Entangled Worlds

Formore than a millennium, ancient Persia and the classical Mediterranean weredeeply intertwined-not merely through conflict but also through diplomacy,trade, and cultural exchange. From the rise of the Achaemenid Empire in thesixth century BCE to the fall of Rome in 476 CE and the twilight of SasanianPersia in 651 CE, political, religious, and artistic exchanges shaped-andwere shaped by-the dynamic interactions between ancient Persia, Greece, andRome. These encounters fostered a complex web of cultural connectivity,challenging the notion of antiquity as a series of isolated civilizations andrevealing its deep, enduring entanglements.Bringing thedisciplines of classics, Iranian studies, and global history into dialogue,this volume examines how successive Iranian empires-Achaemenid, Seleucid,Arsacid (Parthian), and Sasanian-engaged with their western (and occasionallyeastern) neighbors. Essays on diplomacy, religion, art, and intellectual lifeoffer fresh perspectives on ancient historiography, cross-culturalmythmaking, material and visual culture, and the political and religiousdynamics of empire. Featuring more than 100 illustrations,Entangled Worlds is a compellingresource for scholars, students, and general readers interested in the sharedlegacies of the ancient world.