Rome and Persia – The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry by Adrian Goldsworthy

I have had the pleasure of reading Rome and Persia – The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry by British historian Adrian Goldsworthy. As the title suggests, the author details the relationship – the many wars but also the mutual respect and sometimes cooperation – between these two great empires.

A Reservation and a Correction

Although the book is otherwise excellent, I must mention two passages that unfortunately detract from the experience of reading the book. In the introduction the author states the following: ‘In an ugly form, the claim that Germans were different from other Europeans because they had thrown off the Roman yoke…‘. This sentence struck me as rather absurd – in my humble opinion it is fully natural to be proud of the fact that most of Germania was not conquered by the almighty legions. Later on the same page, the author uses the word ‘N*zi,’ which is a word that should never be used by a serious scholar.

Later on in the introduction, the author states that ‘Greeks and Romans were equally disparaging about all other outsiders…’ – this is simply not true. The Roman historian Tacitus famously extolled the virtues of the Germanic tribes – juxtaposing said virtues against the decadence of the Romans. This is in rather sharp contrast to how they viewed most other peoples (especially those to the east) that they encountered. Funnily enough, the author mentions the following in later chapter: ‘These were Gauls, with perhaps some Germans, and were highly thought of…’ This was in the context of the composition of a Roman army before a campaign.

I am unsure why the author (who is clearly a highly knowledgeable scholar) felt the need to include these passages in the introduction – perhaps pressure from an increasingly ‘woke’ academia? Either way, I would sincerely wish the introduction could be altered for future editions. I must admit that I got quite annoyed by this, but decided to continue reading anyway – which I am glad I did.

The Corded Ware Culture

Although the author does not discuss this, I thought it would be reasonable to mention the great Corded Ware Culture. The Corded Ware Culture came about as a result of the invasion of Steppe Pastoralists (sometimes known as Indo-Europeans or Aryans) from today’s Ukraine into Central Europe. There, they met (or conquered, rather) the Early European Farmers – and from this union the Corded Ware Culture was born. To somewhat simplify matters, the Corded Ware Culture gave rise to the Germanic, Latin (i.e. Roman), Celtic, and Slavic peoples of Europe. Not only that, but the origins of the Iranian (Persian) and Vedic cultures can also be traced to the Corded Ware Culture. For more information, see the following video by Survive the Jive: Aryan Invasion of India: Myth or Reality?

Moreover, when observing the picture below, it becomes apparent why an entity such as myself, carved out of Swedish granite, would find an appreciation for and, to a certain extent, affinity with ancient Iran and India.

Dark green = genetical closeness. Thanks to Waters of Memory (active with that username on Telegram, X, and Instagram) for the picture.

The Persian Dynasties

There were three great Persian dynasties of antiquity. First and foremost, the Achaemenids – the rivals of the Greeks that would ultimately perish under the onslaught of Alexander the Great. The second dynasty, the Parthian one – the Arsacids – emerged when the Seleucid Empire disintegrated. From a Roman perspective, the Parthians are perhaps most famous for their victory over Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. The Parthians were succeeded by the Sasanians in AD 224, who would rule up until the Arab conquests of the seventh century. The latter two dynasties are (alongside the Romans) the focus of the book.

Shapur – King of Aryans

One of the great kings of the Sasanian dynasty was Shapur I. The author shares the following epic passage that was found on a monument:

‘I am the Mazda-worshipping divine Shapur, King of Kings of Aryans and non Aryans, of the race of the gods, son of the Mazda-worshipping divine Ardashir, King of Kings of the Aryans, of the race of the gods, grandson of King Papak, I am the Lord of the Aryan nation.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 247.

I found this particularly interesting – as well as poetically beautiful. Pictured below: Roman Emperor Valerian submits to Shapur I.

How Did the Romans Counter the Parthians?

The very word Parthian conjures up an image of a horse archer (at least it does for me, having grown up with Rome: Total War), so it was interesting to read about how the Romans countered these forces. The author highlights three aspects of the strategy of a general named Ventidius. The first was to only fight on ground of his own choosing. And, moreover:

‘Secondly, the Romans did not employ a static defence but counter-attacked with their legionaries and other troops and were able to move to hand-to-hand combat and win. Thirdly, Ventidius supported his legionaries with large numbers of light infantrymen armed with missile weapons. His slingers are singled out for their effectiveness, and it is claimed that they outranged the Parthians’ horse-archers.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 116.

Seleucus I and Chandragupta

Although the conquests of Alexander (and the wars of his successors) belong to the era of the Graeco-Persian rivalry, the author introduces the geopolitical situation in the region after the conquest. He notes the following regarding the Seleucid Empire:

‘Territory in India was lost early on, in part through a deal between Seleucus I and Chandragupta, the charismatic creator of an empire in central and northern India. The Seleucids withdrew voluntarily from the lands around the Indus and in return were supplied with war elephants to employ in the funeral games.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 49.

The funeral games is a reference to the Wars of the Diadochi (fought between Alexander’s successors). I have had a certain liking for and interest in the Seleucids ever since playing the aforementioned Rome: Total War when I was 14. On a related note, I read Valerio Massimo Manfredi’s trilogy about Alexander during this time as well (a trilogy I remember with fondness). Being one of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus has a prominent role in the trilogy.

Jesus – A God Among Many

As I have noted elsewhere, the polytheistic Romans (and indeed Europeans in general) were quite open to adding other Gods into their existing pantheon. On this note, I found the following passage interesting:

‘In a polytheistic culture, it is more than likely that many people revered the Christian God while continuing to follow older cults as well. One source claims that Severus Alexander added a statue of Jesus to the collection of deities especially important to him.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 306.

Severus Alexander was emperor from 222 until 235.

My Own View of Jesus

Although this is not necessarily relevant to the book review per se, I thought to clarify my position on Jesus for good measure (as I have done on numerous occasions before). I always show respect for Jesus – as he has been an important individual for many of my ancestors. He is, moreover, still an important individual to some supporters and friends of mine – although the overwhelming majority are Pagans, as I am myself.

Mithra and Mithras

Enjoyers of my content will be familiar with Mithras. Just as some accepted Jesus into their pantheon, so were there many (primarily soldiers) who embraced Mithras. The author shares the following in regard to the cult:

‘In the Roman empire, the cult of Mithras built up a significant following, devotees attracted by its secret rituals, initiating them over time to higher grades within the order. Mithra was an Iranian god of great antiquity, within the Zoroastrian pantheon and much revered by many Parthians, especially among the nobility. The Roman cult drew inspiration from this tradition, since the distant and exotic has a natural appeal for many people, so the god was depicted in eastern dress and temples built to resemble caves to invoke old stories about the god. Yet the details were garbled, probably beyond recognition for traditional worshippers of Mithra, and everything tailored to suit the tastes of the Greco-Roman world. Plenty of the followers of Mithras were equestrians, including army officers, and there were never the slightest suggestion that their cult made them anything other than patriotic Romans. Similarly, reverence for the Greek tradition did not make subjects of the Arsacids automatically disloyal.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 196.

Enthusiasts of the Mithras cult will perhaps be interested in The Mysteries of Mithras by Payam Nabarz that I reviewed a while back (review). To clarify – Mithras is the Roman God and Mithra is the Iranian God. I will discuss Mithras at length in a podcast episode (I have a few episodes planned before that, however).

Cicero’s Military Exploits

Cicero is best known as a statesman and a lawyer. Admirers of him will perhaps be happy to learn that he also acquired military success:

‘Cicero launched an offensive against the communities of Mount Amanus, who were fiercely independent and prone to raiding. This was partly to exercise his troops and partly to give a display of Roman strength to the mountain tribes and allies in the wider area. The orator and highly reluctant governor, let alone soldier, did well enough to hope for a triumph.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Pages 102-103.

My admiration for the man did indeed increase upon reading about his participation in the war against the Parthians – especially since Cicero (as the author hints at in the quote above) was not a great enjoyer (by Roman standards, at any rate) of military matters, thus making his exploits even more laudable.

The Two Eyes of the World

One of the most interesting insights in the book (and there are plenty of them) is the one that illustrates how the Romans and Persians viewed each other (at times):

‘A sixth-century source claims that Narses I sent a trusted advisor to Galerius around 299. This man compared the Roman and Persian empires to two lamps; like eyes, ‘each one should be adorned by the brightness of the other’, rather than seeking to destroy. The imagery may be genuine, for near the end of the sixth century a king of kings sent a letter to the emperor stating that it was the divine plan that ‘the whole world should be illuminated… by two eyes, namely by the most powerful kingdom of the Romans and by the most prudent sceptre of the Persian state’, who between them held down the wild tribes and guided and regulated mankind.’

Adrian Goldsworthy – Rome and Persia. Page 330.

Quite a beautiful display of mutual respect!

Conclusion

At 494 pages, Rome and Persia explains the relationship between the Romans and Persians in a fully satisfactory manner. It contains plenty of valuable insights – in fact, the next episode of The Greatest Podcast will be dedicated to this topic and will have this book as its main reference.

I can definitely recommend the book – with the caveat that the introduction is not of the same quality as the rest of the book. In fact, I would even encourage the author to replace the introduction with a chapter about the shared origins of Rome and Persia – and perhaps a discussion about the commonalities between their religions.