Postgraduate Course: Achaemenid Historiography: From Cyrus to Alexander (PGHC11359)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | While it is an acknowledged fact that the ancient Persians did not write narrative histories per se, this course seeks to consider the Persian royal texts in a different light and set them alongside 'history' traditions in the ancient Near East, as well as examine them alongside Classical historiographic sources. |
| Course description |
This course examines the diverse historiographic sources available to students of Achaemenid Iran (559-323 BCE). It will focus on Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian royal inscriptions and royal documents from the heart of the Empire and will place them alongside Assyrian, Aramaic, Egyptian, Hebrew, and Greek sources. The student will gain a coherent picture of the true nature of Achaemenid historiography as well as the difficulties and frustrations inherent in utilizing these key texts. Particular attention will be paid to the Bisitun Inscription of Darius I (and the Greek 'version' in Herodotus Book 3), and to the tomb inscriptions of the king at Naqsh-i Rustam; focus will also be given to the building inscription of Darius I from Susa and Xerxes' Daiva Inscription. All texts are studied in English translation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate in class discussion and written work a detailed and critical command of the body of knowledge concerning Achaemenid historiography, including Iranian, Near eastern, Egyptian, Biblical and Classical sources
- Demonstrate in class discussion and written work an ability to analyse and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship concerning the nature of Achaemenid historiography and its place in histories of Iran and the ancient World, primary source materials concerning the period and conceptual discussions about Persian monarchy
- Demonstrate in in class discussion and written work an ability to understand and apply specialised research or professional skills, techniques and practices considered in the course including textual, artistic, and cultural criticisms
- Demonstrate the ability to develop and sustain original scholarly arguments in oral and written form in seminar discussions and presentations by independently formulating appropriate questions and utilising relevant evidence considered in the course
- Demonstrate in seminar discussions and presentations originality and independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others, including peers; and a considerable degree of autonomy
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Reading List
Briant, P. (2002) From Cyrus to Alexander. A History of the Persian Empire. Winona Lake.
Brosius, M. (2000) The Persian Empire from Cyrus II to Artaxerxes I. Lactor 16. Cambridge.
Cook, J.M. (1983) The Persian Empire. New York.
Georges, P. (1994) Barbarian Asia and the Greek Experience from the Archaic Period to the Age of Xenophon. London.
Kuhrt, A. (2007) The Persian Empire. A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period. II Volumes. London.
Lenfant, D. (2007a) 'Greek Historians of Persia' in J. Marincola, ed. A Companion to Greek and Roman Historiography. Oxford. Vol I. 201-09.
Llewellyn-Jones, L. (2013) King and Court in Ancient Persia 559-331 BCE. Edinburgh.
Llewellyn-Jones, L. & Robson, J. (2010) Ctesias' 'History of Persia': Tales of the Orient. London.
Marincola, J. (1997) Authority and Tradition in Ancient Historiography. Cambridge.
Momigliano, A. (1975) Alien Wisdom: the Limits of Hellenization. Cambridge.
Murray, O. (2001) 'Herodotus and Oral History' in N. Luraghi, ed. The Historian's Craft in the Age of Herodotus. Oxford. 16-44.
Tuplin, C. J. (2007) 'Herodotus on Persia and the Persian Empire' in R.B. Strassler, ed. The Landmark Herodotus. New York. 792-97.
Wiesehofer, J. (1996) Ancient Persia from 550 BC to 650 AD. London & New York.
Wiesehofer, J., Lanfranchi, G., & Rollinger, R., eds. (2009) Die Welt des Ktesias von Knidos. Stuttgart. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | AchaemenidHist |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones
Tel: (0131 6)50 3585
Email: L.Llewellyn.Jones@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Gordon Littlejohn
Tel: (0131 6)50 3782
Email: Gordon.Littlejohn@ed.ac.uk |
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