The Sasanian Empire was the last great pre-Islamic power of Iran - a rival to Rome and Byzantium that shaped politics, trade, and religion across West and Central Asia. How did it rise from the ashes of the Parthians, rule for four centuries, and ultimately fall to the early Islamic conquests?

In this episode, Professor Khodadad Rezakhani joins us to discuss:
 🔹 The Near East on the eve of Sasanian rule and Ardashir I’s ascent
 🔹 Rome–Sasanian rivalry: borders, diplomacy, and total war
 🔹 Cities, coinage, and the Silk Roads economy
 🔹 Faith and society: Zoroastrianism, Christians, Jews, and the Mazdakite challenge
 🔹 Reforms under Khusro I and the tumult of Khusro II
 🔹 From Ctesiphon’s grandeur to the Empire’s rapid collapse in the 7th century

From imperial ideology to everyday life, we trace how the Sasanians forged an “Iran” of late antiquity - and why their legacy still matters.

Professor Khodadad Rezakhani: https://cipgs.princeton.edu/people/khodadad-rezakhani

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