Testimonial by Raha Rafii

Classical Persian Prose was a really well-developed and rigorous course that I would recommend for anyone looking to expand their facility in classical Persian texts.

Ruben is a very patient teacher whose enthusiasm for teaching classical Persian and explaining vocabulary and grammar never seems to wane. This was incredibly helpful for getting started in reading large sections of text where sometimes just the vocabulary can prevent even basic comprehension and when the same word can be written in various forms depending on the author. I enjoyed the selection of texts for the class, which included geographical, historical, and philosophical writings, which made me more familiar with the range of styles and expressions one could expect to find in classical prose. Reading a wider variety of texts, as well as Ruben’s suggestions for additional resources, also enabled me to develop strategies to approach more difficult texts eventually. This class is a great start for someone who wants to learn to read classical prose texts on their own or would like to take other classes on classical Persian texts.

This is my second time taking a course in classical Persian through Aspirantum, and again it’s only been a really positive and enriching experience.