Late Antique Historiography

Life of the Iranians

Title(s):
  • Life of the Iranians
  • ცხორებაჲ სპარსთა
    (Ts‛khorebay sparst‛a, Life of the Iranians)
Author:
Period covered:
Sassanian dynasty
Language:
Middle Persian
State of Preservation:
Fragmentary
Genre:
  • Secular history (epic history)
Remarks:
The Life of the kings refers to this allegedly written source on three occasions. While the Iranian epic, especially the Khwaday-namag (Xwadāy-nāmag), seems to lurk behind each instance, the correspondences are vague at best. It is possible that the anonymous author of the Life of the kings was aware of these epic traditions indirectly and through oral means. Accordingly, the reference to a supposed written source was intended to add legitimacy to his account. It is unknown whether the allusions to Ts‛khorebay sparst‛a were found in the Life of the kings' principal source, Hambavi mep‛et‛a. If it existed, the work may also have been composed in Georgian or Armenian.
Edition - Translation:
  • S. Qaukhch‛ishvili (1955) K‛art‛lis ts‛khovreba. Volume One. Tbilisi.
  • I. Abuladze (1998) (ed.) 'K‛art‛lis ts‛khovrebis dzveli somkhuri t‛argmani'. In: K‛art‛lis c‛xovreba: The Georgian royal annals and their medieval Armenian adaptation. Two Volumes, ed. S. Rapp.Delmar (NY) = Abuladze, I. (1953) (ed.) K‛art‛lis ts‛khovrebis dzveli somkhuri t‛argmani [=Patmut‛iwn Vrats‛]. Tbilisi: 5-74.
  • S. Jones (2014) (ed.) Kartlis Tskhovreba: A History of Georgia. Tbilisi: 13-44.
  • R. Metreveli (2008) (ed.) K‛art‛lis ts‛khovreba. Tbilisi: 25-85.
  • R.W. Thomson (1996) Rewriting Caucasian history: The medieval Armenian adaptation of the Georgian chronicles, the original Georgian texts and the Armenian adaptation (Oxford Oriental monographs). Oxford: 2-84.
Fragments:
  • Life of the kings [Qaukhch‛ishvili 1955.i: 12-14, 59]
  • Pseudo-Juansher Juansheriani [Qaukhch‛ishvili 1955.i: 220]
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • S.H. Rapp (2003) Studies in medieval Georgian historiography: Early texts and Eurasian contexts (Corpus scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium, 610: Subsidia, 113). Leuven: 114-118; 214-215.
  • S.H. Rapp (2014) The Sasanian world through Georgian eyes: Caucasia and the Iranian commonwealth in late antique Georgian literature. Farnham: 191-198.