Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Adi ibn Zayd

Role / Field:

A prominent 6th-century Arab Christian poet and court secretary from al-Hirah.

Born:

550

Died:

600

Century / Era:

550s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Adi ibn Zayd al-Ibadi al-Tamimi (Arabic: عَدِيُّ بْنُ زَيْدٍ العِبَادِيُّ التَمِيمِيُ, romanized: ʿAdī ibn Zayd al-ʿIbādī al-Tamīmī; c. 550-600) was a 6th-century Arab Christian poet from an Ibadi family of al-Hirah. Adi ibn Zayd was born around the year 550 CE in al-Hirah. He was of Tamim descent and came from a Christian family that had migrated from Yemen to al-Hirah.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

His grandfather and father served the Lakhmid dynasty, which was under the rule of the Sasanian Empire. Adi received his education at the Sasanian court in Mada’in, where he also learned Persian. According to Arab sources, he spoke Arabic and Persian and it is likely that as a Nestorian Christian he also spoke Syriac. Like his father, Adi ibn Zayd was influenced by Persian culture and served as the secretary (dabir) for Arab affairs under the Sasanian king Hormizd IV (r. 579–590) and later Khosrow II (r.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

590–628). It seems that he went to Constantinople in 579 by order of the Sasanian king and brought from there several books. Adi ibn Zayd spent much of his life in the courts of Al-Hirah and Mada’in. He was married to the granddaughter of the Lakhmid ruler al-Nu'man III ibn al-Mundhir (r. 580–602), and...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Adi ibn Zayd