Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Rodag

Rodag or Rodak was a 3rd-century Sasanian noblewoman, the wife of Pabag and the mother of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire. She is mentioned in the inscription of Shapur I on the wall of the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht at Naqsh-e Rostam near Persepolis in southern Iran as “Mother of the King of Kings”.

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Rodag or Rodak (Middle Persian: Rōdak, New Persian: رودک) was a 3rd-century Sasanian noblewoman, the wife of Pabag and the mother of Ardashir I (r. 224–242), the founder of the Sasanian Empire.12 She is mentioned in the inscription of Shapur I on the wall of the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht at Naqsh-e Rostam near Persepolis in southern Iran as “Mother of the King of Kings”.1

She was an Iranian woman who lived during the start of the Sasanian period. She played a significant and direct role in the formation of the Sasanian dynasty. Her husband, Pāpak, was a leader at the Anahita temple in Istakhr. By her old age, she was able to attend her son’s coronation ceremony.3

References

References

  1. Brosius 2000.
  2. Wiesehöfer 1986.
  3. کارنامه زنان ایران از دیروز تا امروز :پوران فرخزاد ص ۳۸۲.
Sources

Sources