Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter - Kaveh Farrokh

34 Legitimate rule and the ‘family of kings’ 233
side (7). 5 In the year 356 peace negotiations had begun. In their written
exchange, both Constantius II and ˇ Sāpūr II tried to set out their conditions
for peace. Given how tense relations between Rome and Persia were during
this period, the way the two rulers address each other is remarkable.
Both kings explicitly place the other on an equal level and clearly show
mutual respect. The idea of a ‘brotherhood of kings’ was far more than a
stereotypical formula used to comply with the diplomatic protocol. The two
rulers shared the idea that as rulers of their empires – brother of the sun and
the moon 6 – they partook in cosmic occurrences and therefore possessed
an aura that removed them from life on earth. 7 As a concept, the notion
of a ‘family of kings’ existed throughout the history of Roman–Sasanian
relations (9). West and East agreed on this notion, which contributed
to a mutual acknowledgement of the other’s sovereignty and compliance
with an emerging international law. However, this did not reduce concrete
political conflicts between the two; in the same letter ˇ Sāpūr demanded
that the Romans return Armenia and Mesopotamia, conditions that were
unacceptable for Constantius II. 8
The modern observer may not be surprised to see Rome on an equal
footing with the Sasanian Empire and the emperor equal to the ‘King
of kings’ but was this true from both perspectives; that is, did the West
acknowledge the Eastern Empire and its ruler accordingly? In this context
it is crucial to examine whether the legitimacy of the emperor’s rule and
the corresponding legitimacy of the Persian king’s rule – postulated and
acknowledged in West and East – could be used to establish something
like a ‘brotherhood’ between the two. The notion of a ‘legitimacy of rule’
was paramount for the Sasanian monarchy. 9 Already in the context of the
foundation of the Sasanian Empire the theme has a special place. The
legend, as it was told in the so called Book of Deeds of Ardaˇsīr, a sixthcentury
work that was composed in the Middle Persian language, reflects a
late attempt to legitimise the rule of the Sasanians in Iran. 10 The following
summary may suffice. 11
The last Parthian king, Artabanos IV (213–24) invited Ardaˇsīr to his
court to be educated there. One day a young girl, who was favoured by
5 On the military conflicts during this period see above, pp. 88–90.
6 Cf. Malal. 18. 19–20 (p. 449) for a letter by Kavādh I in which he addresses the Byzantine emperor
Justinian with similar words.
7 On Sasanian kingship in general see Wiesehöfer 2001: 176.
8 See 7 above.
9 Sundermann 1963.
10 On the Kārnāmak i Artaxēr i Papakan (Book of Deeds of Ardaˇsīr, son of Papak) see Nöldeke 1878:
22–69; DeMenasce 1983: 1187–8 and Yarszhater 1983b: 379–8.
11 For the following cf. the German translation of the text in Nöldeke 1878: 35–47.