Ancient Persia [Hardcover]

Josef Wiesehofer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1850439990 | ISBN-13: 978-1850439998 | Publication Date: July 15, 1998

Of all the great civilizations of the ancient world, that of Persia is one of the least understood. Josef Wiesehöfer, one of the most respected scholars of the ancient world, provides here a comprehensive survey of the Persian Empire under Achaeminids, the Parthians and the Sassanians. By focusing on the primary Persian sources--written, archaeological and numismatic evidence from Persia--he avoids the traditional Western approach which has tended to rely so heavily on inaccurate and sometimes prejudiced Greek and Roman sources. Part of the freshness of this book comes from presenting a historical discussion of Persia from a Near Eastern perspective. A comprehensive social, political and cultural history of ancient Persia, Wiesehöfer's book provides important new material for specialists while being fully accessible and appealing to general readers interested in the ancient world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"His account of a millennium of Persian history is highly readable, balancing a broad, clear and authoritative overview...."-- James Davidson, London Review of Books
"I strongly recommend this book. . . It is scholarly, well-written, engaging and will stimulate specialists and general readers alike." -- Maria Brosius, St. Hugh's College, Oxford University

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (July 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1850439990
• ISBN-13: 978-1850439998
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,832,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly Overview of Persian History, August 11, 2000

By 

Paul V Caetano - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Persia (Hardcover)

Wiesehofer has written a good overview of Persian history from the founding of the Achaemenid empire until the Arab conquest. Despite the great timespan of his work he is able to provide many interesting details and insights. He accomplishes this by avoiding a strict chronological approach. Sections are devoted to the various empires such as the Parthians, and, within these sections, chapters deal with subjects such as religion or classes in society. I especially appreciated the chapters on sources which explicitly describe our sources for the various eras. Because of Wiesehofer's approach this book is not at all a popular history. I would not recommend it to someone who does not already have a familiarity with the history of Persia. At times the book can be quite technical and assumes a fair knowledge on the part of the reader. However, if you have a familiarity with ancient Persia and wish to learn more about it, I heartily recommend this book.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books on this topic, June 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Ancient Persia (Hardcover)

This book by J.Wiesehoefer, who is an expert especially on achaemenid and parthian history, tries to look at Persia in a different way than many earlier scholars did. He does this by questioning the information the Greek and Roman historians give about Ancient Iran - how realistic is the picture these sources draw? Where the Persians really nothing more but enemies? Were they really as decadent and despotic as most ancient authors indicate? This book is full of usefull information - go get it.

33 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Much Overrated, August 14, 2004

By 

Diotima "Mantinea" (Western Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ancient Persia (Paperback)

This is not a history of Ancient Persia but rather a set of essays on just a few topics: "The Testimonies" (i.e. the historical sources); "The King and his Subjects"; and "Everyday Life".
Basically, apart from the Bisutun relief (text available at http://www.avesta.org/op.htm) and the Persepolis Texts (R. T. Hallock, Chicago 1969), nearly all the sources are Greek or Latin upon which the author relies despite the contrary assertion given by the publisher on the flyleaf. It's not the ancient Greek and Roman writers that the author attempts to discredit but rather the modern writers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Better to read "The Persian Empire" by J. M. Cook or "A Political History of the Achaemenid Empire" by Muhammad A. Dandamaev.