Editing Shahnameh (section)

=== Heroic age ===
Almost two-thirds of the ''Shahnameh'' are devoted to the age of heroes, extending from Manuchehr's reign until the conquest of [[Alexander the Great in the Shahnameh|Alexander the Great]]. This age is also identified as the kingdom of the [[Kayanian dynasty|Kayanians]], which established a long history of heroic age in which myth and legend are combined.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Iran: Politics, History and Literature|last=Katouzian|first=Homa|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=978-0-415-63689-6|location=Oxon|page=138}}</ref> The main feature of this period is the major role played by the [[Saka]] or [[Sistan|Sistani]] heroes who appear as the backbone of the Empire. [[Garshasp]] is briefly mentioned with his son [[Nariman (Shahnameh)|Nariman]], whose own son [[Sām|Sam]] acted as the leading paladin of Manuchehr while reigning in Sistan in his own right. His successors were his son [[Zāl|Zal]] and Zal's son [[Rostam]], the bravest of the brave, and then Faramarz.

Among the stories described in this section are the romance of Zal and [[Rudaba]], the Seven Stages (or Labors) of [[Rostam]], [[Rostam and Sohrab]], [[Siyavash]] and [[Sudabeh|Sudaba]], Rostam and Akvan Div, the romance of [[Bijan and Manijeh]], the wars with [[Afrasiab]], [[Daqiqi]]'s account of the story of Goshtasp and Arjasp, and Rostam and [[Esfandyar]].

[[File:Bahram Gur kills a dragon in India. From the Book of Kings (Shahnama) (CBL Per 104.60v).jpg|thumb|Bahram Gur kills a dragon in India, [[folio]] from the [[First Small Shahanama]]. Possibly [[Tabriz]], c. 1300. [[Chester Beatty Library]]]]