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Book review: Rivalling Rome: Parthian Coins & Culture
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<p>[QUOTE="Parthicus, post: 4544685, member: 81887"]Rivalling Rome: Parthian Coins & Culture. Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis and Alexandra Magub. London: Spink and Son Ltd., 2020. ISBN 978-1-912667-44-4.</p><p><br /></p><p>This slim volume (118 pages) is intended to accompany a special exhibit at the British Museum, which was scheduled to run from April 2nd to September 6th, 2020. For obvious reasons (note to posterity: the COVID-19 pandemic) the exhibit has been postponed (the British Museum website says only that it is "coming soon") but meanwhile we are able to enjoy this book. Firstly, I will summarize that I found this book very enjoyable to read, and a useful overview of Parthian coins, history, and civilization. While I have a few minor quibbles, the book as a whole is very worthwhile, and I would suggest anyone with an interest in Parthian coins and history should purchase it.</p><p><br /></p><p>While the book does include many clear photos of Parthian and related coins, it is not a comprehensive catalogue or identification guide (and is certainly not intended as such). Rather, the coins are used to illustrate both the history of the Parthian kings, but more importantly, examined for what they reveal about the Parthians themselves, particularly their cultural practices and religious beliefs, as well as aspects of their material culture (i.e. clothing, tools, etc.). The photographs are of good quality, all coins are depicted life-sized or larger, and the various other objects are also beautifully photographed. Most photos are reproduced in full color, and there are several full-page photo spreads where the page background is solid black, which I found very aesthetically pleasing. If I had to make one complaint about this aspect of the book, it would be the shortage of maps. There is only one map in the whole book, and it is placed near the end, just before the first appendix. </p><p><br /></p><p>The book of course gives an overview of Parthian history, from its origins to the Sasanian conquest. The authors largely use the older dates and king sequence established by David Sellwood in 1980. While an appendix includes both Sellwood's chronology and the more recent modifications by Assar, I was a bit disappointed that the authors did not make more of an effort to include the very latest research in their main text. Of course, for a general book such as this, you don't want to get too bogged down in explaining why, for example, a new Mithradates has appeared between Gotarzes I and Orodes I. However, the historical text is clear, and is good at including relevant Roman and other regional history as needed.</p><p><br /></p><p>One aspect that I enjoyed was the subtle but consistent effort at situating the Parthians in their proper Iranian context. As the authors write in their Introduction, "For a long time, modern Iranians also regarded the Arsacid Parthians as a derivative dynasty of Hellenistic Greece." While the authors do not downplay the use of Hellenistic imagery or Greek language on Parthian coins, they also show how some imagery supposedly of Hellenistic origins may actually be intended to represent Iranian religious ideas. For example, the radiate deity usually considered to be Helios may be intended to symbolize Mithra (or perhaps a syncretic Helios-Mithra), and several supposedly Greek goddesses or personifications seem to equally well fit ancient Iranian theology. Also, while the book uses the usual Hellenized forms of Parthian names in the main text, Appendix I (chronological list of kings) also includes the proper Persian forms of the names. Some of these are pretty close (Arsaces- Arshak), while others may come as a surprise (Phraates is actually Farhad, a common name in modern Iran as Dr. Gholam Reza Farhad Assar could surely tell us). </p><p><br /></p><p>Another section that I found helpful is chapter 7, about local sub-kingdoms in the Parthian Empire, namely Persis, Elymais, and Characene. While the histories of these three are not well recorded, the authors do a good job in summarizing what is known. The descriptions of the coinages of these kingdoms, while again not a comprehensive catalogue, will be helpful as an overview for new collectors, and may even inspire a few collectors to venture into these exciting realms. </p><p><br /></p><p>In conclusion, this is a well-produced book that deftly summarizes what is known about the Parthians, and is well worth reading by anyone interested in the Parthians, or in Persian or Near Eastern history in general. The book is currently available in Britain directly from Spink for 20 pounds; I purchased my copy from Amazon (US) for $21.84. This is an absolute bargain, and I would suggest interested readers get a copy now.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Parthicus, post: 4544685, member: 81887"]Rivalling Rome: Parthian Coins & Culture. Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis and Alexandra Magub. London: Spink and Son Ltd., 2020. ISBN 978-1-912667-44-4. This slim volume (118 pages) is intended to accompany a special exhibit at the British Museum, which was scheduled to run from April 2nd to September 6th, 2020. For obvious reasons (note to posterity: the COVID-19 pandemic) the exhibit has been postponed (the British Museum website says only that it is "coming soon") but meanwhile we are able to enjoy this book. Firstly, I will summarize that I found this book very enjoyable to read, and a useful overview of Parthian coins, history, and civilization. While I have a few minor quibbles, the book as a whole is very worthwhile, and I would suggest anyone with an interest in Parthian coins and history should purchase it. While the book does include many clear photos of Parthian and related coins, it is not a comprehensive catalogue or identification guide (and is certainly not intended as such). Rather, the coins are used to illustrate both the history of the Parthian kings, but more importantly, examined for what they reveal about the Parthians themselves, particularly their cultural practices and religious beliefs, as well as aspects of their material culture (i.e. clothing, tools, etc.). The photographs are of good quality, all coins are depicted life-sized or larger, and the various other objects are also beautifully photographed. Most photos are reproduced in full color, and there are several full-page photo spreads where the page background is solid black, which I found very aesthetically pleasing. If I had to make one complaint about this aspect of the book, it would be the shortage of maps. There is only one map in the whole book, and it is placed near the end, just before the first appendix. The book of course gives an overview of Parthian history, from its origins to the Sasanian conquest. The authors largely use the older dates and king sequence established by David Sellwood in 1980. While an appendix includes both Sellwood's chronology and the more recent modifications by Assar, I was a bit disappointed that the authors did not make more of an effort to include the very latest research in their main text. Of course, for a general book such as this, you don't want to get too bogged down in explaining why, for example, a new Mithradates has appeared between Gotarzes I and Orodes I. However, the historical text is clear, and is good at including relevant Roman and other regional history as needed. One aspect that I enjoyed was the subtle but consistent effort at situating the Parthians in their proper Iranian context. As the authors write in their Introduction, "For a long time, modern Iranians also regarded the Arsacid Parthians as a derivative dynasty of Hellenistic Greece." While the authors do not downplay the use of Hellenistic imagery or Greek language on Parthian coins, they also show how some imagery supposedly of Hellenistic origins may actually be intended to represent Iranian religious ideas. For example, the radiate deity usually considered to be Helios may be intended to symbolize Mithra (or perhaps a syncretic Helios-Mithra), and several supposedly Greek goddesses or personifications seem to equally well fit ancient Iranian theology. Also, while the book uses the usual Hellenized forms of Parthian names in the main text, Appendix I (chronological list of kings) also includes the proper Persian forms of the names. Some of these are pretty close (Arsaces- Arshak), while others may come as a surprise (Phraates is actually Farhad, a common name in modern Iran as Dr. Gholam Reza Farhad Assar could surely tell us). Another section that I found helpful is chapter 7, about local sub-kingdoms in the Parthian Empire, namely Persis, Elymais, and Characene. While the histories of these three are not well recorded, the authors do a good job in summarizing what is known. The descriptions of the coinages of these kingdoms, while again not a comprehensive catalogue, will be helpful as an overview for new collectors, and may even inspire a few collectors to venture into these exciting realms. In conclusion, this is a well-produced book that deftly summarizes what is known about the Parthians, and is well worth reading by anyone interested in the Parthians, or in Persian or Near Eastern history in general. The book is currently available in Britain directly from Spink for 20 pounds; I purchased my copy from Amazon (US) for $21.84. This is an absolute bargain, and I would suggest interested readers get a copy now.[/QUOTE]
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