Process of the evolution of Iranian identity in the Arsacids dynasty Versus Roman-Greek identity

Ghiasi, Omid

doi:10.30466/jhf.2024.121519

Process of the evolution of Iranian identity in the Arsacids dynasty Versus Roman-Greek identity

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Omid Ghiasi

Graduated in PhD, Department of History, The Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran. Shiraz, Iran.

10.30466/jhf.2024.121519

Abstract

The defeat of Darius III by Alexander the Great was the first major political defeat in the history of Iranian-origin governments. Then, the rise of the Parthians had an essential effect on the prominence of some elements of Iranian identity. With the presence of Greeks in the Achaemenid Empire, Hellenic culture also expanded. In this situation, the Iranian government of Parthian descent emerged east of the Iranian plateau and gradually paid attention to the Iranian cultural components in contrast to the Greek culture. Identity always shows itself against the "other". The emergence of the Hellenic culture in the government that the Iranians had formed created a duality of identity that formed different cultural, political and geographical characteristics. The present article aims to analyze the evolutionary process of Iranian identity in comparison with Greek and Roman identity, relying on the role of the Parthians and showing their significant identity achievements. During the Parthian period, Iranian identity gradually moved towards more Iranism and the rejection of Hellenic elements, and in the continuation of that, it came into conflict with Roman culture. By highlighting the elements of Iranian identity, they defined themselves in a different cultural-political sphere than the Greeks and Romans.

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