Peripheral Fire: Once Upon a Time in Daskyleion and Western Anatolia

This article investigates the presence and transformation of Iranian religious practices—particularly those associated with Zoroastrianism—in Western Anatolia during the Achaemenid period, with a specific focus on Daskyleion and the Hellespontine Phrygia. By drawing on archaeological, epigraphic, and textual evidence, this study explores how Persian religious traditions were preserved, adapted, and reinterpreted outside the Iranian plateau. The findings reveal a nuanced picture of religious hybridity in which core Zoroastrian concepts such as dualism, fire worship, and clerical purity persisted alongside local Anatolian and Hellenic influences. Special attention is given to material culture that reflects both imperial ideology and regional reinterpretation. Ultimately, Daskyleion serves as a valuable case study for understanding how imperial religions evolved on the periphery and were shaped by negotiation, adaptation, and cultural exchange. This article contributes to broader debates on Achaemenid religious policy, the localization of Zoroastrian elements, and the dynamics of identity and belief in the ancient Near East.