THE SHAHNAMEH was completed in the year 1010 by the Persian poet Ferdowsi. A monumental undertaking encompassing ancient myths, legends, and history, it is one of Iran's most cherished works of literature. Volume V traces the succession of kings in the ill-fated Sassanian Dynasty, opening with the reign of Khosrow Parviz, a fickle and feeble king confronting a brutal challenge with the leader of the royal armies, Bahraam Choobineh, who has accused Khosrow Parviz of lacking a link to the royal line. During his struggle with his army leader, Khosrow Parviz seeks the aid of the Rumi Caesar while Bahraam Choobineh strategizes a way to win the good graces of the Chini Emperor. After the death of Khosrow Parviz, there follows a succession of kings and queens whose reigns are short-lived, leading to the last Sassanian ruler, King Yazdegerd. The legitimacy of his rule is questioned by Maahooy Soori, whose greedy advances are not unlike Bahraam Choobineh's attempts to usurp the throne. Despite warnings by his fellow Iranian leaders and warriors, Maahooy Soori succeeds in having Yazdegerd slain. THE SHAHNAMEH closes with a rather brief account of the Arab invasion of Iran and the death of its last ruler. Ferdowsi concludes his epic saga by telling us that the caliphate "brings a new religion and replaces the throne with the pulpit."