Sexual Relationships in Sassanian Texts

The investigation of Sassanian written resources such as legal texts, inscriptions, and material evidence, especially visual arts (such as rock reliefs), shows that Sassanian society was patriarchal. Patriarchy influenced social and political dimensions of Sassanian life and acted as an organizing principle. This system evidences itself in cases such as inheritance, succession, guardianship, naming, document registration, and even gravestone inscriptions. In this system the family was an important social unit, around which the social order of Sassanian society revolved, a social framework which also organized sexual life. Sexuality, sexual relations, and sexual orientations of individuals were intimately linked to family and families were almost without exception religiously active. Therefore, religious instructions played an active role in life and thus influenced juridical law. Sassanian Pahlavi literature (including all kinds of Zoroastrian religious jurisprudence) allocated a deep concern to sexuality, family, and marriage. This essay investigates Sassanian sexual mores, marriage, and the concept of love. Finally, the influence of Sassanian literature and artwork on post-Sassanian lyrical literature will be investigated.