Sassanian Empire’s Wars with Rome, Huns and Turco-Hephthalities

The Romano-Byzantine Frontiers (an overview)

• Jan Willem Drijvers (2009). Rome and the Sasanid Empire: Confrontation and Coexistence, in “A Companion to late Antiquity” (Philip Rousseau, ed.), Chapter 29, pp. 441-454, Wiley Publishers  (pdf).
• R. C. Blockley (1985). Subsidies and Diplomacy: Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity. Phoenix, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Spring, 1985), pp. 62-74. (pdf)
• A.D. Lee (1991). The Role of Hostages in Roman Diplomacy with Sasanian Persia. Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte, Bd. 40, H. 3, pp. 366-374.  (pdf)
• V. Minorsky (1944). Roman and Byzantine campaigns in Atropatene. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 243-265. (pdf)
• Encyclopedia of War: Roman-Persian Wars (92 BCE–627 CE)
  

• Dr. Mohammad M. Malayeri (compiled by Shahin Kaviani) The attacks of Rome against Persia during the reign of Shapur II (pdf) (in Persian)
• Clarence Weinstock (1930). Julian the Apostate Dying in Persia. Poetry, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 62-64. (pdf)
• Professor Samuel Lieu: Nisibis

The Late Sassanian Era and Wars with Byzantium

• Geoffrey Greatrex (2005). Byzantium and the East in the 6th Century, in (Michael Maas, ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian, Chapter 19, pp. 477-509, Cambridge University Press (pdf).
• Roman references to Iranian military prowess

The Wars of Khosrow II

• Nabil Rastani: The Other World War
• Mark-Anthony Karantabias *2005). The Crucial Development of Heavy Cavalry under Herakleios and His Usage of Steppe Nomad Tactics (pdf)
• -ساسانیان در آفریقا-Sassanians in Africa (in Persian)

Sassanian Military Architecture 

The Wall of Gorgan and the Central Asian Frontier

• The Great Wall of Gorgan-دیوار بزرگ گرگان-  Synopsis of Kaveh Farrokh report also printed in Tehran Times International Daily March 9 2010- The Great Wall of Gorgan. (pdf)
• Jebrael Nokandeh, Eberhard W. Sauer, Hamid Omrani Rekavandi, Tony Wilkinson,Ghorban Ali Abbasi, Jean-Luc Schwenninger, Majid Mahmoudi, David Parker, Morteza Fattahi, Lucian Stephen Usher-Wilson, Mohammad Ershadi, James Ratcliffe, Rowena Gale (2006). Linear Barriers of Northern Iran: The Great Wall of Gorgan and the Wall of Tammishe. Iran, Vol. 44, pp. 121-173.  (pdf)
• Secrets of the Red Snake: The Great Wall of Iran Revealed, in Current World Archaeology Today, No. 27, 2008. (pdf)
• Historical Atlas of Iran-اطلس تاريخی ايران- Wall of Gorgan-ديوار گرگان -

Military Organization, Elite Units, Troops, Tactics & Jousting

• Professor Shapour Shahbazi: The Sassanian Army
• Professor W. Sundermann: Arteshdar
• Salman Saket & Mohammad-Jaafer Yahaghi: Sassanian Military Organization and tactics as attested to in the shahnameh (pdf).
• Professor Shapour Shahbazi: Derafsh
• Professor Jalal Khaleghi-Motlagh: Derafsh Kaviani
• Hessamoddin Shafeian: Jousting Heritage of Iran
• Hessamoddin Shafeian: -صحنه های نبرد بر بشقاب های ساسانیان-Battle scenes as depicted on Sassanian plates
• Dr. Ahmad-Ali Farzin (Tehran University): Jyanvaspar and Ferdowsi (in Persian) (pdf)
• Procopius Account of Sassanian Troops (in Persian)

Armaments

• Dr. B.A. Litvinsky: Helmets of Partho-Sassanian Iran
• Dr. Manouchehr M. Khorasani: The Mystery of Making Composite Bows
• Masia, K. (2000). The evolution of swords and daggers in the Sassanian Empire. Iranica Antiqva, vol. XXXV, pp. 185-289.  (pdf)
• James, S. (1986). Evidence from Dura Europos for the Origins of Late Roman Helmets. Syria, T. 63, Fasc. 1/2, pp. 107-134. (pdf)
• Helmut Nickel (1973). About the Sword of the Huns and the “Urepos” of the Steppes. Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 7, pp. 131-142. (pdf) – the article focuses esp. on P-mount swords that highly influenced late Sassanian swords.

Bahram Chobin

• Professor Shapour Shahbazi: Bahram Chobin

Firearms and Bahram Chubin

• -سعید توجهی-گلول ههای آتشین در میدان جنگ:–اولین سلاح جنگی با استفاده از نفت از سوی بهرام چوبین در قرن ششم میلادی ساخته شد-Saeed Tavajohi: Fire Bullets in the Battlefield: The First weapons utlizing Oil were First deployed by Bahram Chobin the 6th century AD  (in Persian)
• -صنوبر – بهرام چوبین:اولین فرد استفاده کننده از سلاح اتش زا-Bahram Chobin: the first to deploy types of firearms (in Persian)
• -جنگ بلخ و استفاده ژنرال بهرام چوبین از نوعی موشک علیه خاقان بلخ -The Battle of Balkh (November 28, 588: the deployment of a type of rocket agianst the Khagan of Balkh (in Persian)
• -بهرام چوبین به روایت تاریخ طبری-Zabihollah Safa (1991). The Military Expolits of Bahram Chobin according to Tabari. Tehran: Moasseseye Entesharate Amir Kabir  (pdf) (in Persian)

Battle Elephants

• Konstantin Nossov (2008). War Elephants. Osprey New Vanguard 150-England: Osprey Publishing (pdf).
• -آذری، علاءالدین -نقش فیل در جنگهای ایران باستان-Alladin Azari (1972). The role of battle elephants in Ancient Iran. Baresihaye Tarikhi, No.1, pp. 127-142. (pdf) (in Persian)

Sassanian Military Legacy

• Shahrbaraz Blog-دکتر محسن ذاکری و خاستگاه عَیّاران-Dr. Mohsen Zakeri: an analysis of the Ayyaran

Videos

• Video econstructions of Parthian, Sassanian and Scytho-Sarmatian Knights
• Video reconstruction of campaign of Shapur II in Arabia (342 AD)

Recommended Books

• Ian Hughes: Belisarius-The Last Roman General
• Ian Hughes: Stilicho – The Vandal who saved Rome
• Beate Dignas & Engelbert Winter (2007). Rome and Persia in Late Antiquity: Neighbors and Rivals. Cambridge University Press (pdf).
• Parvaneh Pourshariati (2008). Decline and Fall of the Sasanian Empire: The Sasanian-Parthian Confederacy and the Arab Conquest of Iran (International Library of Irani. I. B. Tauris.  See Foreword (translated to Persian) by Khashayar Rokhasani -پیشگفتار: خشایار رُخسانی -; See first chapter (translated to Persian) -نشیب و فروپاشی فرمانروایی ساسانی- (pdf). see also Hessamoddin Shafeian: Dr. Parvaneh Pourshariati: A Professor and Iranologist unlike the Rest (in Persian)
• Peter Wilcox (1987, reprinted 2001). Rome’s Enemies (3): Parthians and Sassanid Persians. England: Osprey Men at Arms 175-Osprey Publishing (pdf).

[More links to be posted soon]