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Searching for historical period of Rostam's life is made difficult
by the usual Iranian poet's genius that defies time and place.
In such writers' view what is important is the existential mystery
of myths rather than their historical and spatial perception.
What is important is the effect that historical character has
in the course of his society's intellectual development. Because a
national legend is either a symbol of goodness and power or one of
ugliness and wrongness, his life history, ancestry and his age or
period do not matter.
For this reason epic poets have tried to create a single space and
place all the heroes and their enemies in it. In Shah-nameh, they
are all gathered in Kianian Court, making for its grandeur and
demonstrating the power of the vast Iranian Kingdom.
We witness ancient Avestan heroes, such as Tous and Gostahm,
battling next to Parthian rulers, such as Goudarz against foreign
invasions, and protecting the land of Iran like a shining diamond.
Based on historical references in the long text of Shah-nameh, it is
possible to penetrate the author's imagination and have a glimpse of
its reality. Even though many of the tales of Shah-nameh are so
popular that most Iranian have heard of them, in order to better
understand Ferdowsi's view of Rostam, his story from birth till
death is summarized here, so that readers become familiar with the
demeanor, power and divine force, as well as his social status and
historical period.
Rostam is present through out the Shah-nameh. An overview of his
situation among other nations is briefly presented in this article.
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