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 The Parthian Empire is a fascinating period of Persian history closely connected to Greece and Rome. Ruling from 247 BC to AD 228 in ancient Persia (Iran), the Parthians defeated Alexander the Great's successors, the Seleucids, conquered most of the Middle East and Southwest Asia, and built Parthia into an Eastern superpower. The Parthian empire revived the greatness of the Achaemenid empire and counter balanced Rome's hegemony in the West. Parthia at one time occupied areas now in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaidzhan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel ......
In 247 BC Arsaces, leader of a Scythians group in Central Asia called the Parni (a branch of the Dahae) is crowned king. He overthrows the Seleucid governor of Parthia in 238 BC and establishes a new nation that lasts for almost 500 years. 95 - 57 BC is referred to as the Parthian 'Dark Age'. Civil wars make the chronology of this period a matter of conjecture. At the height of their power the Parthians were second only to Rome and were the only civilized nation able to stand up to her. The empire began to decline in the 2nd century AD and the rebellion of Ardashir of Persis in 220 AD was its death knell. The last Parthian king, Ardavān (Artabanos) IV, was killed in the battle of Hormuzdagan in 224 AD and Ardashir became the first Sasanian king ......
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Prophet JesusBeginning of christian yearWars with RomanParthians defeat Romans at Carrhae (Harran), northern Syria. 53 B.C. |
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The Parthians were a subgroup of the nomadic steppe culture known to us as the Scythians. Tradition has it that they conquered the region known in the ancient period as Parthia (now part of Iran) during the mid 4th century BC under Arsaces I. Arsaces I was the leader of a small nomadic group known as the Parni which were a part of the Dahae confederation of tribes centered around the eastern Caspian in present day Turkistan. Under Arsaces I and most of Arsaces II's reign the Parthians managed to maintain their independence, as demonstrated by the existence of coins for these kings, despite repeated attempts by their neighbors, particularly the Seleucid monarchs who had once ruled the area, to conquer them
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Kings
Arashk - Ashk I (250 - 248 B.C.)
Tirdād I - Ashk II (248 - 214 B.C.)
Ardavān I - Ashk III (214 - 196 B.C.)
Feriyāpat - Ashk IV (196 - 181 B.C.)
Farhad I - Ashk V (181 - 174 B.C.)
Mehrdad I - Ashk VI (174 - 136 B.C.)
Farhad II - Ashk VII (136 - 127 B.C.)
Ardavān II - Ashk VIII (127 - 124 B.C.)
Mehrdad II - Ashk IX (124 - 76 B.C.)
Santrūk - Ashk X (76 - 67 B.C.)
Farhad III - Ashk XI (67 - 60 B.C.)
Mehrdad III - Ashk XII (60 - 56 B.C.)
Orod I - Ashk XIII (56 - 37 B.C.)
Farhad IV - Ashk XIV (37 - 2 B.C.)
Farhad V - Ashk XV (2 B.C. - 4 A.D.)
Orod II - Ashk XVI (4 - 8 A.D.)
Vonon I - Ashk XVII (8 - 17 A.D.)
Ardavan III - Ashk XVIII (17 - 42 A.D.)
Bardān - Ashk XIX (40 - 45 A.D.)
Gūdarz - Ashk XX (42 and 46 - 51 A.D.)
Vonon II - Ashk XXI (51 - 52 A.D.)
Belāsh I - Ashk XXII (52 - 78 A.D.)
Paker II - Ashk XXIII (78 - 110 A.D.)
Khosro - Ashk XXIV (110 - 130 A.D.)
Bekāsh II - Ashk XXV (130 - 149 A.D.)
Belāsh III - Ashk XXVI (149 - 190 A.D.)
Belash IV - Ashk XXVII (191 - 209 A.D.)
Belash V - Ashk XXVIII (209 - 216 A.D.)
Ardavān V - Ashk XXIX (216 - 218 A.D.)
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Civilwar against Ashkāniān
220 - 223 A.D.
Pārs-hā (Persians) againt Pārthā (Parthians)
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