Abolala Soudavar

The monotheistic ideology that Darius imposed on the nascent Achaemenid state resulted in a religious revolution with far reaching effects, as it reverberated on two different levels. At the top level, the imposition of an omnipotent abstract god, Ahura Mazda, created a sharp reaction that led to the general massacre of the opposition termed as Magophonia by Herodotus. Several centuries of doctrinal development led to Zoroastrianism, a religion marked by the art of compromise and virulent rhetoric. While the Zoroastrian influence on Abrahamic religions has mainly been investigated in respect to borrowed concepts such as Paradise or Day of Judgment, its influence on the art of compromise and rhetoric has been neglected. So has been the influence of its underground opposition, organized as brotherhood. The underground opposition affected early Christianity, while the Iranian clergy influenced the Judaic priesthood. Together, they ended up affecting Islam

IRANIAN COMPLEXITIES: A STUDY IN ACHAEMENID, AVESTAN, AND SASANIAN CONTROVERSIES

Mithraic Societies: From Brotherhood Ideal to Religion's Adversary

Milo Cleveland Beach

Rizzoli

Abou Soudavar

Overview of Iranian and Persian manuscript painting, manuscript illumination, calligraphy and drawing, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century

Selections from the Art and History Trust Collection

Art of the Persian Courts

Although by its title, this book seems to be about a specialized topic, the spread of Mithraic societies and its avatars, in time and geographical expanse, much enhances its relevancy. From Roman legionaries to chivalry orders, from dervish circles to guild organizations, and from Freemasons to French revolutionaries, the hierarchy of Mithraic societies, their initiation rites, and their oaths of secrecy, provided a model for brotherhood organization that was efficient, but also flexible; they could adapt their philosophy to the prevailing politico-religion conditions of the day, because they did not worship any particular god, but could also be comrades in arms with nascent religious movements, such as with Christianity. Mithra was the initial guarantor of their oath, and if need be it could be replaced by Jesus, Allah or any other divinity. Their "religion" was their brotherhood, and as such they usually provided a counter-balance to the power elite, and had the potential to become politically active.

Mithraic Societies: From Brotherhood to Religion's Adversary - (b&w)

Martin Dickson once confided to Stuart Cary Welch "that twenty five years would pass before our fellow specialists would fully comprehend what we had achieved." The "achievement" he was referring to is the monumental double volume The Houghton Shahnama (1981), still ill-understood thirty five years later. Their "achievement" is a treasure trove of information that needs to be rediscovered and reused. Three recent papers that tried to discredit Dickson and Welch provided the impetus to revisit some of the complex manuscripts that they had analyzed, including the British Library Khamseh (O. 2265) and the Cartier Divan of Hafez, to discover historical details that provide a better insight into Safavid society.

Abolala Soudavar

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