Byzantine Ideas of Persia, 650-1461

This book offers a study into the perceptions of ancient and medieval Iran in the Byzantine Empire, as well as the effects of Persian culture upon Byzantine intellectualism, society, and culture.

Rustam Shukurov, PhD, D.Sc. in History (2012), is a Visiting Scholar at the University of St Andrews. He graduated from Moscow State University in 1984 and worked there for more than 30 years as a lecturer in Byzantine and Medieval studies. He has published several monographs, translations and articles on Byzantium, Iranian and Turkic History, including The Grand Komnenoi and the Orient, 1204-1461 (Moscow, 2001) and The Byzantine Turks, 1204-1461 (Leiden; Boston, 2016).

Introduction / Chapter 1. Sacred Persia / Chapter 2. The pre-history of the Magi / Chapter 3. The holy Persians / Chapter 4. Memorizing Persia / Chapter 5. Activating memory / Chapter 6. Vicissitudes of wisdom / Chapter 7. Iranian Actualities / Appendix: A list of some remarkable New Persian borrowings / A Greco-Iranian epilogue