There exists another source of information especially typical of the Arsacid Parthians, but not always easy to interpret in strict historical terms. This is the oral poetry of the Parthian minstrels, who were known in Parthian by the term gosan. Some of their poems dealt with historical or epic themes, and have been preserved through incorporation in surviving poems in modern Persian. Among such survivals are the narratives of Rustam and of Godarz - relating in fact to events of Parthian times - preserved in the section of the Shdh-ndma dealing with the reign of Kai Kaviis, and thus out of their true chronological context. Another Parthian survival is represented by the romantic poem Vis u Rdmin, which, as Minorsky has shown, contains many details which suggest an Arsacid background, but can hardly be referred to any precise historical context. The scattered nature of the sources for Arsacid history, and in particular the relevance of many brief mentions in the longer works of classical authors devoted primarily to other themes, makes a guide to the relevant literature essential for the modern student. Gutschmid's basic work remains useful, but contains several misleading theories and should not be accepted uncritically. That of Debevoise is still probably the most complete and up to date for this purpose, though its rather prosaic style makes continuous reading laborious. It is used extensively in the pages that follow. The author's coverage of the periodical literature is especially thorough. Rawlinson's older account, though naturally dated, is still of considerable service. The most recent fulllength discussion of Parthian history is that of Neusner, whose emphasis is on the Jewish texts and Jewish connections, and inevitably in other respects finds the classical sources much as they had appeared to earlier writers.
Parthian History and Classic Literary Sources
