Descrizione

From the library of Prof. Wolfgang Haase, long-time editor of ANRW and the International Journal of the Classical Tradition (IJCT). -With dedication of the author for Prof. Haase. - Binding rubbed and bumped, author's name handwritten on title page, light margins due to paper, not completely cut open, otherwise clean. - From the introduction: The downfall of the Parthian government and the rise of the Sasanian dynasty marks a decisive break in the history of preislamic Iran, as also in the relations between Rome and Iran. But how could the Parthian empire, demonstrating a considerable strength in the very last period of its existence, during the wars against the Roman emperor Caracalla and his successor Macrinus, seemingly be an easy prey to a petty prince of the province of Fars? The circumstances accompanying this event have attracted the close attention of historians, but thus far no real analysis of the available sources has been undertaken. In the year 1879 the great Noeldeke published an annotated translation of Tabari�s history of the Sasanian period and since that time we may say that Tabari�s narrative of the course of events has been accepted without any criticism. Attention has hardly been paid to the fact that numismatic evidence is difficult to reconcile with the chronology that we are able to reconstruct from Tabari�s account.