ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the portrayal of a meeting found in both al-Mas'udi's and al-Tha'alibi's chronicles, in which an Arab elder chastises the king for his cruel treatment of the Arabs and convinces him to desist from his massacre of them. It argues that this meeting is a clear projection of the "Arab versus 'ajam" discourse, exhibiting contrasting notions of the Iranians' cruelty and avarice, versus the steadfastness, eloquence, and wisdom of the Arabs, as represented by the elder, who dares to confront the Sasanian king. The chapter shows how the dialogue of this meeting is heavily steeped in the language of dawla, that is, actors appear to recognize the inevitable transition of power between the two peoples that was yet to come. It describes historical portrayals of the relations between the Arabs and the Iranians in antiquity and during the establishment of Sasanian rule, and then examines the reports of Shapur's Arabian campaign.
