the story of zariadres and odatis in chares of mytilene (athenaeus 575), its iranian origin and...

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2011


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IRANANDTHECLASSICALWORLD:POLITICAL,CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC

CONTACTS OF TWO CIVILIZATIONS

Abstracts of papers of international conference(Kazan, 1416 September 2011)

KAZANUNIVERSITY

2011


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Published according to decision of theDepartment of Ancient and Medieval History,

Kazan (Volga region) Federal University

Edited by Dr. E.V. Rung,

Dr. Prof. O.L. Gabelko

Reviewed by Dr. prof. S.Yu. Monakhov (Saratov State University),Department of General History and Classical Disciplines,

Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University

Iran and the Classical World: Political, Cultural and Economic Contacts of TwoCivilizations: abstracts of papers of international conference (Kazan, 1416September 2011) / Compiled and edited by E. Rung and O. Gabelko. Kazan: KazanUniversity, 2011. 127 p.

ISBN 978-5-98180-945-3

This book is the collection of abstracts of papers presented in the international

conference Iran and the Classical World: Political, Cultural and Economic Contacts of

Two Civilizations which was hold in Kazan university from 14 to 16 September of 2011.

This conference is aimed to study the different contacts between Iran and the Greek-Roman

World from the VI-th century B.C. to the VI-th century A.D. The conference was planned to

be an interdisciplinary forum which gather the historians, archaeologists, philologists from

Russian Federation, Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Iran, Poland, Spain, Turkey,Ukraine, United States of America the experts in the different aspects of the history and

culture of Achaemenid Empire, Parthia, Sassanian Iran, Ancient Greece, Hellenistic World,

Roman Republic and Empire, Iranian nomads. The book is addressed to the scholars in

Ancient History, students and all people interested in the relations between East and West.

ISBN 978-5-98180-945-3 Group of authors, 2011


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/Iranian Legacy in the Hellenistic World

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A.A. AmbartsumianSt. Petersburg

THE STORY OF ZARIADRES AND ODATIS IN CHARES OF MYTILENE(ATHENAEUS 575), ITS IRANIAN ORIGIN AND INFLUENCE ON THE CREATION

OF FOLKLORE MOTIVES IN WESTERN AND ORIENTAL LITERATURE

The Old-Iranian love story of Zariadres and Odatis has been known due to theretelling of the Greek writer Athenaeus of Naucratis (The Deipnosophistae, 575),

who in his turn obtained it from The History of Alexander the Great by Chares ofMytilene. The latter was familiar with Persian customs, originated from Aeolis, sub-jected to Persians, and accompanied Alexander in his Persian campaigns. The action

place of the story stretches from Media and the lower country (Persia), the uppercountry, Caspian Gates to the kingdom of the Tanais tribe Marathians. The lead cha-racters are Zariadres, younger brother of Hystaspes (sons of gods Adonis and Aphro-dite), and Odatis, daughter of the Marathians king Omartes. Both characters at a time

fall in love in a dream. In search of his beloved Zariadres, disguised in a dress of aScythian warrior, enters the feast, during the course of which Odatis is to choose herbridegroom. She bestows the golden bowl to Zariadres, then flees with him from the

fathers house. At the end of the story Chares adds that this love story was greatlyesteemed by the barbarians of Asia, who painted scenes from it on the walls of tem-ples, palaces, as well as in private houses. The story itself might have had a ritual

significance (not relating to the cults of Sun God or Anahit, as supposed earlier), and,possibly, served as a visual illustration of the initiation ceremony, connected with thearrival of maturity (in the context of earlier rites closely related to the shamanistic

practices).The study of the story deals with several problems. First, with the problem of

time and place, as well as the origin of the tale (Median or Old Persian). Second, with

the problem of its correlation to the very similar epic fragment of Zoroastrian Kaya-nid legend on Zarer (Aydgr Zarrn, Shhnme), whose name is attested in theAvesta as Zairivairi. In spite of the lack of a romantic motive in the Zoroastrian ver-sion, both stories have common elements (in Shhnme the romance is transmitted to

Gushtasp and Katayun). Both pairs of brothers Hystaspes and Zariadres Gushtasp


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and Zarer have enigmatic parents. In this connection Zarr is a direct phonetic devel-

opment of the Median form Zariadr (in Arm. Zareh), rather than the Avestan one Zairivairi (possible Middle Iranian forms are Zarwar and Zarr). The question may be

elucidated in case of more correct etymologic interpretation of both names: Zairivairihaving golden breast plate (armor) and Zariadr having golden clothing/footwear.In this instance, the Median form might have been a result of the dialectal change ofthe Avestan Zairivairi.

It is likely that popularity of the story of Zariadres and Odatis has not been con-fined only with the Iranian and Greek worlds, similar motives under the influence ofOld Iranian and Old Indian prototypes evolved also in the later classic Persian litera-

ture (Tt-nme, A Thousand and One Day etc.), in other Middle Eastern literatures(Miriani, The Arabian Nights etc.), as well as in the literatures of Western Europe

(The Romance of Seven Sages of Rome, Mabinogion, Amadis of Greece,Palmerin of Oliva, Artus de Bretagne, Angus Og i Ker etc.).

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