Tentative diagram of the 40-hour seminar
(in 80 parts of 30 minutes)
Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
Tuesday, 27 December 2022
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To watch the videos, click here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/history-of-iran-76436584
To hear the audio, click here:
https://www.podbean.com/premium-podcast/historica/l3a5ypF8qTK2
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1 A – Achaemenid beginnings I A
Introduction; Iranian Achaemenid historiography; Problems of historiography continuity; Iranian posterior historiography; foreign historiography
1 B – Achaemenid beginnings I B
Western Orientalist historiography; early sources of Iranian History; Prehistory in the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia
2 A – Achaemenid beginnings II A
Brief Diagram of the History of the Mesopotamian kingdoms and Empires down to Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau
2 B – Achaemenid beginnings II B
The Neo-Assyrian Empire from Shalmaneser III (859-824 BCE) to Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau
3 A – Achaemenid beginnings III A
From Sennacherib (705-681 BCE) to Assurbanipal (669-625 BCE) to the end of Assyria (609 BCE) – with focus on relations with Zagros Mountains and the Iranian plateau
3 B – Achaemenid beginnings III B
The long shadow of the Mesopotamian Heritage: Assyria, Babylonia, Elam/Anshan, Kassites, Guti, Akkad, and Sumer / Religious conflicts of empires – Monotheism & Polytheism
4 A – Achaemenid beginnings IV A
The Sargonid dynasty and the Divine, Universal Empire – the Translatio Imperii
4 B – Achaemenid beginnings IV B
Assyrian Spirituality, Monotheism & Eschatology; the imperial concepts of Holy Land (vs. barbaric periphery) and Chosen People (vs. barbarians)
5 A – Achaemenid beginnings V A
The Medes from Deioces to Cyaxares & Astyages
The early Achaemenids (Achaemenes & the Teispids)
5 B – Achaemenid beginnings V B
– Why the ‘Medes’ and why the ‘Persians’?
What enabled these nations to form empires?
6 A – Zoroaster A
Shamanism-Tengrism; the life of Zoroaster; Avesta and Zoroastrianism
6 B – Zoroaster B
Mithraism vs. Zoroastrianism; the historical stages of Zoroaster’s preaching and religion
7 A – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) I A
The end of Assyria, Nabonid Babylonia, and the Medes
7 B – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) I B
The Nabonidus Chronicle
8 A – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) II A
Cyrus’ battles against the Medes
8 B – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) II B
Cyrus’ battles against the Lydians
9 Α – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) III A
The Battle of Opis: the facts
9 Β – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) III B
Why Babylon fell without resistance
10 A – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) IV A
Cyrus Cylinder: text discovery and analysis
10 B – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) IV B
Cyrus Cylinder: historical continuity in Esagila
11 A – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) V A
Cyrus’ Empire as continuation of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
11 B – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) V B
Cyrus’ Empire and the dangers for Egypt
12 A – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) VI A
Death of Cyrus; Tomb at Pasargad
12 B – Cyrus the Great (Cyrus II) VI B
Posterity and worldwide importance of Cyrus the Great
13 A – Cambyses I A
Conquest of Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia: Sudan)
13 B – Cambyses I B
Iran as successor of Assyria in Egypt, and the grave implications of the Iranian conquest of Egypt
14 A – Cambyses II A
Cambyses’ adamant monotheism, his clash with the Memphitic polytheists, and the falsehood diffused against him (from Egypt to Greece)
14 B – Cambyses II B
The reasons for the assassination of Cambyses
15 A – Darius the Great I A
The Mithraic Magi, Gaumata, and the usurpation of the Achaemenid throne
15 B – Darius the Great I B
Darius’ ascension to the throne
16 A – Darius the Great II A
The Behistun inscription
16 B – Darius the Great II B
The Iranian Empire according to the Behistun inscription
17 A – Darius the Great III A
Military campaign in Egypt & the Suez Canal
17 B – Darius the Great III B
Babylonian revolt, campaign in the Indus Valley
18 A – Darius the Great IV A
Darius’ Scythian and Balkan campaigns; Herodotus’ fake stories
18 B – Darius the Great IV B
Anti-Iranian priests of Memphis and Egyptian rebels turning Greek traitors against the Oracle at Delphi, Ancient Greece’s holiest shrine
19 A – Darius the Great V A
Administration of the Empire; economy & coinage
19 B – Darius the Great V B
World trade across lands, deserts and seas
20 A – Darius the Great VI A
Rejection of the Modern European fallacy of ‘Classic’ era and Classicism
20 B – Darius the Great VI B
Darius the Great as the end of the Ancient World and the beginning of the Late Antiquity (522 BCE – 622 CE)
21 A – Achaemenids, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and the Magi A
Avesta and the establishment of the ideal empire
21 B – Achaemenids, Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, and the Magi B
The ceaseless, internal strife that brought down the Xšāça (: Empire)
22 A – The Empire-Garden, Embodiment of the Paradise A
The inalienable Sargonid-Achaemenid continuity as the link between Cosmogony, Cosmology and Eschatology
22 B – The Empire-Garden, Embodiment of the Paradise B
The Garden, the Holy Tree, and the Empire
23 A – Xerxes the Great I A
Xerxes’ rule; his upbringing and personality
23 B – Xerxes the Great I B
Xerxes’ rule; his imperial education
24 A – Xerxes the Great II A
Imperial governance and military campaigns
24 B – Xerxes the Great II B
The Anti-Iranian complex of inferiority of the ‘Greek’ barbarians (the so-called ‘Greco-Persian wars’)
25 A – Parsa (Persepolis) A
The most magnificent capital of the pre-Islamic world
25 B – Parsa (Persepolis) B
Naqsh-e Rustam: the Achaemenid necropolis: the sanctity of the mountain; the Achaemenid-Sassanid continuity of cultural integrity and national identity
26 A – Iran & the Periphery A
Caucasus, Central Asia, Siberia, Tibet and China Hind (India), Bengal, Deccan and Yemen
26 B – Iran & the Periphery B
Sudan, Carthage and Rome
27 A – The Anti-Iranian rancor of the Egyptian Memphitic priests A
The real cause of the so-called ‘Greco-Persian wars’, and the use of the Greeks that the Egyptian Memphitic priests made
27 B – The Anti-Iranian rancor of the Egyptian Memphitic priests B
Battle of the Eurymedon River; Egypt and the Wars of the Delian League
28 A – Civilized Empire & Barbarian Republic A
The incomparable superiority of Iran opposite the chaotic periphery: the Divine Empire
28 B – Civilized Empire & Barbarian Republic B
Why the ‘Greeks’ and the Romans were unable to form a proper empire
29 A – Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) A
Revolt in Egypt; the ‘Greeks’ and their shame: they ran to Persepolis as suppliants
29 B – Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) B
Aramaeans and Jews in the Achaemenid Court
30 A – Interregnum (424-403 BCE) A
Xerxes II, Sogdianus, and Darius II
30 B – Interregnum (424-403 BCE) B
The Elephantine papyri and ostraca; Aramaeans, Jews, Phoenicians and Ionians
31 A – Artaxerxes II (405-359 BCE) & Artaxerxes III (359-338 BCE) A
Revolts instigated by the Memphitic priests of Egypt and the Mithraic subversion of the Empire
31 B – Artaxerxes II (405-359 BCE) & Artaxerxes III (359-338 BCE) B
Artaxerxes II’s capitulation to the Magi and the unbalancing of the Empire / Cyrus the Younger
32 A – Artaxerxes IV & Darius III A
The decomposition of the Empire
32 B – Artaxerxes IV & Darius III B
Legendary historiography
33 A – Alexander’s Invasion of Iran A
The military campaigns
33 B – Alexander’s Invasion of Iran B
Alexander’s voluntary Iranization/Orientalization
34 A – Alexander: absolute rejection of Ancient Greece A
The re-organization of Iran; the Oriental manners of Alexander, and his death
34 B – Alexander: absolute rejection of Ancient Greece B
The split of the Empire; the Epigones and the rise of the Orientalistic (not Hellenistic) world
35 A – Achaemenid Iran – Army A
Military History
35 B – Achaemenid Iran – Army B
Achaemenid empire, Sassanid militarism & Islamic Iranian epics and legends
36 A – Achaemenid Iran & East-West / North-South Trade A
The development of the trade between Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Iran, Turan (Central Asia), Indus Valley, Deccan, Yemen, East Africa & China
36 B – Achaemenid Iran & East-West / North-South Trade B
East-West / North-South Trade and the increased importance of Mesopotamia and Egypt
37 A – Achaemenid Iran: Languages and scripts A
Old Achaemenid, Aramaic, Sabaean and the formation of other writing systems
37 B – Achaemenid Iran: Languages and scripts B
Aramaic as an international language
38 A – Achaemenid Iran: Religions A
Rise of a multicultural and multi-religious world
38 B – Achaemenid Iran: Religions B
Collapse of traditional religions; rise of religious syncretism
39 A – Achaemenid Iran: Art and Architecture A
Major archaeological sites of Achaemenid Iran
39 B – Achaemenid Iran: Art and Architecture B
The radiation of Iranian Art
40 A – Achaemenid Iran: Historical Importance A
The role of Iran in the interconnection between Asia and Africa
40 B – Achaemenid Iran: Historical Importance B
The role of Iran in the interconnection between Asia and Europe
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