A rare stone inscription from the Sassanid period has been unearthed in the mountainous region of Marvdasht, located in southern Iran’s Fars province. Experts believe the inscription strongly condemns the act of breaking one’s word while glorifying loyalty and truthfulness—values held sacred in ancient Iranian culture.
According to historian Dr. Abolhassan Atabaki, the inscription is rooted in Zoroastrian ethical teachings and is closely linked to the deity Mithra (Mehr), the divine guardian of justice, contracts, and oaths in pre-Islamic Iran. “This is not just a historical find; it’s a profound moral message from antiquity,” said Atabaki. “It shows how ancient Iranians regarded betrayal as a cause of divine punishment and social decay.”
Betrayal Brought Divine Wrath and Natural Disaster
In the Zoroastrian worldview, oath-breaking was not merely a personal failure—it invited cosmic consequences. The inscription warns that breaking a vow provokes the wrath of Mithra, leading to drought, disorder, and societal collapse. This belief was widespread across ancient Iranian culture and was reflected in laws, myths, and daily social interactions.
Atabaki emphasizes that even judges and rulers were not exempt: “A dishonest leader or corrupt judge was thought to disrupt the natural order, weakening rainfall and even diminishing the power of healing.” In this system, all forms of trust—from friendships and marriages to business and governance—relied on the sanctity of promises.
A Legal and Moral Doctrine in Stone
The newly found inscription serves not only as a spiritual warning but also as a piece of legal philosophy. In Zoroastrian ethics, lying under oath or breaking a vow was equated with rejecting the Avesta and the teachings of Zoroaster. It was viewed as an act that unraveled both divine and social fabrics.
Similar concepts of truth and sacred contracts appear in Vedic literature from India, where the deity Mitra plays an analogous role. The prominence of Mithra in Iranian history is further attested in inscriptions of Ardashir I and Ardashir III, demonstrating a long-standing cultural reverence for this moral ideal.
A Glimpse Into the Ethical Foundations of Ancient Iran
The discovery in Marvdasht reveals more than historical data—it uncovers a worldview where ethics, justice, and social harmony were tightly interwoven. “This inscription shows that even in a vast and diverse empire like Sassanid Iran, the trust between individuals and institutions rested on a common moral code,” noted Atabaki.
This inscription now stands as a rare and invaluable window into the philosophical and spiritual depth of ancient Iranian civilization.
