The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
Feridun has three sons--Salm (Çairima), Tur (Tuirya), and Yrej (Airyu);
to the last, who was the youngest, Feridun gives Iran, the best part of
his dominions, while Salm receives the West and Tur the North. Filled
with envy at the favour shown to their youngest brother, Salm and Tur
slay the pious Yrej. Feridun is deeply moved; but he gives the daughter
whom Yrej has left in marriage to Pesheng. The son of Pesheng is
Minocher, who grows up to avenge his grandfather's death. In order to
prevent this, Salm and Tur invade Iran. The battle continues for three
days, till Minocher has slain Tur with his own hand. He also overtakes
Salm in flight, and slays him. Feridun can now die in peace, as he has
seen the kingdom handed over to Minocher. After the death of the latter
the kingdom descended to his son Naudar.[438] Then Afrasiab of Turan,
the great-grandson of Tur, whom Minocher had slain, invaded Iran to
avenge the death of his ancestor on the descendant of Minocher. Naudar's
army was defeated; he was taken captive with many princes of Iran, and
beheaded by the order of Afrasiab.
Besides the race of Abtin, Jemshid had left other descendants. In union
with the daughter of the king of Cabul, whose kingdom extends from Bost
on the Hilmend to Ghasna (and consequently includes the region of
Sejestan, the ancient Haetumat),[439] he had begotten Gershasp, a mighty
hero who stood by the side of Minocher in the struggle against Salm and
Tur; the sons of Gershasp are Neriman and Sam, and his grandson is Zal.
The Gershasp of Firdusi is the Kereçaçpa of the Avesta, the son of
Thrita, of the race of Çama (p. 35), who slays the serpent Çruvara and
the giant Gandarewa. The Avesta gives him the epithet Nairimanao, _i.e._
the man-hearted, heroic, and represents him as seizing the brilliance of
majesty, when it departed for the third time from Yima (p. 36). This
hint was enough to give the royal power to Kereçaçpa; his epithet and
his tribal name are personified, and become his descendants Neriman and
Sam. In accordance with their origin these princes from Zabul are in
Firdusi the most faithful adherents of the race of Feridun, which has
rewarded them with the dominion over the South. In this way the legend
of Sejestan is woven into the closest connection with the legend of the
Avesta. The power of the descendants of Feridun is extinguished with
Naudar, from whose sons "the splendour of the royal majesty shines no
longer;" thus does Firdusi repeat the metaphor current in the Avesta.
The princes of Zabul now take their place as the protectors and
guardians of Iran. The son of king Sam of Zabul is Zal. After Naudar's
melancholy fall he makes peace between Iran and Turan; the Oxus is fixed
as the boundary, Afrasiab returns to his own country, and in the place
of the sons of Naudar Zal allows Zav to be chosen king of Iran. Zav is
already aged and soon dies; Afrasiab invades Iran again. Then Zal
deliberates with the Mobedhs (_i.e._ with the chiefs of the Magians, p.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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