Ardashir I, the Early Sasanians, and Reorienting the Near East and the Caucasus

Abstract

In the third century CE, King Ardashir I and his son Shapūr I attacked the Roman forces beyond the Euphrates, conquering and destroying cities in Mesopotamia, Syria, and the Persian Gulf in the process. Modern scholars, following Roman testimonies, have interpreted these acts of warfare as a sign of the neo-Persian empire’s belligerent disposition. The lecture seeks to contextualize early Sasanian offensives and identify the rationale behind the empire’s actions in the confrontations that took place. It is contended that Ardashir I and Shapūr I’s grand strategy aimed at reorganizing Ērānšahr (The Empire of Iranians), and bringing the Near East into the Sasanian sphere of influence.