en, for Persianism, a graver danger and more
present check than Parthian ignorance; or it submerged and
abashed, where the other only ignore, the Persian spirit. So
when Seleucia was wiped out, in 165, the chief and real enemy of
the National Soul had vanished. The Persians might no longer
look to Hellenism for their cultural inspiration; might no more
set up _Its_ light against the Parthian darkness; they must find
a light instead proper to their own souls;--and must look
towards mountain Fars to find it. Within a half-cycle they
were up. They were due to be up, as you will remember, in
the two-twenties: the decade in which we saw the stream in
China, as in Rome, diminish. Troubles had begun in Rome in
162, the second year of Aurelisus. 162 plus 65 are 227. In
227 Persia rose and Parthia vanished.

In the second century A.D. there had been a man in Fars named
Papak the son of Sassan, who took as his motto the well-known
lines from Marlowe:

"Is it not passing brave to be a king
And ride in triumph through Persepolis?"

--Persepolis, indeed, was gone, and only its vast and pillared
ruins remained in the wilderness; but near by the town of
Istakhr had grown up, to be what Persepolis had been in the old
Achaemenian days,--the heart and center of Fars, which is
spiritually, the heart and center of all Iran. Papak thought he
would make Istakhr serve his purpose; and did;--and reigned
there in due course without ever a Parthian to say him nay. In
212 he died; and what he had been and desired to be, that his
son Ardashir would be in turn, and much more also. This Ardashir
was very busy remembering the story of the Achaemenidae: men,
like himself, of Fars; men, like himself, of the One and Only
True Religion: but further, conquerors of the world and Kings of
the kings of Iran and Turan. And if they, why not he?--So he
goes to it, and from king of Istakhr becomes king of Fars; and
then unobtrusively takes in Karmania eastward;--until news of his
doings comes to the ears of his suzerain Artabanus King of
Parthis, who does not like it. Artabanus has recently (217)
received in indemnity a matter of seven and a half million
dollars from a well-whipped Roman emperor; and is not prepared
to see his own uderlings give themselves airs;--so whistles up
his horde of cavalry, and marches south and east to settle
things. Three battles, and the Parthian empire is a thing of the
past; and Ardashir (which is A