Organised by
Iran Heritage Foundation
Date
Wednesday 14th January2015, 6.30pm
Location
Abstract
The life of Cyrus the Great has been the subject great interest from antiquity to the present. Reza Zarghamee will discuss the aims and methods of his recently published book Discovering Cyrus. The talk will provide a general overview of the Persian conqueror’s origins and accomplishments and will focus on key and controversial pieces of evidence, such as the Cyrus Cylinder, as well as on the interplay between legend and history in the surviving accounts of Cyrus’ life.
Biography
Born in London in 1978 to Iranian parents, Reza Zarghamee grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. His immersion in the ancient history of Iran started early: At the age of thirteen, he began studying Old Persian cuneiform at the urging of Professor Richard Frye, founder of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University. He attended Columbia University, pursuing a double-major in history and biology, studying Persian language and literature, and graduating with honors in 2000. Three years later, he received a J.D. degree from Harvard Law School, where his writings included a comparison of ancient Near Eastern legal systems. He currently practices law at the international firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP. He is the author of Discovering Cyrus, a detailed biography of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
