A literary history of Persia

. -than!command over the demons, namely Solomon and Jamshid jii2LITERATURES OF ANCIENT PERSIAArdashfr the first Sasanian ;the fourth is wholly historical inthe sense that the kings composingit are historical personagesarranged in correct order, though" naturallytheir deeds andadventures contain much legendary matter, especiallyin theearlier portion.The firstking of the legendary Pishdadi dynasty, calledGayumarth) is the first man of the Avesta, Gayo Mareta^ theZoroastrian Adam. He dwells in the mountains,dynasty'dresses himself and his people in leopard-skins,brings the beasts of the field into subjugation,wages a war on the demons, in which his son Siy&mak iskilled, and, after a reign of thirty years, dies,and issucceeded by his grandson Hushang (Arabic Ushhanj.Hushang reigns forty years, accidentally discovers how toproduce fire by flint and steel,and establishes the Festival orSadah to commemorate this great discovery.He is succeededby his son Takmurath, called Div-band, "the Binder ofDemons," since he brought these beings into subjection, butspared their lives on condition that they should teach him theart of" writing not one but1nearly 30 languages." Afterreigning thirty years he is succeeded by his son yamshld, amuch more important figure in the Persian Legend than anyof his predecessors.The early Arab (/.*., Arabic-writing) historians, who for thrmost part endeavour to combine the Iranian with Semitic ancBiblical legends, commonly identify Jamshid withSolomon. allPractically speaking nearly theAchaemenian monuments about Persepolis are referred by^***^^* ^"*^^^^^^* >^MWM^MnM^'BaHMM^*A M^^^^^flHHMfrt^^^i^M^^*IHM^M>^BM^1^*the Persians to"these kings, and apparentlyfor no better reasonthe" following: These gigantic buildings," they say,'"are evidently beyond the power of the unaided humanity ofthat '(age therefore whoever built them was; helped by thejdemons. But it is a well-known fact that only two kings had1See Macau's ed. of the Shdhndma, p. 18.