Shapur I's inscription at the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht

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Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
The inscriptions

Shapur I's Ka'ba-ye Zartosht inscription (shortened as Shapur-KZ, ŠKZ,

Fars Province, Iran.[1] The inscription dates to c. 262.[2]

Content

The inscription is written in Middle Persian, Parthian, and Greek,[2][1] containing 35, 30, and 70 lines, respectively. The Middle Persian variant is partially damaged, while the Greek and Parthian versions are better preserved, although they are not exactly the same as the Middle Persian text. In this inscription, Shapur introduces himself, mentions his genealogy, enumerates the provinces of his empire, describes his campaigns against the Roman Empire and talks about the fire temples he built.[1] The inscription is considered the most important inscription from the Sasanian era.

The relevant passage enumerating the territories part of Shapur I's empire :[2][1][4]

...[I] am ruler of

Sogdiana/Sogdia and to the mountains of Tashkent (Chach), and on the other side of the sea, Oman
(i.e. Mazonshahr).

Parthian version of the Shapur I inscription at Ka'ba-ye Zartosht.

In the inscription, Shapur I mentions his victories over

denarii to the Sasanians.[1] In addition, the Romans promised that they would surrender Armenia to Shapur. However, Shapur relates that the Philip the Arab did not keep his promise and tried to reinvade Armenia.[1] As a result, another battle was fought in 252-256 at Barbalissos, against a 60,000-strong Roman army.[1] Shapur was victorious, and he mentions that he captured 36 Roman cities.[1] Shapur also mentions his major victory at the Battle of Edessa, which resulted in Valerian being captured by the Sasanian ruler, "along with the Praefectus Praetorio, senators, and chiefs of the army".[1] He furthermore relates that Roman captives were settled in the province of Pars (i.e. Persis).[1] The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity notes that this particular part of the inscription, where Shapur mentions the capture of Valerian and his deeds in general, is reminiscent of the "Persian epic tradition".[1]

In the following part of the inscription, Shapur mentions the

Papak, Ardashir I in addition to Shapur I himself.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Daryaee 2018, pp. 1294–1295.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Rapp 2014, p. 28.
  3. ^ Yarshater 1983, p. 126.
  4. ^ Wiesehöfer 2001, p. 184.

Sources

  • ISBN 978-0-19-866277-8
    .
  • Full English translation of the inscription in Frye, Richard Nelson (1984). The History of Ancient Iran. C.H.Beck. p. 371.
    ISBN 978-3-406-09397-5
    .
  • Rapp, Stephen H. (2014). The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian Commonwealth in Late Antique Georgian Literature. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
    ISBN 978-1472425522
    .
  • ISBN 978-1860646751
    .
  • ISBN 978-0521200929
    .

External links
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