Khosrow and Ridak, also known as Khosrow and ‘the Page’, is a piece of Middle Persian literature written in Pahlavi script that provides insight into Iranian culture in late antiquity. The king in question could be Khosrow I (531 – 579) or Khosrow II(590 -  628). The tale revolves around a young man named Ridak (likely a title, referring to a servant or young boy who serves the nobility), who appears before the king to request a position.  The king asks him 13 questions. It is Ridak’s responses that make up the body of this text.

The King’s 11th question is about fragrant and “sweet-smelling flowers”. The response the boy gives not only informs us about what fragrances they were familiar with and used during the Sasanian era Persia (3rd-7th century) but also his ability to compare each flower to social concepts, be it a class of society, or a profession gives us a deeper understanding of the uses of the fragrances.