About this episode

Danny and Derek discuss Roman-Parthian relations with guest Jake Nabel, exploring the geopolitical landscape and cultural misunderstandings of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East.

Danny and Derek are joined by Jake Nabel, Tombros early career professor of classical studies and assistant professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State, to talk about Roman-Parthian relations in antiquity. The group discusses the geopolitical landscape of the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, the rise of the Parthian Empire and the Arsacid dynasty following the fall of the Achaemenids and Alexander the Great, and the inherent challenges of relying on Greco-Roman historiography. They also delve into how Iranian and Armenian sources reshape our understanding of the period, the deep cultural misunderstanding between Roman hostage-taking and Parthian cliental fosterage, the cultural barriers preventing intermarriage, and the modern Iranian reception of pre-Islamic empires, including contemporary parallels to Reza Pahlavi. Read Jake’s book The Arsacids of Rome: Misunderstanding in Roman-Parthian Relations . Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

People in this episode

Hosts: Danny, Derek

Guest: Jake Nabel

Topics covered

• Roman-Parthian relations
• ancient Mediterranean
• Parthian Empire
• cultural misunderstanding
• Greco-Roman historiography
• pre-Islamic empires

Keywords

• Roman-Parthian relations
• ancient Mediterranean
• Parthian Empire
• cultural misunderstanding
• Greco-Roman historiography
• pre-Islamic empires
• Jake Nabel

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penn State

Books & works: The Arsacids of Rome: Misunderstanding in Roman-Parthian Relations

Places: Roman, Parthian, Iranian, Armenian, Achaemenids, Alexander the Great, Reza Pahlavi

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