Beauty is a relative term and it is not possible to provide a comprehensive definition of beauty in all times and places. The subject of this research is to identify the criteria of ideal female based on Pahlavi texts. The ideal woman in this study means a worthy lady embodies all the beauties of the face and character. Achieving a perfect woman who embodies the beauties of the face, body and good moral is the desire of every man, and this long-standing desire is clearly expressed in a limited number Pahlavi texts. The purpose of this research is to answer this question is based on answer the question, “Based on the aforementioned texts, What characteristics were considered to determine the ideal woman during Sassanid era?”Based on the concepts of selected Pahlavi texts, we found that ancient Iranian did not consider the criterion for selecting an ideal woman to be only in external beauty, and for the writers of this period, the aesthetic realm of a woman is manifested and finds meaning in observing her moral character. They emphasize that a worthy woman, in addition to paying attention to her beautiful appearance, must be careful in her speech and actions, be a loving and gentle husband, and keep her soul pure.First, criteria that are closely related to religious beliefs, such as respect for one's husband and chastity.
But another group of criteria are non-religious and are related to the image of a beloved woman that a man at that time had of her face and body, or in other words, her beauty, in his mind. Therefore, beautiful behavior, along with beauty in face and body, represented the concept of an ideal woman in the Sassanid period. This research was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and library resources were used.
sharifi,G. (2026). criteria of the ideal woman based on Pahlavi texts. Ancien Culture and Languages, 5(1), 217-237. doi: 10.22034/aclr.2025.2052145.1142
MLA
sharifi,G. . "criteria of the ideal woman based on Pahlavi texts", Ancien Culture and Languages, 5, 1, 2026, 217-237. doi: 10.22034/aclr.2025.2052145.1142
HARVARD
sharifi G. (2026). 'criteria of the ideal woman based on Pahlavi texts', Ancien Culture and Languages, 5(1), pp. 217-237. doi: 10.22034/aclr.2025.2052145.1142
CHICAGO
G. sharifi, "criteria of the ideal woman based on Pahlavi texts," Ancien Culture and Languages, 5 1 (2026): 217-237, doi: 10.22034/aclr.2025.2052145.1142
VANCOUVER
sharifi G. criteria of the ideal woman based on Pahlavi texts. Ancien Culture and Languages, 2026; 5(1): 217-237. doi: 10.22034/aclr.2025.2052145.1142