ABSTRACT
The sources about the women of the Sassanid House, relatives of the polygamous rulers as well as women who had arrived at the court through political marriages, are rather sparse. The reason for this is the lack of Sassanid literature until the late phase of Sassanid rule and the importance of oral traditions in Iran at that time. We are relatively well informed about royal women of early and late Sassanian times. It is clear from our testimonies that the women did not live in isolation at court, but, despite legal restrictions, were able to exercise political, economic, and social influence. The hierarchy at court was less bound to family status, and more to the social rank of a member of the royal family, a rank that could also be expressed figuratively (on reliefs, coins, seals, and gems). In the final phase of the empire’s history, two daughters of Xusrō II, Bōrān and Āzarmīgduxt, even succeeded in ascending the throne of Iran, albeit in the absence of male candidates, but nevertheless with the consent of the military and the high nobility. Their accession to the throne would not have been possible without intensive education at court and instruction in government practice.
