Course Structure

Week 1: Introduction to Pahlavi grammar and script. We will start reading the Kārnāmag ī Ardaxšēr ī Pābagān.

The first week serves as a general introduction to the grammar and script of Pahlavi. Through simplified highlights of the main aspects of Pahlavi grammar and simple exercises, students will quickly grasp the main features of Pahlavi. They will also learn to read the simpler script of the Sasanian royal inscriptions. Due to the short duration of the course, the Book Pahlavi script will not be taught, as it is too time-consuming for an introductory course.

During the first week, we will begin reading (in transcription) a well-known Pahlavi text, the Kārnāmag ī Ardaxšēr ī Pābagān, a legendary account of the exploits of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire.

Week 2: Focus on vocabulary, grammar, and reading Sasanian royal inscriptions and Wizārišn ī Čatrang ud Nihišn ī Nēw Ardaxšēr.

In the second week, we will focus on three main activities: strengthening our vocabulary and filling in the gaps in our understanding of grammar, reading Sasanian royal inscriptions in their original script, and continuing our readings in Pahlavi literature.

Our literary explorations will include a very interesting and unique text from the Sasanian era that describes the origin stories of two popular board games, chess and backgammon. This text is called Wizārišn ī Čatrang ud Nihišn ī Nēw Ardaxšēr (“The Explanation of Chess and the Invention of Backgammon”).

Week 3: Reading Ardā-Wīrāz-nāmag and discussing Zoroastrian literary culture, with excursions into other important texts like the Bundahišn.

In the third week, we will shift our focus to reading a religious Middle Persian text known as the Ardā-Wīrāz-nāmag (“The Book of the Righteous Wiraz”). This once-popular text recounts the story of a priest sent to the otherworld to bring back knowledge and strengthen the foundations of the Mazdayasnian (Zoroastrian) religion, a theme prevalent in Ancient and Medieval literature.

Throughout this week, we will delve into Zoroastrian literary culture and its terminology, occasionally exploring other significant Pahlavi texts, such as the Bundahišn. One of the highlights will be familiarizing ourselves with the history of scholarship on Middle Iranian studies and discussing recent developments in the field.

Class Structure

In the first class, we will have an extensive introductory lecture covering a variety of subjects related to Pahlavi literature and the Middle Persian language. This lecture will include:

• An overview of the historical development of Persian
• The literary contents of Middle Persian
• The scripts used to write the language
• The current state of scholarship
• Many other important topics

Subsequent classes will begin with a discussion of the previous class’s contents and a Q&A session, where student questions are highly encouraged.

Following this, we will cover grammar and vocabulary to help students better understand the structure and stylistics of Pahlavi.

The second half of each class will be dedicated to reading and discussing Middle Persian texts. These sessions will serve as practice exercises where students read and offer their translations of the passages. The instructor will correct and comment on these translations to enhance the students’ understanding of the language.

Summary Points:

• First Class:
  • Extensive introductory lecture
  • Overview of historical development, literary contents, scripts, and current scholarship
• Subsequent Classes:
  • Review and Q&A session on previous class content
  • Grammar and vocabulary discussion
  • Reading and translating Middle Persian texts with instructor feedback