State

Parthian Empire

second ancient Iranian Empire (247 BC–224 AD)

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This boundary
247 BCE – 224 CE
Founded
247 BCE
Ended
224 CE
Capital
Nisa, Ctesiphon, Seleucia, Hecatompylos
Government
feudal monarchy
Languages
Parthian, Koine Greek, Aramaic, Middle Persian, Babylonian
Religion
Zoroastrianism, Babylonian religion
Preceded by
Seleucid Empire
Succeeded by
MesopotamiaSasanian Empire

Overview

The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conquering the region of Parthia in Iran's northeast, then a satrapy (province) under Andragoras, who was rebelling against the Seleucid Empire. Mithridates I (r. c. 171 – 132 BC) greatly expanded the empire by seizing Media and Mesopotamia from the Seleucids. At its height, the Parthian Empire stretched from the northern reaches of the Euphrates, in what is now central-eastern Turkey, to present-day Afghanistan and western Pakistan. The empire, located on the Silk Road trade route between the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean Basin and the Han dynasty of China, became a center of trade and commerce.

Excerpt from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

All rulers (14)

  1. Cyrus the Great559–530 BCE
  2. Cambyses II530–522 BCE
  3. Darius I522–486 BCE
  4. Bardiya522 BCE
  5. Xerxes I486–465 BCE
  6. Xerxes II424 BCE
  7. Sogdianus424–423 BCE
  8. Darius II423 BCE
  9. Arses338–336 BCE
  10. Darius III336–330 BCE
  11. Musa of ParthiaRegent / co-ruler2 BCE – 4 CE
  12. Gondophares19–49 CE
  13. Kavad I488–496 CE
  14. Kavad I498–531 CE

Records (40)

  1. 238–129 BCE — Seleucid–Parthian WarsWar
  2. 220 BCE — Battle of ApolloniaBattle · Emperor Anthiochus ▸ Governor Molon
  3. 209 BCE — Battle of Mount LabusBattle
  4. 156 BCE — Parthian–Greco Bactrian WarWar
  5. 130 BCE — Battle of ZabBattle · Syria ▸ Parthia
  6. 129 BCE — Battle of EcbatanaBattle
  7. 94–92 BCE — Armenian–Parthian WarWar
  8. 87–85 BCE — Armenian–Parthian WarWar
  9. 66 BCE — Siege of ArtaxataSiege
  10. 53 BCE — Battle of CarrhaeBattle
  11. 51 BCE — Siege of AntiochBattle
  12. 40–38 BCE — Pompeian–Parthian Invasion of 40 BCEWar
  13. 40 BCE — Battle of ApameaBattle
  14. 39 BCE — Battle of Amanus PassBattle
  15. 39 BCE — Battle of the Cilician GatesBattle
  16. 36 BCE — Antony's Parthian WarWar
  17. 36 BCE — Battle of PraaspaBattle
  18. 36 BCE — Battle of PhraaspaBattle · Media, Parthia ▸ Rome
  19. 35 CE — Iberian invasion of ArmeniaInvasion
  20. 50–53 CE — Iberian–Armenian WarWar
  21. 58–63 CE — Roman–Parthian War of 58–63War
  22. 72 CE — Alan invasion of ParthiaInvasion
  23. 115–117 CE — Trajan's Parthian campaignWar
  24. 130–140 CE — Kanishka's War with ParthiaWar
  25. 130 CE — Battle of SalutBattle
  26. 161–166 CE — Roman–Parthian War of 161–166War
  27. 163 CE — Siege of EdessaSiege
  28. 165 CE — Battle of CtesiphonBattle
  29. 165 CE — Siege of EdessaSiege
  30. 165 CE — Battle of Dura-EuroposBattle
  31. 195–198 CE — Roman–Parthian War of 195–198War
  32. 197–198 CE — Siege of HatraSiege
  33. 198 CE — Battle of CtesiphonBattle
  34. 199 CE — Battle of AtraBattle · Parthia ▸ Rome
  35. 200 CE — Kanishka's Central Asian campaignCampaign
  36. 216–217 CE — Parthian War of CaracallaWar
  37. 217 CE — Battle of NisibisBattle
  38. 224 CE — Battle of HormozdganBattle
  39. 300 CE — Ardashir I's Kerman campaignCampaign
  40. 300 CE — Ardashir I's Southern Iran campaignsCampaign

Facts from Wikidata (CC0), HCED (CC0) and Cliopatria (CC BY 4.0); overview excerpted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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