash into the ranks and lines of the legions, crushing the front line soldiers under the hooves of their heavy mounts. With momentum and speed, lances impaled the now defenseless foot soldiers. Then reaching for their swords or other personal weapons the Asbaran would wreak havoc on the legionnaires, literally cutting them to shreds. Roman gladius swords, renown since ancient times for their destructive power, were seemingly useless against the armor of the Asbaran warriors.
Modern depiction of Asbaran heavy cavalry smashing into the Roman ranks
The Victorious Asbaran, drawing by Gambargin
Rome Humiliated
Shahpur had recovered much lost territory in the Fertile Crescent region and defeated the Romans in many battles. Perhaps the most humiliating defeat for Rome in her history however occurred at the battle of Edessa. The emperor Valerian was an aggressive emperor intolerant of Christians and Jews in his domains, while Shahpur's kingdom was one of tolerance and inclusion. He took a liking to the prophet Mani and his dualist religion, allowing him to preach freely in his empire. But amid this spiritual perusing, Shahpur pledged to recover lost Roman territory in the Middle East. He began his campaign against the Persian empire in 257 AD by capturing the city of Antioch, then taking back all of Syria from Persian possession. Shahpur watched as the aggressive emperor marched east and gained a few victories. Confident, Valerian invaded Persian territory and entered the city of Edessa, after struggling with an invasion by the Goths. Here, a large portion of his army fell sick with a plague which was ravaging Asia Minor at the time. Shahpur sought to lay seige to the city, but the impulsive Valerian decided to meet Shahpur outside the city walls, and with a force of over 60,000 men took position on the field as the Romans always did. The battle proceeded as usual, with the light cavalry shooting their arrow volleys and enticing the legions to give chase, though in an orderly fashion. Shahpur ordered forth his Asbaran cavalry who decimated the Roman ranks, with the rest of the Persian army surrounding the Romans and trapping them. Nearly the entire Roman force was destroyed or taken captive. Valerian, surrounded by his praetorian guard, sued for peace but Shahpur instead took the emperor prisoner, the first time a Roman emperor would be taken captive. What was worse and damaging to Roman pride was the fact that Valerian would never see Rome again, as he would eventually die as a prisoner of the great Shahinshah. Valerian held the reputation of being the only Roman emperor ever to die at the hands of an enemy while being a captive. Some sources claim that Shahpur had molten metal poured down the emperor's throat after he offered gold and silver for his release, others that he was flayed alive. However, these are Roman reports that may be somewhat exaggerated. Shahpur did commission sculptors to honor his victory by ordering them to create friezes and carvings depicting the defeated Roman emperor Valerian on his knees before the mighty ruler of Iranshahr who sat upon his horse in victory and glory. It is said that Valerian was forced to act as a foot stool to assist his new master in mounting his horse. There was at least one carving commissioned that portrayed Valerian as a collared dog on a leash, held and controlled firmly by his master the Shahinshah. Whether this is truth or legend, Shahpur I was clearly not a man to toy with, and his fame was known in all of the ancient world.
The End Of An Era
Rome was an empire which eventually had two capitals, with the eastern half of the empire governed by Constantinople. There was movement on the steppes of Eurasia, most notably the Huns who displaced many tribes and peoples including the Goths who fled before them. germanic tribes began moving south threatening Italy. The western empire fell when Rome was sacked in 410 AD by the chieftain Alaric, and in 476 the Germanic chieftain Odoacer deposed the last emperor. Only in the east did Rome survive in the form of the Byzantine empire, with Christianity now the state religion. The movements of peoples in Central Asia also affected Iranshahr, however the Persians managed to keep their incursions at bay though these barbarian raids kept the Persian military busy on their northern frontier. In the meantime Rome, now Byzantium, continued the wars with the Persian empire, winning some ground in the Middle East and the Caucasus and then losing some. This went for a few more centuries, and these wars weakened both powers. The constant destructiveness of the wars affected he trust of the peoples of the Fertile Crescent as well, who developed much disdain for the two warring empires. For all their efforts against the dangerous steppic tribes to guarantee the safety of an empire, Sasanian Iranshahr would fall due not to Turkic or Hunnish peoples from the steppes but because of bedouin tribes from the southern deserts. A new power would arise out of Arabia armed with a new faith, Islam, which would unite the once warring bedouin tribes who themselves served as mercenaries for both the Persians and the Romans. Taking advantage of political turmoil within the empires which were already weakened by centuries of war, the Umayyad dynasty in the 7th century would conquer Persia and stamp out the glory of the Sasanians forever. Iranshahr and its memory would be gone, and the state religion of Zoroastrianism diminished in the land where it developed. The eastern Roman empire, Byzantium, on the other hand managed to hold off the Arabian Saracens as they were called and maintained itself for another 800 years until the Ottomans, descendants of Turkic steppe peoples from Central Asia now armed with the Arabian faith of Islam, conquered Constantinople in 1453.
Preserving The Memory Of A Bygone Age
Iran has demonstrated as a pattern in history the ability to rise, conquer, struggle with itself, fall and then gloriously rise again. The proud Persians always insisted on preserving their past. Many of the stories of the invincible Asbaran cavalry of old were preserved through the medium of bards and storytellers. In the 10th century, when the Islamization process was in full swing, dangerously coming close to replacing Farsi with Arabic as the language of the people, an author named Firdowsi compiled over 50,000 verses into what became one of the great epics of history, the Shahnameh or Book of Kings. This epic tells of the creation of the world, humanity and the founding of the Persian nation and empire. It is replete with tales of war and battles, heroes and champions, mythology and history based on the actual wars and struggles of the early kings and the various peoples of the steppes they had to vie with for power. The book mentions the heroes who set out to commit great deeds and feats of daring in battles that are as visceral as the Iliad, the Mahabharata or the Germanic sagas. An interesting feature of this epic, as is to be found in some of other earlier epics of humanity, is the role of women as warriors which is testified to by history. Women warriors were not unknown in ancient Iran, unlike in Greece or Rome where the idea of a fighting female was unheard of. The Shahnameh epic mentions several of them, and ancient military history mentions them as well. Among the mounted archers of the steppes who fought for the Persian army were Scythian and Turkic tribal women who were excellent in the use of the bow and in horse riding. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the Persian military machine for the Romans though, was the presence of armored female Asbaran in their ranks, some of whom were commanders. In Rome the gladiatorial games sometimes saw the presence of female gladiatrix, usually women from wealthy families who indeed chose to become gladiatrix by choice. However, the profession never went beyond the realm of entertainment. In fact it was so frowned upon by Roman society that in 11 AD the senate began passing laws to limit women's involvement in the sport. Roman, like Greek women, could never have dreamed of joining he military, but in Iran women not only enlisted in the armed forces but were also held in high esteem and regarded with much respect.
Rome was an empire which eventually had two capitals, with the eastern half of the empire governed by Constantinople. There was movement on the steppes of Eurasia, most notably the Huns who displaced many tribes and peoples including the Goths who fled before them. germanic tribes began moving south threatening Italy. The western empire fell when Rome was sacked in 410 AD by the chieftain Alaric, and in 476 the Germanic chieftain Odoacer deposed the last emperor. Only in the east did Rome survive in the form of the Byzantine empire, with Christianity now the state religion. The movements of peoples in Central Asia also affected Iranshahr, however the Persians managed to keep their incursions at bay though these barbarian raids kept the Persian military busy on their northern frontier. In the meantime Rome, now Byzantium, continued the wars with the Persian empire, winning some ground in the Middle East and the Caucasus and then losing some. This went for a few more centuries, and these wars weakened both powers. The constant destructiveness of the wars affected he trust of the peoples of the Fertile Crescent as well, who developed much disdain for the two warring empires. For all their efforts against the dangerous steppic tribes to guarantee the safety of an empire, Sasanian Iranshahr would fall due not to Turkic or Hunnish peoples from the steppes but because of bedouin tribes from the southern deserts. A new power would arise out of Arabia armed with a new faith, Islam, which would unite the once warring bedouin tribes who themselves served as mercenaries for both the Persians and the Romans. Taking advantage of political turmoil within the empires which were already weakened by centuries of war, the Umayyad dynasty in the 7th century would conquer Persia and stamp out the glory of the Sasanians forever. Iranshahr and its memory would be gone, and the state religion of Zoroastrianism diminished in the land where it developed. The eastern Roman empire, Byzantium, on the other hand managed to hold off the Arabian Saracens as they were called and maintained itself for another 800 years until the Ottomans, descendants of Turkic steppe peoples from Central Asia now armed with the Arabian faith of Islam, conquered Constantinople in 1453.
Preserving The Memory Of A Bygone Age
Iran has demonstrated as a pattern in history the ability to rise, conquer, struggle with itself, fall and then gloriously rise again. The proud Persians always insisted on preserving their past. Many of the stories of the invincible Asbaran cavalry of old were preserved through the medium of bards and storytellers. In the 10th century, when the Islamization process was in full swing, dangerously coming close to replacing Farsi with Arabic as the language of the people, an author named Firdowsi compiled over 50,000 verses into what became one of the great epics of history, the Shahnameh or Book of Kings. This epic tells of the creation of the world, humanity and the founding of the Persian nation and empire. It is replete with tales of war and battles, heroes and champions, mythology and history based on the actual wars and struggles of the early kings and the various peoples of the steppes they had to vie with for power. The book mentions the heroes who set out to commit great deeds and feats of daring in battles that are as visceral as the Iliad, the Mahabharata or the Germanic sagas. An interesting feature of this epic, as is to be found in some of other earlier epics of humanity, is the role of women as warriors which is testified to by history. Women warriors were not unknown in ancient Iran, unlike in Greece or Rome where the idea of a fighting female was unheard of. The Shahnameh epic mentions several of them, and ancient military history mentions them as well. Among the mounted archers of the steppes who fought for the Persian army were Scythian and Turkic tribal women who were excellent in the use of the bow and in horse riding. Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the Persian military machine for the Romans though, was the presence of armored female Asbaran in their ranks, some of whom were commanders. In Rome the gladiatorial games sometimes saw the presence of female gladiatrix, usually women from wealthy families who indeed chose to become gladiatrix by choice. However, the profession never went beyond the realm of entertainment. In fact it was so frowned upon by Roman society that in 11 AD the senate began passing laws to limit women's involvement in the sport. Roman, like Greek women, could never have dreamed of joining he military, but in Iran women not only enlisted in the armed forces but were also held in high esteem and regarded with much respect.
Two drawings of female warriors of Iranshahr, by the modern illustrator Gambargin
There is one such story of an Asbaran warrior who took part in one of the typical charges against the Roman infantry in one of the many battles fought between the mighty empires in the era of late antiquity. The story was one told and retold quite often among both the Romans and the Persians, therefore likely true. One Asbaran warrior who was one of hundreds who crashed into the Roman ranks in a particular battle, completely clad in chain mail and scale armor wearing a helmet with a bronze mask covering the face, was noted to be particularly fierce, impaling legionnaires with the lance then slashing with the sword and killing a great number of Romans. Realizing the necessity to bring down this warrior, the Roman commander ordered a dozen or so Arab/Roman mercenaries to surround the mighty warrior. These Arab mercenaries were expert in bringing down armored cavalry, using ropes and lassos to pull the Asbaran from the horse. They then moved in with clubs to smash the warrior and stabbed deeply through the openings and joints in the armor using long blades for the nasty deed, a most effective way of dealing with these otherwise impregnable horse warriors. After the battle, it was customary in the days of old to strip the dead of their armor, as it was expensive and considered a prize that could fetch a decent payment back in camp, and the armor of an Asbaran horse warrior was considered special indeed. The Romans looked on in shock when they removed the helmet of this slain warrior and found that the fierce slain Asbaran wearing this magnificent suit of armor was none other than a woman. Indeed, the Shahnameh includes in its verses many names of such fierce warrior women clad in the armor of the Asbaran such as Gordafarid, Manijeh, Banu Goshasp, and the powerful queen Azarnidokht, among many others. Women in ancient Iran were not at all like the women of Rome.
It may not come as too much of a surprise that the Romans, for long a foot soldier's army and seeing the need to improve their cavalry in the face of increasingly mounted enemies, incorporated the concept of the Asbaran into their own forces, for which the Byzantines became well known. They called these mounted and fully armored warriors Cataphracti, from the Greek language meaning fully armored or enclosed, as the appearance of these warriors testifies. We might be further surprised to note that the idea of the European knight had its origins in the Asbaran, not only in the use of armor but also in the code of chivalry. The Shahnameh is replete with stories of noble deeds and acts of mercy and forgiveness as well as the need to avenge a wrong on the part of the champions. Honor is held in the highest esteem, with one's word considered as sacred as any spiritual practice. When a word is broken or an insult perceived, the two parties affected agree to fight it out to the end in a duel that attracts the attention of the populace, as was the case for the events of Homer's Iliad. It is said that the King Arthur story may have its origins in Persian or Caucasian mythology. The name of Parsifal, one of Arthurs noble knights of the round table, is especially interesting as it does pertain to Parsi, the culture and language of the people of Iran. Yet for all the facts that point to Persian origins and connections in literature and in historical reality, the West remains indifferent to the feelings of the past regarding Iran. Perhaps one of the unspoken agreements in becoming the heir to Greece and Rome is for the West to maintain the somewhat unfair, exaggerated prejudice and mistrust of a nation that invaded the land of original democracy, ancient Greece, and was the virile competition to that lawmaker and stabilizer of Europe, Rome, for which we feel we are all indebted. Iran has gifted so much to humanity, its ancient spiritual path of Zoroastrianism having inspired the Abrahamic faiths with visions of the struggles of heaven and hell, the battle of light and darkness fortified with the concept of the free will of Man which begat the sense of compassion, charity and duty towards all people. Many however remain ignorant, by no fault of their own, of these contributions of this ancient civilization which placed the dignity of human beings above all else. Ignorance, due to the prejudice which was fostered perhaps by pride and the assumption of a power that was broken by the swords of this one time powerful eastern rival of mighty Rome. So, it seems that it is safer and more convenient to forget and ignore Iran's past than rightfully acknowledge her past glory. But we should remember that history is ongoing and never stagnant, and if the patterns persist, then Iran is destined to rise again.
The poet Firdowsi, in preserving the Iranian language not only kept the memory of Sassanian glory alive but also reminded his people that women held a high place in ancient Persian society. These tales have strengthened Iranian women over the centuries and continues to inspire the young who are now confronting the chains of an imported religious ideology that doesn't see women in the same light but prefers to keep them in ignorance and darkness. Persian spirituality was all about the struggle of light against darkness, good fighting evil, and the day will come when the women of Iran will set out once again, as their ancestors did riding as Asbaran warriors in ages past. The Iranian people will know victory, for the swords of light and the armor of victory carries the day before them.
It may not come as too much of a surprise that the Romans, for long a foot soldier's army and seeing the need to improve their cavalry in the face of increasingly mounted enemies, incorporated the concept of the Asbaran into their own forces, for which the Byzantines became well known. They called these mounted and fully armored warriors Cataphracti, from the Greek language meaning fully armored or enclosed, as the appearance of these warriors testifies. We might be further surprised to note that the idea of the European knight had its origins in the Asbaran, not only in the use of armor but also in the code of chivalry. The Shahnameh is replete with stories of noble deeds and acts of mercy and forgiveness as well as the need to avenge a wrong on the part of the champions. Honor is held in the highest esteem, with one's word considered as sacred as any spiritual practice. When a word is broken or an insult perceived, the two parties affected agree to fight it out to the end in a duel that attracts the attention of the populace, as was the case for the events of Homer's Iliad. It is said that the King Arthur story may have its origins in Persian or Caucasian mythology. The name of Parsifal, one of Arthurs noble knights of the round table, is especially interesting as it does pertain to Parsi, the culture and language of the people of Iran. Yet for all the facts that point to Persian origins and connections in literature and in historical reality, the West remains indifferent to the feelings of the past regarding Iran. Perhaps one of the unspoken agreements in becoming the heir to Greece and Rome is for the West to maintain the somewhat unfair, exaggerated prejudice and mistrust of a nation that invaded the land of original democracy, ancient Greece, and was the virile competition to that lawmaker and stabilizer of Europe, Rome, for which we feel we are all indebted. Iran has gifted so much to humanity, its ancient spiritual path of Zoroastrianism having inspired the Abrahamic faiths with visions of the struggles of heaven and hell, the battle of light and darkness fortified with the concept of the free will of Man which begat the sense of compassion, charity and duty towards all people. Many however remain ignorant, by no fault of their own, of these contributions of this ancient civilization which placed the dignity of human beings above all else. Ignorance, due to the prejudice which was fostered perhaps by pride and the assumption of a power that was broken by the swords of this one time powerful eastern rival of mighty Rome. So, it seems that it is safer and more convenient to forget and ignore Iran's past than rightfully acknowledge her past glory. But we should remember that history is ongoing and never stagnant, and if the patterns persist, then Iran is destined to rise again.
The poet Firdowsi, in preserving the Iranian language not only kept the memory of Sassanian glory alive but also reminded his people that women held a high place in ancient Persian society. These tales have strengthened Iranian women over the centuries and continues to inspire the young who are now confronting the chains of an imported religious ideology that doesn't see women in the same light but prefers to keep them in ignorance and darkness. Persian spirituality was all about the struggle of light against darkness, good fighting evil, and the day will come when the women of Iran will set out once again, as their ancestors did riding as Asbaran warriors in ages past. The Iranian people will know victory, for the swords of light and the armor of victory carries the day before them.
Persian miniature from a medieval commissioned volume of the Shahnameh
Copyright Ismail Butera, 2022
Highly recommended! Check out the fine art of this amazing illustrator Gambargin, who brings the past to life...
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gambargin
On Deviant Art https://www.deviantart.com/gambargin
Highly recommended! Check out the fine art of this amazing illustrator Gambargin, who brings the past to life...
On Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gambargin
On Deviant Art https://www.deviantart.com/gambargin
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