Rahim Shayegan

M. Rahim Shayegan is a prominent scholar in Iranian and Near Eastern studies, specializing in Old and Middle Iranian philology, Achaemenid-Sasanian history, and Greco-Roman-Iranian cultural interactions. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Göttingen and Sorbonne. His work bridges philology, epigraphy, and historical analysis to explore ancient political ideologies, religious traditions, and cross-cultural exchanges.

• Education:
  • PhD, Iranian Philology & Ancient History, Harvard University
  • MA, Iranian Philology, Sorbonne University
  • BA, Philosophy & Comparative Philology, University of Cologne
• Research Interests:
  • Iranian epigraphy and royal inscriptions
  • Political dynamics of pre-Islamic Iranian empires
  • Greco-Roman and Iranian cultural dialogues
  • Zoroastrianism and ancient Near Eastern religions

His publications include seminal works like Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic Persia (2011) and Cyrus the Great: Life and Lore (2019). He has held prestigious fellowships at the Guggenheim Foundation and is a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

• Awards:
  • Ehsan Yarshater Book Award (2012)
  • Academia Europaea Membership (2019–)
• Courses Taught:
  • Achaemenid Civilization
  • Sasanian History
  • Old Persian Cuneiform
  • Zoroastrianism and Ancient Religions