Seminar paper by Craig Morley (University of Liverpool) at the University of Lincoln in October 2014,

1. Dispelling the alter orbis:
Cultural Contradictions
Craig Morley
University of Liverpool

2. To show that ‘cultural’ relationship was not
straight-forward but one of contradictions
Focus;
1) Attitudes To Cultural
Encounters
2) Religion
3) Ideology

3. The Manichaeans, about whom you reported to Our Serenity
with much insight, as we have heard, have come into existence
and entered our realm only recently from our enemy, the
Persian people, just like new and unexpected portents, and
they inflict harm on civilised states; and we have been afraid
that, as tends to happen, by scandalous customs and the bad
laws of the Persians over the course of time will try to infect
people of a more innocent nature, modest and quiet Romans
and our whole empire with their malign poison.
(Collatio LegumMosaicarum et Romanarum 15.3.1-8)

4. NISIBIS
AMIDA
CALLINICUM
SINGARA
DURA EUROPUS
STRATA
DIOCLETIANA
“To evade the frontier guards”
(AmmianusMarcellinus
18.5.2)
Royal
Canal

5. “For Diocletian was the first to introduce
foreign [Sasanian] and royal manner of
adoration”
(Ammianus Marcellinus 15.5.18)
“We found a [Sasanian] royal lodge built
in the Roman manner…”
(Ammianus Marcellinus, 24.5.1)
“Now Chosroes built a city in Assyria in a place
one day’s journey distant from the city of
Ctesiphon, and he named it Antioch of Chosroes
and settled there all the captives from Antioch,
constructing for them a bath and a hippodrome
and providing that they should have free
enjoyment of their other luxuries besides. For he
brought with him charioteers and musicians both
from Antioch and other Roman cities.”
(Procopius, BP. 2.14.1-4)

6. Two Types of Cultural
Appropriation & Incorporation;
1) Simple Transfer
2) Adaptation
(Mosaic at Bishapur Palace)
Simple Transfers:
•Sugarcane
•Polo
“The high degree of subtlety indicates that
the sculptors and patron knew and
deliberately played on traditions and
symbols of both cultures”
(Canepa, 2010: 139)
Adaptions:
• Regalia
• Architecture
• Symbols/Art

7. “Antoninus brought a cheap
property in Hisapis, a district
immediately bordering the
Tigris”
(Ammianus Marcellinus 18.5.2)
“There was no marked frontier.
The subjects of both peoples did
not fear one another and did not
suspect an attack, but they
intermarried and had joint
markets”
(Procopius, De. Aed. 3.3.9-10)
Stewart’s Model:
HIGH
SOCIAL
MASS
SHORT
DISTANCE
TRANSFER/EXCHANGE
OF
IDEAS/CULTURE

8. NISIBIS
CALLINICUM
CAESAREA
EDESSA
ANTIOCH
SELEUCIA
Heavily Populated Cities
Official Trading Centres
(CJ 4.63.4.)
ARTAXATA

9. Cross-Border travel:
• Traders/merchants
• Christianity –
Pilgrims/Bishops
• Diplomacy/Diplomats
“Spectatus has returned to us from his embassy,
regarded by many as fortunate – some, because
he saw so much land and mountains and rivers,
by others, because he witnessed the way of life of
the Persians, the customs and laws by which
they live; others considered it a great thing to
have seen the king himself and the jewels with
which he was adorned”
(Libanius, Ep. 331.1)
“The Persians
Say…”
(Amm.Marc.18.4.2)

10. Imitatio Alexandri
Roman Universal Rule
(“Imperium sine fine”)
Alter Orbis
VS
Sasanian Universal Rule
Achaemenid Heritage
Family of Kings
Interdependence
&
Joint Civilisation
“like eyes, [the two empires] are adorned by each others’ light”
“Two Eyes”
(Theo.Sim. 4.2.2-3)
“Two Shoulders”
(Syn.Or. 37)
(Pet.Pat. fr. 13-14)
“Two Lamps”
(Pet.Pat. fr. 13-14)
Equals

11. Two state religions:
Roman Christianity
&
Sasanian Zoroastrianism
“Similarly with great happiness he showed love
for king Tiridates as a dear brother because of
his knowledge of God; furthermore he made a
treaty with him, holding the faith which was in
Christ the lord as the common denominator, so
that they might persevere assuredly and forever
a steadfast friendship between the kingdoms.”
(Agathangelos 877)
My son, religion and kingship are brothers
who cannot do without each other, for
religion is the foundation of kingship and
kingship is religion’s protector. And that
which does not have a foundation collapses
and that which does not have a protector
perishes.
(Mas’ūdī, Murūg 1 § 568)
If you [the Shahs] were to render them [the
Christians] familiar with our religion…they
would love you and the land of the Aryans and
would reject and draw away from the [Roman]
emperor and his religion and his empire.
43.
His Majesty, Ardashir, the king of kings, son of
Pabag, acting on the just judgement of Tosar [a
Magi], demanded that all those scattered
teachings to be brought to court. Tosar
assumed command; he selected those which
were trustworthy, and left the rest out of the
canon. And thus he decreed: From now on only
those are true expositions of the Mazdean
religion, for now there is no lack of information
and knowledge concerning them.
Dēnkard ‘Acts of Religion’ (Shaki, 1981).

12. THE CHURCH OF THE EAST
SYNODS;
• 410
• 424
• 484
• 486
In the eleventh year of the reign of Yazdgard, king
of kings, victorious. After peace and tranquillity
were restored to the Lord, [this king] gave freedom
and rest to the congregations of Christ and allowed
the servants of God to exalt Christ publically in their
body, either with their death, or during their life, he
drew aside the storm of persecution of all of the
flocks of Christ, indeed, he ordered in all his empire
that the temples destroyed by his fathers might be
magnificently reconstructed in his own time; that
those who had been tested for God who had
suffered prisons and tortures, should go in liberty;
that the priests, the chiefs, together with all the holy
order should circulate with complete freedom and
without fear.
(Synodicon Orientale 17-18)

13. Culture a central component in overall Roman-Sasanian
Relationship
Cultural Exchange & Encounters helped
to develop unique character of this two
late antique empires
Not simple, full of contradictions
By 7th Century both empires bore greater
resemblance to each other than to the
empires of Severus Alexander &
Ardashir I