Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions

Ancient Iran and Central Asia

Interactions and Shifting Identities

Professor Frantz Grenet (Collège de France)

A Series of Four Lectures in March 2026 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 314 and via Zoom

Watch on Zoom: https://ucla.zoom.us/j/97782495503

Wednesday, March 4, 4:00 pm PST

“A World between Worlds: Geography, History, and 
Identity of the Early Kušāns 
(First Century CE)”

Friday, March 6, 4:00 pm PST

“Kušān Rulers: In Search of an Imperial Narrative 
(Second to Fourth Centuries CE)”

Monday, March 9, 4:00 pm PDT

“Eastern Iranian Contributions to the Construction of the Šāhnāme: Kušāno-Sasanians, Sīstānīs, and Sogdians 
(Fourth to Eighth Centuries CE)”

Wednesday, March 11, 4:00 pm PDT

“Philhellenism among the Hunnic Elites 
(Fifth to Eighth Centuries CE)”

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lecture of Antigoni Zournatzi, delivered at UCLA as part of the Yarshater Lecture Series on December 3, 2025.

https://yarshater.ucla.edu/media/videos/greek-persian-encounters-c-550-c-330-bce-looking-beyond-stereotypes/

Yarshater Lecture Series with Antigoni Zournatzi Video Now Available Email from Yarshater Center Video Library Announcement: Yarshater Lecture Series with Antigoni Zournatzi Dear Friends of the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions, We are ple

Greek-Persian Encounters c. 550 – c. 330 BCE: Looking Beyond Stereotypes

Antigoni Zournatzi

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time

Royce Hall 306 and Via Zoom

Registration Requested: https://conta.cc/4o57PSU

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lecture of Professor Cameron Cross (University of Michigan) from the Yarshater Lecture Series. This inaugural lecture was hosted at UCLA on March 5, 2025. His lecture, “Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance,” explored avenues for comparative literary study through the framework of early Persian romances.

https://yarshater.ucla.edu/media/videos/spiderweb-stories-translations-adaptations-and-connections-in-persian-romance/

Yarshater Lecture Series with Cameron Cross Video Now Available Email from Yarshater Center Video Library Announcement: Yarshater Lecture Series with Cameron Cross Dear Friends of the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions, We are pleased

We are pleased to share with you the recorded lectures from the third Achaemenid Workshop, Towards a Literary History of the Achaemenid Empire, held at Columbia University and co-sponsored by the Pourdavoud Institute and Yarshater Center. Hosted on February 21 and 22, 2025, this conference sought to investigate the various literatures of the Achaemenid Empire, their impact on the empire, and the empire’s impact on them.

https://pourdavoud.ucla.edu/events/achaemenid-workshop-3-towards-a-literary-history-of-the-achaemenid-empire/

The Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World and the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Traditions invites you to join us for a fall reception.

In the company of our supporters, colleagues, academic affiliates, students, and esteemed guests, we shall be introducing the Institute and Center’s stimulating programming and research agenda for the academic year 2025–26.

Light refreshments will be served. Parking in Lot 2 or Lot 5 is recommended.

RSVP: https://forms.gle/gTd7gYmvRKqF6iVb6

On behalf of the Yarshater Center, we would like to extend our best wishes for a serene Norouz 1404, and thank our vibrant and committed audiences for the steadfast support of our research and programming.

May the underlying philosophy of the Norouz celebration, with its promise of regeneration and renewal, be an unwavering companion as we face the challenges of our present time.

M. Rahim Shayegan
Director, Yarshater Center

We were pleased to welcome Dr. Cameron Cross to UCLA yesterday for the inaugural Yarshater Lecture Series talk "Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance". We would like to thank everyone who attended the lecture for your time and attention. We hope you will join us again soon!

Join us at our event TOMORROW!

Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance by Cameron Cross

In-Person Lecture in Royce 306 (Zoom option available)

Registration Required: https://yarshater.ucla.edu/event/yarshater-lecture-series-cameron-cross/

Join us at our upcoming event!

Spiderweb Stories: Translations, Adaptations, and Connections in Persian Romance by Cameron Cross

In-Person Lecture in Royce 306 (Zoom option available)

Registration Required: https://yarshater.ucla.edu/event/yarshater-lecture-series-cameron-cross/

The Yarshater Center would like to thank all of the presenters, panel chairs, and attendees who made the Third Achaemenid Workshop hosted at Columbia University in New York City a great success and a wonderful experience for all. Towards a Literary History of the Achaemenid Empire, co-sponsored by the Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World, the Yarshater Center for the Study of Iranian Literary Tradition, the Columbia University Department of Classics, and the Center for the Ancient Mediterranean, featured stimulating presentations that crossed disciplines, languages, and geographies. The publication of these papers will be forthcoming in a dedicated series for the Achaemenid Workshops. We are looking forward to continuing the series with the Fourth Achaemenid Workshop next year!