The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 5 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
In the form which Firdusi has given them, the legends of Ancient Iran
have to some extent continued to live among the people, and to some
extent they have failed. The Shahnameh celebrates Jemshid's (Yima's)
glittering palace and splendid throne; hence the ruins of the great
palace of the Achæmenids at Persepolis have gained the name of the
throne of Jemshid; ruins near Bamiyan in the Hindu-Kush, on the road
from Balkh to Cabul, are still called Zohak's castle. The smoke rising
out of the crater of Demavend is the breath of Zohak chained in the
depths of the mountain. Each year, on the last day of August, the
inhabitants of Elburz celebrate the festival of the overthrow of Zohak
with bonfires on every height, and demonstrations of joy. The ruins of
Takt-i-Bostan are called the garden of Kai Chosru, and in Iran Balkh is
still the mother of cities.[441] A lofty and steep rock in Lake Zirreh
in Sejestan is said to have been crowned with the castle of Rustem, and
the site of a second castle is pointed out at Aivan. Aqueducts and dams
pass for works of Rustem. In the desert of Beluchistan, the ancient
Gedrosia, the tracks of the camels of Rustem are still shown by large
stones in the sand. In Mazanderan is the battle-field where Rustem
defeated the Divs in order to liberate Kai Kaus (p. 253). The sculptures
of the Achæmenids on the tombs at Persepolis are called pictures of
Rustem (Naksh-i-Rustem), and in the bed of the Hilmend his grave is
shown. When Timour's Mongols devastated Sejestan in the fourteenth
century, the people called on Rustem to raise his head from the grave,
and behold Iran in the hand of his enemy, the warrior of Turan. By a
strange misconception the nobles in Mazanderan assume the name Div as a
title of honour. A large family of nobles in Sejestan call themselves
Kaïanids, and boast of their descent from Jemshid and the ancient
kings, and to this family, down to the most recent times, the
viceroyalty of Sejestan belonged as an hereditary office. When the
holder of it died, the eldest of the family went to court in order to
apply for the office, and was duly installed by investment with the robe
of honour and armour.[442]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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