Day 2 - Chapters I-II of the Karnamag

Alphabet (1 hour) - During the introduction, the students will get familiar with the Middle Persian alphabet. The Middle Persian alphabet is a development from the Imperial Aramaic script, which was used as an administrative language during the Achaemenid period. It developed into several variants, one of which was the Middle Persian script, used in what is now the Fars province in IRI. However, the complicated Pahlavi alphabet is only half the story. The Pahlavi script also abundantly employs several ideograms, called huzvaresh or arameograms, which are Aramaic words read in Middle Persian.

Reading (1 hour + 1 hour) - The students will start reading the first chapter of the Karnamag in transcription. Difficult passages and complicated grammatical points will be discussed in the class.

Discussion of grammar and the alphabet - In this section of the class, the students will ask the instructor questions. The instructor will explain difficult grammatical rules and discuss the Pahlavi alphabet and other alphabets used for Middle Persian.

Key names, words, and expressions:

Aleksandar ī Hrōmāyīg - Contrary to the Greek tradition, Alexander of Macedon did not enjoy great popularity among the Iranians, who very often referred to him with the epithet gizitag, i.e. “the Accursed”. He was called “of Rome” because, during the composition of most of the Zoroastrian state, the only western power known to the Iranians was the Roman Empire.

Dārā ī Dārāyān - This is how the chief adversary of Alexander was known in Zoroastrian Iranian tradition. It basically means “Darius son of Darius”.

dušxwadāyīh (i.e. “misrule”) - In Middle Persian, numerous words can be found, which have either the prefix “duš-” which shows negativity, and a connection with the evil Ahrimanic powers, or “hu-” which implies positivity, and shows a connection to the good powers.

Text (excerpt from the KAP Ch. I):

pad kārnāmag ī Ardaxšīr ī Pābagān ēdōn nibišt ēstād kū pas az marg ī Aliksandar ī Hrōmāyīg Ērānšahr 240 kadag-xwadāy būd. Spahān ud Pārs ud kustīhā ī awiš nazdīktar pad dast ī Ardawān sālār būd. Pābag marzbān ud šahryār ī Pārs būd ud az gumārdagān ī ardawān būd. *ud pad Staxr nišast. ud Pābag rāy ēč frazand ī nām-burdār nē būd. ud Sāsān šubān ī Pābag būd ud hamwār abāg gōspandān būd ud az tōhmag ī Dārā ī Dārāyān būd ud andar dušxwadāyīh ī Aliksandar *niyāgān ō wirēg ud nihān-rawišnīh ēstād ud abāg kurdān šubānān raft.

Homework article - Boyce, Mary, 1968, "Middle Persian Literature", Handbuch der Orientalistik. Abt.1. Bd.4. Abs.2: Literature, Lief.1, Leiden, pp. 31-66.

Vocabulary: