Legacies of Ancient Persia

Dr. James Howard-Johnston, an Emeritus Fellow at Corpus Christi College at the University of Oxford, joins Lexie to discuss his research on the Byzantine army, interests in Sasanian Iran through teaching and conferences on Roman–Persian relations, his interests in Sasanian silver coins, minting, and iconography, and he outlines the chronology and sources for Rome–Sasanian conflict. We hope you enj...

Dr. Matheus Treuk Medeiros de Araujo, an Associate Professor of Ancient Archaeology at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 4th year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss scholarly “eunuch phobia,” gender bias, and resistance to translating terms without explicit mention of castration as well as dehumanizing modern language; using...

Dr. Nikolaus Overtoom, a professor of Ancient History at Washington State University, returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, "The Parthians at War: Combat Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome," which examines Parthian militarism beyond tactics to include logistics, reputation, and interpreting Parthians through Greek and Roman sources while seeking their agency; a two-week t...

Dr. Deirdre Klokow, an assistant professor of Classics at the University of Texas at Austin, joins Lexie to discuss Seleucid coin iconography, who used coins alongside fiscal crisis and devaluation, the limits of evidence for women’s economic activity, her research on Laodike, and her forthcoming book, The Seleucids and Their Land. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, ple...

Dr. Jennifer Finn, an ancient historian and chair of the Department of Classics at Loyola University, joins Lexie to discuss her research focus on Alexander the Great's military strategies and the cultural exchanges between Greeks and Persians, exploring the complexities of learning ancient languages like Akkadian and Sumerian and reflections on the challenges of studying Persian history through l...

Dr. Konrad Schmid, a professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism at the University of Zurich, joins Lexie to discuss the historical and cultural context of the Hebrew Bible, its formation, the polytheistic to monotheistic transition, and its interactions with ancient Near Eastern empires including Assyria, Babylon, and Persia, and the impact of Persian governance and tolerance on Hebrew thought...

Dr. Simone Oppen, a professor of Classical & Near Eastern Religions and Cultures at the University of Minnesota, joins Lexie to discuss how her high school Italian course blossomed into a passion for ancient Greece, Latin, and Greek, her current work on Persian respect for Greek sacred spaces during Xerxes’ reign, exploring how this respect is depicted in ancient Greek texts and supported by compa...

Dr. Olga Davidson, a research fellow with the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University, joins Lexie to discuss her serendipitous steps towards specializing in Persian epic literature, particularly the Shahnameh, and its comparative significance alongside Greek classics, discusses the rich cross-cultural connections that shape her research, the importance o...

Dr. Catherine Bonesho, an Assistant Professor of Early Judaism at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss her interest in the field of ancient Judaism and in ancient Jewish communities during the Second Temple period (spanning from the Persian to the Roman Empire), her focus primarily on interpretations of various empires' influences on Jewish communities and the study of Aramaic dialects, her role in co-org...

Dr. Margaret Cool Root, a Professor Emerita of Iranian Studies at the University of Michigan, joins Lexie to discuss her academic journey from Classical and Near Eastern archaeology to Persian studies, highlighting key influences and interests in representational iconography, how Persian art differs from other ancient cultures, notably through its depictions of peace and cooperation rather than wa...

Dr. Jeffrey Spier, a former Senior Curator of Antiquities at the Getty Villa, joins Lexie to discuss the intricacies of museum work, particularly the challenges of displaying small artifacts such as coins and gems, the impact of the Getty’s 2022 exhibition 'Ancient Iran in the Classical World', the role of artifacts in understanding historical interactions between cultures, and the evolving field...

Dr. Jenny Rose, a former professor of Ancient Iranian Studies at Claremont Graduate University, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 3rd year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss the historical and contemporary significance of Zoroastrianism, including its underrepresentation in popular culture and scholarship, the evolving role of women and gender dynamics within Zoroa...

Dr. Elizabeth Carter, professor emerita of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie to discuss how backyard digs sparked her early love for archaeology, her experience working in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, the intricacies of understanding the cultural significance of artifacts, and the difficulties young scholars face today due to the political restrictions on archaeological fieldwork in Iran. We hop...

Marco Ferrario, an ancient historian specializing in the longue durée of the Eastern Iranian world, joins Lexie to discuss how influential mentors and serendipitous opportunities pushed his interests from Classics into studying Ancient Persia and Central Asia, Bactria’s rich history and the challenges of studying the region, and the importance of interdisciplinary research to gain a more wholistic...

Dr. Nikolaus Overtoom, a professor of Ancient History at Washington State University, joins Lexie to discuss the significance of Parthian warfare, the strategic use of cavalry and the logistical challenges of utilizing war elephants, and examining Parthian interactions with the Greco-Roman world to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the ancient Mediterranean world. We hope you enjoy this e...

Dr. Jason BeDuhn, a professor of Religious Studies at Northern Arizona University, joins Lexie to discuss the history of Manichaeism, exploring its dualistic cosmology and its connections to various religious traditions, including Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Platonism, the challenges Manichaeism faced, including its eventual decline due to persecution in both the West and East, and archaeolo...

Dr. Rolf Strootman, a professor of Ancient History at the University of Utrecht, joins Lexie to discuss the complexities surrounding the Persian identity after Alexander the Great's conquests, Alexander's unique approach to governance and cultural integration, particularly through his marriages to Persian women, the role of women in his life, and the aftermath of Alexander's death. We hope you enj...

Dr. Eve MacDonald, an ancient historian and archaeologist at Cardiff University, joins Lexie to discuss the often-overlooked technological advancements of the Carthaginians and the importance of understanding their narrative beyond the Roman perspective, her work on the Sasanian Empire and the significance of borderlands and how local identities evolved in response to the shifting powers of the ti...

Dr. Neville McFerrin, a professor of Art History at the University of North Texas, is interviewed by Charlotte Howley – a 2nd year PhD student in UCLA’s Program of Iranian Studies. They discuss the connections between dress, ornamentation, and architecture, particularly in the context of research on Pompeii and Persepolis, the concept of proprioception and how ancient peoples understood their envi...

Dr. David Potter, a professor of Classics at the University of Michigan, joins Lexie to discuss the intriguing figure of Empress Theodora, the perceptions of the Sasanians by the Romans, and the complex relations and greatest lessons we can learn from the two ancient empires. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like what you hear, please give our show a 5-star rating, and review us on Apple...

Dr. Mehrnoush Soroush, a professor of Ancient Near Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago, joins Lexie to discuss studying water hydraulics, water management and usage by the Persians, whether we should consider water a luxury resource, and identifying the many changes & problems in both the ancient and modern world when it comes to dealing with water issues. We hope you enjoy this episode,...

Dr. Tawny Holm, a professor of Jewish Studies and Classics at Pennsylvania State University, joins Lexie to discuss the importance of Aramaic language, why Papyrus Amherst 63 is so important, unique, and a bit odd, and the difficulties when teaching the Book of Daniel especially when dealing with the historical inaccuracies of the Persian timeline. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if you like w...

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pour...

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pour...

Dr. Ali Mousavi, a Pourdavoud Research Scholar and adjunct professor of Iranian Archaeology at UCLA, joins Lexie for a special minisode to talk about a unique archaeological site from the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran database! Don't forget to follow the Pourdavoud Institute on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram or visit our website www.pourdavoud.ucla.edu! Learn more about Dr. Mousavi: https://pour...