Motivations in the Ancient Middle East: Rome, Parthia, and Realpolitik The Roman and Parthian Empires enjoyed no shortage of wars. From the 50s BCE through the 200s CE, they frequently clashed. Why? The dominant explanation is realpolitik. In the zero-sum game of international relations, each state, out for its own interests, sought the aggressive...

Please join the Pourdavoud Center for the Study of the Iranian World for a lecture by Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush of Harvard University as part of the 2018-2019 Lecture Series. The Lords of Canals: Re-Examining the Sasanian Hydraulic Landscapes and Their Heritage in the Islamic Period Sasanian kings are known as builders of impressive hydraulic projects...

Dr. Stefan Hauser will present his research as part of the Pourdavoud Center 2018-2019 Lecture Series. Dr. Hauser is Professor of Archaeology and Ancient Mediterranean Culture at the Universität Konstanz, Germany. He is also a Getty Scholar for the 2018-2019 academic year. Charax Spasinou Research on the Capital of Mesene and the Arsacid Center of...