Deioces and the Ideal King in the Zoroastrian Religion

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

PhD student in Ancient Iranian History, University of Tehran

10.22103/jis.2024.21181.2458

Abstract

Purpose: Herodotus in his brief report on the history of Media, speaks of a person named Deioces as the founder of the Median kingdom, who succeeded in forming a dynamic and powerful kingdom through a complex process that was simplified by Herodotus or his sources. Many researchers tried to interpret the data of Herodotus according to the common patterns of state formation in the ancient Middle East, but almost all of them ignored the role of Zoroastrianism in this process. The main question of the current research is that Herodotus's report on the process of gaining power of the Deioces and the formation of the Median kingdom indicates what State ideology?
Method and Research: the research method of this article is descriptive-analytical.
Findings and Conclusions: The findings of the research will show that Herodotus, in his description of the process of gaining power of the Deioces, puts forward the Components such as justice, constructiveness, the sanctity of the king and the people, which are all the main components of the personality of an ideal king, from the perspective of the Zoroastrianism. Therefore, the Zoroastrian religion can be considered as the source of the narrators of Herodotus's report and even went one step further and claimed that the Zoroastrian religion was the main driver of the formation of the Median kingdom in the 7th century BC.

Keywords

References

Abdi, Kamyar. (1993). “Examination of the Median Era, part 1, Median History”. Archaeology and History, Year 7, No. 1, pp 16-28 [In Persian].
Afkandeh, Ehsan. (2018). “The Origin of Aurammazda in Persian Religion and its Elevation in the Behistun Inscriptions”. Iran History. No. 1. Pp 57-75 [In Persian].
Ahde Ardeshir. (1969). By Ehsan Abbas. Translated by Mohammadali Emam Shushtari. Tehran: Association of National Artifacts [In Persian].
Aliev, Igrar. (2013). Median Kingdom. Translated by Kambiz Mirbaha, Tehran, Ghoghnus [In Persian].
Ardavirafnamah. (2020). Translated to French by Philippe Gignoux. Translated to Farsi by Zhaleh Amouzegar, Tehran: Moein [In Persian].
Avesta. (2006). Translated by Jalil Doustkhah. Tehran: Morvarid [In Persian].
Barr, Kaj. (1968). Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism, Translated by Fereydun Vahman. Tehran: Jami [In Persian].
Bondahesh. (2016). Translated by Mehrdad Bahar. Tehran: Tus [In Persian].
Boyce, Mary. (2013). A History of Zoroastrianism, Vol. 2 Achaemenids, Translated by Homayun Snaatizadeh. Tehran: Gostareh [In Persian].
Briant, Pierre. (2012). Achaemenid Empire from Cyrus to Alexander, Translated by Morteza Thaghebfar. Tehran: Tus [In Persian].
Calmeyer, P. (2009). Greek Historiography and Achaemenid Reliefs. Achaemenid History Vol. 2, Edited by H. Sancisi-weerdenburg and Amelie Kuhrt. Translated by Morteza Thaghebfar, pp 31-50. Tehran: Tus [In Persian].
Cameron, George Glenn. (2002). Iran at the dawn of history, Translated by Hasan Anoushe. Tehran: Elmi and Farhangi [In Persian].
Christensen, Arthur. (1985). Du Premier Homme et Du Premier Roi. Vol. 1. Translated by Ahmad Tafazzoli and Zhaleh Amouzegar. Tehran: Nashre now [In Persian].
Christensen, Arthur. (1989). L’iran Sous les Sassanides, Translated by Gholamreza Rashid Yasemi, Tehran: Dinyaye Ketab [In Persian].
Cook, J. M. (2004). Achaemenid Empire, Translated by Morteza Thaghebfar, Tehran: Ghoghnus [In Persian].
Cook, J. M. (2015). The Rise of the Achaemenids and Establishment of their Empire. The Cmbridge History of Iran, Vol. 2, Translated by Morteza Thaghebfar, pp 11-121, Tehran: Jami [In Persian].
Curtis, John and Shahrokh Razmjou. (2013). The Palace. Forgotten Empire, Edited by John Curtis and Nigel Tallis, Translated by Khashayar Bahari, pp 119-214, Tehran: Farzane Rooz [In Persian].
Dandamayev M. and  Medvedskaya I. Media. Encyclopaedia Iranicaonline. 2006. Available from: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/media
Dehkhoda, Ali Akbar. (1998). Dehkhoda’ Dictionary, Tehran: Tehran University [In Persian].
Diakonoff, Igor M. (1966). Median History, Translated by Karim Keshavarz. Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company [In Persian].
Diakonoff, Igor M. (2017). Mede, The History of Iran (Median Period), Edited by Ilya Gershevitch. Translated by Bahram Shalguni. pp 91-243. Tehran: Jami [In Persian].
Diakonoff, M. M. (1967). The History of Ancient Iran, Translated by Ruhi Arbab. Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company [In Persian].
Dinkard III, Book II. (2005). Translated by Fereydun Fazilat. Tehran: MehrAyin [In Persian].
Dinkard III, Book I. (2002). Translated by Fereydun Fazilat. Tehran: Farhange Dehkhoda [In Persian].
Dinkard VII. (2010). Translated by Mohammadtaghi Rashedmohassel. Tehran: Research Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies [In Persian].
Duchesne-Guillemin, Jaccques. (2020). Ormazd et Ahriman, Translated by Abbas Bagheri. Tehran: Farzane Rooz [In Persian].
Freud, Sigmund. (1983). Totem und Tabu. Translated by Iraj Purbagher, Tehran: Asia [In Persian].
Gnoli, Gerardo. (1999). The Idea of Iran, Translated by Mansour Seyyedsajjadi. Tehran: Soture [In Persian].
Helm. Peyton R. (1981). Medikos Logos and Median History. Iran. Vol. 19. 85-90.
Herodot, Historis. Vol II book III and IV, Translated by A.D Godlay. London: William Heineman.
Hinz, Walther. (2008). Darius und Die Perser, Translated by Parviz Rajabi. Tehran: Mahi [In Persian].
Huff, Dietrich. (2013). Formation and the Ideology of Sasanian State in the Context of Archaeological Evidence, The Sasanian  Era, Edited by Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis and Sarah Stewart. Translated by Kazem Firuzmand. pp 40-75, Tehran: Markaz [In Persian].
Justinus. (1732). Justini ex Trogi Pompeii Historiis Externis Libri XLIV. by N.Bailer. London: Printed for J.Brotherthon and Others.
Khaleghi Motlagh, Jalal. (2002(a)). Key Kavous and Deioces. Sokhanhaye Dirineh, by Ali Dehbashi. Tehran: Afkar [In Persian].
Khaleghi Motlagh, Jalal. (2002(b)). Houshang and Deioces. Sokhanhaye Dirineh, by Ali Dehbashi. Tehran: Afkar [In Persian].
Klima, Otakar. (1992). History of Mazdakism. Translated by Jahangir Fekri Ershad, Tehran: Tus [In Persian].
Liverani, Mario. (2020). Thre Rise and Fall of Media. New Look at the Median History, Translated by Vazir Menbary, pp 423-458. Sanandaj: Kordwstan University [In Persian].
Llewellyn-Jones, Lloyd. (2015). King and Coart in Ancient Persia. Translated by Fereydun Majlesi. Tehran: Nilufar [In Persian].
Malandra, W. W. (2014). An Interoduction to Ancient Iranian Religion, Translated by Khosrou Gholizadeh, Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company [In Persian].
Mollazadeh, Kazem. (2011). The study of the religious architecture of the Median period and its continuation until the Parthian period based on the archaeological data obtained from Noushijan and Qomes. Nameye Bastanshenesi, No. 1, pp 123-136 [In Persian].
Mollazadeh, Kazem. (2020), Median Archaeology, Tehran: Samt [In Persian].
Niberg, Henrick Samuel. (2004). Ancient Iran’s Religion, Translated by Seifaldin Najmabadi. Kerman: Bahonar University [In Persian].
Panaino, Antonio. (2020). Herodotus I. 96-101: Deioces’ Conquest of Power and the Foundation of Sacred Royalty. New Look at the Median History, Translated by Vazir Menbary, pp 713-740. Sanandaj: Kordwstan University [In Persian].
Plutarch. (1964). Lives, Translated by Reza Mashayekhi. Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company [In Persian].
Radner, K. (2020(a)). Assyria and the Medes. New Look at the Median History, Translated by Vazir Menbary, pp 235-266. Sanandaj: Kordwstan University [In Persian].
Radner, K. (2020(b)). An Assyrian View on the Medes. New Look at the Median History, Translated by Vazir Menbary, pp 345-422. Sanandaj: Kordwstan University [In Persian].
Root, Margaret Cool. (2018). The King and Kingship in the Achaemenid Art, Translated by Ali Bahadori. Tehran: Beheshti University [In Persian].
Schmidt. Hanns-Peter. MITHRA I MITRA IN OLD INDIAN AND MITHRA IN OLD IRANIAN. Encyclopaedia Iranicaonline. 2006. Available from: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/mithra-i
Schmitt. Rüdiger. Deioces. Encyclopaedia Iranicaonline. 1994. Available from: https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/deioces
Shahrestani, Mohammad ebne Abdolkarim. (1982). Tozih almelal (Almelal valnehal). By Mohammadreza Jalali Naeeni. Tehran: Eghbal [In Persian].
Strabon. (1928). The Geography. edited by T.E.Page, E.Capps, W.H.D.Rouse. Translated by Horace Leonard Jones. London: William Heinemann LTD.
Tabari, Mohammad ebn-e Jarir. (1983). The History of Prophets and Kings, Translated by Aboulghasem Payandeh. Tehran: Asatir [In Persian].
Thaalabi, Abumansour. (1989). Ghorar-e Akhbar Moluk fors va siarehom, Translated by Mohammad Fazaeli. Tehran: Noghre [In Persian].
West, M. L. (2015). The Hymns of Zoroaster, Translated by Khashayar Bahari. Tehran; Farzane Rooz [In Persian].
Widengren, Geo. (2012). Feudalismus im Alten Iran. Translated by Hushang Sadeghi, Tehran: Ketabe Ame [In Persian].
Wiesehofer, Josef. (2013). Law and Religion in Ahaemenid Iran. Law and Religion in Eastern Mediterranean. Edited by Christian Albrechts, 40-57. Universitat zu Kiel.
Yashts. (1929). Translated by Ebrahim Pourdavood, by Bahram Farahvashi, Bombai: Iranian Zoroastrian Association [In Persian].
Yasna. (1977). Translated by Ebrahim Pourdavood. by Bahram Farahvashi. Tehran: Tehran University [In Persian].

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics