Stefan Haertel
Title
Much Ado About Nothing
The Story Of Bahram The...err...Zebra
By Stefan Härtel
Away, you are an ass, you are an ass -William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4, Scene 2
When browsing chronologies of kings and rulers of history, you are likely to find the one or other name or title that might surprise you, shock you, or, in some cases, amuse you. Some names are likely to immediately give you an idea of what the ruler was like; examples would be Ivan the Terrible, Basilius the Slayer of Bulgarians, or utterly unoriginal ones like Alexander the Great or William the Conqueror. Some titles have absolutely no meaning at all -Charles the Bald for example- and serve only for distinction. And some are simply puzzling, like Bahram the Wild Ass.
This is no joke. "Wild Ass" is a translation of the Persian word "Gur", which was given to Bahram V, a Sasanian King of Persia (420-438). The first question that may pop in one's head after reading this name is "What did they mean?" Did they mean "Wild Ass" as in "donkey" or was it the other possible meaning? And what did he do to get either title? A look at his story will give the answers.
Bahram was raised in Hira, the capital of the Arab Lakhmid empire, an ally of Persia at that time. He succeeded his father, Yazdgird I (399-420), who died under unknown circumstances. Yazdgird lost his popularity among the Zoroastrian aristocracy of Persia when he granted the Christians who lived in Persia privileges. However, the Christians used (misused) these privileges to destroy Zoroastrian fire temples. This was, at least in the eyes of the aristoracy, an open act of defiance against the government, as the Zoroastrian religion was a symbol of monarchical power. The Great King (Shahan Shah) was also officially given the title "Mazda-worshipping God" (Mazda, also Ahura Mazda, is the highest god in the Zoroastrian pantheon). Therefore, the King was part of the Zoroastrian pantheon, and worshipped in the fire-temples.
Yazdgirds only reaction towards this Christian rebellion was letting them know that he didn't like that. In the eyes of the princes and the mobads (high priests) that was not enough. That is why Yazdgird died in an accident.
Bahram promised to change his father's policy and started persecuting the Christians. This resulted in war with the Christian Byzantine empire, as the Christians were regarded as followers of Rome (in Rome).
Bahram had the good sense to avoid needless bloodshed, especially because wars with the Romans had never been too much of a pleasure. In the long run, Persia had always been, and would be for a long time, the winner, but the Persians had other things to worry about and could not risk such a war. According to legend, Bahram sent an offer to the Byzantines that if the strongest warrior of the Byzantine army would defeat a warrior of the Persian army, whom Bahram would select, in a duel, he would send gifts to the emperor and sign a peace treaty, valid for fifty years. A Goth, named Areobindus, was chosen by the Byzantines to fight Ardazanes, a member of the royal guard. Ardazanes was killed and peace was signed. The war had lasted less than a year.
The most important political aspect for the Persians was that the Christians now had to be tolerated again -whereas the Byzantines now tolerated their religious minorities. A great feat, considering the fact that pagan cults were banned by capital punishment in the Roman empire not too long ago. Unfortunately, at least for the non-Christians in Rome, this did not last long.
The Persian Christians now had all necessary liberties, and no longer needed Rome for support. A Catholic was inaugurated as leader of the Persian church. Nevertheless, Catholicism had no luck in Persia, as soon afterwards, the Nestorians became the driving force in Persian Christianity.
Having survived the first war of his reign, and having avoided much bloodshed, Bahram could now lean back with a clean mind and enjoy the luxuries of the court. In the following years, he became the perfect stereotype of the oriental despot. Granting tax reduction for the rich landowners of the Persian mainland -and ingoring the poor peasants- was the only major inner political act he commited. The rest of his life as a ruler he spent with women, music, arts and hunting- preferrably all together. His favourite was a Greek girl named Azadeh, whom he would take with him on his hunting trips, and who would sing and play harp for him. This was often depicted on silver plates, one of the most popular and widespread art form in Sasanian Persia.
Bahram enjoyed the arts so much that he, according to legend, asked the king of India to send him ten thousand musicians.
Many legends were told about Bahram. For example, he was once asked if he could make a male goat a female and a female goat a male. He cut off the horns of the male goat and drove two arrows through the head of the female goat.
A particular favourite is told about a servant, who accidentally spilt a drop of the soup he was serving on Bahrams leg. Furious, Bahram ordered the servant to be excecuted. The servant is reported to have said something in the vein of "in that case, let it be worth it!" and spilt the entire soup over Bahrams head. Bahram laughed so heartily that he pardoned the servant.
Another legend told of him being out hunting. His favourite prey were the famous Persian wild asses -hence the title. Whilst preparing for his next hunting excursion, he was told of an uprising of the Hephtalites. The Hephtalites were a people who sepparated from the Huns and, instead of invading Europe, invaded Persia. They had brought severe devastation to Central Asia, but could be surpressed for a while by the Persians.
Bahram gave himself unimpressed by the news and, to the surprise of his surroundings, set out for his hunting trip nevertheless. But instead of returning home, he rode eastwards, day and night, assembling all soldiers he found on his way, and went to battle against the Hephtalites.
The historical truth is that Bahram managed to defeat the Hephtalites. This put them to rest once again, for about thirty years.
After his death, in 438, there were unrests and uprisings in the empire. His son, Yazdgird II, had to cope with a newly rising clerical power, and by the time of Peroz (459-484), the Hephtalites had become so powerful that they could effectively defeat the Persians and force them into tributary dependence.
Bahram V was, however, a popular ruler, despite the fact that he surpressed his people- they were used to that by now. His popularity was mainly because of him being such a romantic character, and many stories and legends were told about him after his death. Maybe it is also thanks to him that there was finally a bit of literary life in Persia.
Self-possessed like many kings, Bahram was also able to set himself a monument, however small and probably unrecognized it was: He introduced a new structure of Sasanian crowns -every Sasanian king had his own crown- and changed some details on Persian coins.
Still, the title given to him is perhaps the only memorable thing about him. All in all, he was a pretty medicore king, and hardly anything achieved during his reign was really special or long-lasting. But at least history is kind to him.
Sources:
v.d.Osten, H.H.: Die Perser, Essen
Wiesehöfer, J.: Das Antike Persien, München, 1994
Sarkosh Curtis, V.: Persian Myths, London, 1993
Göbl, R.: Sasanian Numismatics, Braunschweig, 1971
Mann, G., Heuß, A. (Publishers): Propyläen Weltgeschichte Band 2: Hochkulturen des mittleren und östlichen Asiens, Berlin, 1962
http://www.persiandna.com/history.htm
http://www.peacelink.de/keyword/Bahram_V_of_Persia.php
The Story Of Bahram The...err...Zebra
By Stefan Härtel
Away, you are an ass, you are an ass -William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4, Scene 2
When browsing chronologies of kings and rulers of history, you are likely to find the one or other name or title that might surprise you, shock you, or, in some cases, amuse you. Some names are likely to immediately give you an idea of what the ruler was like; examples would be Ivan the Terrible, Basilius the Slayer of Bulgarians, or utterly unoriginal ones like Alexander the Great or William the Conqueror. Some titles have absolutely no meaning at all -Charles the Bald for example- and serve only for distinction. And some are simply puzzling, like Bahram the Wild Ass.
This is no joke. "Wild Ass" is a translation of the Persian word "Gur", which was given to Bahram V, a Sasanian King of Persia (420-438). The first question that may pop in one's head after reading this name is "What did they mean?" Did they mean "Wild Ass" as in "donkey" or was it the other possible meaning? And what did he do to get either title? A look at his story will give the answers.
Bahram was raised in Hira, the capital of the Arab Lakhmid empire, an ally of Persia at that time. He succeeded his father, Yazdgird I (399-420), who died under unknown circumstances. Yazdgird lost his popularity among the Zoroastrian aristocracy of Persia when he granted the Christians who lived in Persia privileges. However, the Christians used (misused) these privileges to destroy Zoroastrian fire temples. This was, at least in the eyes of the aristoracy, an open act of defiance against the government, as the Zoroastrian religion was a symbol of monarchical power. The Great King (Shahan Shah) was also officially given the title "Mazda-worshipping God" (Mazda, also Ahura Mazda, is the highest god in the Zoroastrian pantheon). Therefore, the King was part of the Zoroastrian pantheon, and worshipped in the fire-temples.
Yazdgirds only reaction towards this Christian rebellion was letting them know that he didn't like that. In the eyes of the princes and the mobads (high priests) that was not enough. That is why Yazdgird died in an accident.
Bahram promised to change his father's policy and started persecuting the Christians. This resulted in war with the Christian Byzantine empire, as the Christians were regarded as followers of Rome (in Rome).
Bahram had the good sense to avoid needless bloodshed, especially because wars with the Romans had never been too much of a pleasure. In the long run, Persia had always been, and would be for a long time, the winner, but the Persians had other things to worry about and could not risk such a war. According to legend, Bahram sent an offer to the Byzantines that if the strongest warrior of the Byzantine army would defeat a warrior of the Persian army, whom Bahram would select, in a duel, he would send gifts to the emperor and sign a peace treaty, valid for fifty years. A Goth, named Areobindus, was chosen by the Byzantines to fight Ardazanes, a member of the royal guard. Ardazanes was killed and peace was signed. The war had lasted less than a year.
The most important political aspect for the Persians was that the Christians now had to be tolerated again -whereas the Byzantines now tolerated their religious minorities. A great feat, considering the fact that pagan cults were banned by capital punishment in the Roman empire not too long ago. Unfortunately, at least for the non-Christians in Rome, this did not last long.
The Persian Christians now had all necessary liberties, and no longer needed Rome for support. A Catholic was inaugurated as leader of the Persian church. Nevertheless, Catholicism had no luck in Persia, as soon afterwards, the Nestorians became the driving force in Persian Christianity.
Having survived the first war of his reign, and having avoided much bloodshed, Bahram could now lean back with a clean mind and enjoy the luxuries of the court. In the following years, he became the perfect stereotype of the oriental despot. Granting tax reduction for the rich landowners of the Persian mainland -and ingoring the poor peasants- was the only major inner political act he commited. The rest of his life as a ruler he spent with women, music, arts and hunting- preferrably all together. His favourite was a Greek girl named Azadeh, whom he would take with him on his hunting trips, and who would sing and play harp for him. This was often depicted on silver plates, one of the most popular and widespread art form in Sasanian Persia.
Bahram enjoyed the arts so much that he, according to legend, asked the king of India to send him ten thousand musicians.
Many legends were told about Bahram. For example, he was once asked if he could make a male goat a female and a female goat a male. He cut off the horns of the male goat and drove two arrows through the head of the female goat.
A particular favourite is told about a servant, who accidentally spilt a drop of the soup he was serving on Bahrams leg. Furious, Bahram ordered the servant to be excecuted. The servant is reported to have said something in the vein of "in that case, let it be worth it!" and spilt the entire soup over Bahrams head. Bahram laughed so heartily that he pardoned the servant.
Another legend told of him being out hunting. His favourite prey were the famous Persian wild asses -hence the title. Whilst preparing for his next hunting excursion, he was told of an uprising of the Hephtalites. The Hephtalites were a people who sepparated from the Huns and, instead of invading Europe, invaded Persia. They had brought severe devastation to Central Asia, but could be surpressed for a while by the Persians.
Bahram gave himself unimpressed by the news and, to the surprise of his surroundings, set out for his hunting trip nevertheless. But instead of returning home, he rode eastwards, day and night, assembling all soldiers he found on his way, and went to battle against the Hephtalites.
The historical truth is that Bahram managed to defeat the Hephtalites. This put them to rest once again, for about thirty years.
After his death, in 438, there were unrests and uprisings in the empire. His son, Yazdgird II, had to cope with a newly rising clerical power, and by the time of Peroz (459-484), the Hephtalites had become so powerful that they could effectively defeat the Persians and force them into tributary dependence.
Bahram V was, however, a popular ruler, despite the fact that he surpressed his people- they were used to that by now. His popularity was mainly because of him being such a romantic character, and many stories and legends were told about him after his death. Maybe it is also thanks to him that there was finally a bit of literary life in Persia.
Self-possessed like many kings, Bahram was also able to set himself a monument, however small and probably unrecognized it was: He introduced a new structure of Sasanian crowns -every Sasanian king had his own crown- and changed some details on Persian coins.
Still, the title given to him is perhaps the only memorable thing about him. All in all, he was a pretty medicore king, and hardly anything achieved during his reign was really special or long-lasting. But at least history is kind to him.
Sources:
v.d.Osten, H.H.: Die Perser, Essen
Wiesehöfer, J.: Das Antike Persien, München, 1994
Sarkosh Curtis, V.: Persian Myths, London, 1993
Göbl, R.: Sasanian Numismatics, Braunschweig, 1971
Mann, G., Heuß, A. (Publishers): Propyläen Weltgeschichte Band 2: Hochkulturen des mittleren und östlichen Asiens, Berlin, 1962
http://www.persiandna.com/history.htm
http://www.peacelink.de/keyword/Bahram_V_of_Persia.php
