Sasanian history: A Vision from Germany (A Review of Grundzüge der Geschichte des sasanidischen Reiches)

After the decline of the Arsacid Empire, Sasanians were strong antagonists of the Roman and then Byzantine empires. Also, Sasanian history was the apex of the ancient East and the last period before the advent of Islam in Persia. Iranian and non-Iranian scholars have been engaged in the research into the history, economy, culture, religion, and society of the Persia of Sasanian era. Grundzüge der Geschichte des sasanidischen Reiches (1990), authored by Klaus Schippmann, a German archeologist, is a concise study of the Sasanian history, religion, economy, and archeology and art. The information contained in this monograph will not please the experts on the Sasanian history. It will however be of use for the students and those interested in the history of the period. Kaykavus Jahandari, a renowned translator, has translated the book from German into Persian under the title Mabāni-ye Tārīkh-e Sāsāniyān (Outlines of the History of Sasanian Empire). The first edition was published in 2005 by Farzān-e Rūz. This essay is a review of both the content and the form of the book, the viewpoints provided by the author, and an appraisal of the Persian translation.