The Legend of Mar Qardagh: Narrative and Christian Heroism in Late Antique IraqThis pioneering study uses an early seventh-century Christian martyr legend to elucidate the culture and society of late antique Iraq. Translated from Syriac into English here for the first time, the legend of Mar Qardagh introduces a hero of epic proportions whose characteristics confound simple classification. During the several stages of his career, Mar Qardagh hunts like a Persian King, argues like a Greek philosopher, and renounces his Zoroastrian family to live with monks high in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan. Drawing on both literary and artistic sources, Joel Walker explores the convergence of these diverse themes in the Christian culture of the Sasanian Empire (224-642). Taking the Qardagh legend as its foundation, his study guides readers through the rich and complex world of late antique Iraq. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Part I | 15 |
Part II | 85 |
The Festival of Mar Qardagh at Melqi | 281 |
Appendix | 287 |
| 291 | |
| 333 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abdiêo Acts of Mar Adiabene al-§abarE Arabic Arbela ArdashEr Aristotelian Armenian ascetic Assyrian Assyrie chrétienne Bahr1m Bedjan Beth bishops blessed Brock Byzantine catholikos chapter Christ Chronicle of Seªert church cult cultural debate depiction disputation early East East-Syrian epic tradition Eznik of Kolb father Fiey fire temple fortress Gignoux Greek hagiographer hagiographer’s History of Mar holy idem IêOªdnan Iran Iranian Iraq Islamic John of Ephesus John Philoponus Jullien Khusro Khuzistan king king’s late antique late antique Iraq Lord magi Magian Mar Qardagh martyr literature martyrdom marzb1n Melqi Mesopotamia metropolitan bishop monastery monks Morony narrative Nestorian Nisibis Nöldeke northern Iraq pagan Pahlavi Peeters Persian Philoponus Qardagh legend Qardagh’s hagiographer region repr Roman royal saints Sasanian court Sasanian martyr Sasanian period Sassanides scene School of Nisibis scriptural Sergius seventh century Shapur Shapur II Simeon story synod Syriac text syriaques Thomas of Marga tion trans translation Vööbus Zoroastrian