Late Antique Historiography

Letter of Tansar

Title(s):
  • Letter of Tansar
  • Nāmeh-ye Tansar
    (Nāmeh-ye Tansar, Letter of Tansar)
Author:
Period covered:
Death of Darius III-reign of Ardashir I (226-241)
Language:
Middle Persian
State of Preservation:
Full
Genre:
  • Letter
  • Secular history (general)
Remarks:
Tansar was a Zoroastrian high priest under Ardashir I and the present work may rely on a genuine letter of his. In its present state, the work is sixth-century in date and aims to show how Ardashir overthrew a corrupt regime. There also exists an Arabic and New-Persian version. For further discussion of the manuscripts, see Boyce (1968).
Edition - Translation:
  • J. Darmesteter (1894) 'Lettre de Tansar au roi de Tabaristan'. Journal asiatique, 9.3: 185–250, 502–555.
  • M. Boyce (1968) The Letter of Tansar. Rome.
  • M. Minovi (1932) Tansar's Epistle to Goshnasp: Persian text. Tehran.
Fragments:
Users:
Sources:
Bibliography:
  • M. Boyce (1984) Textual sources for the study of Zoroastrianism. Manchester.
  • C.G. Cereti (2001) La letteratura pahlavi: Introduzione ai testi con riferimenti alla storia degli studi e alla tradizione manoscritta, Milan.