Arsaces I (238-211 BC)
Founder of the Parthian kingdom. Elected leader of the Parni in about 248
BC and defeated Andragoras, the
Seleucid satrap of Parthia, in about
238 BC. Arsaces I struck the first
Parthian coins.
Arsaces II (211-191 BC)
Second king, son of Arsaces I. Forced to submit to Seleucid overlordship
by Antiochus III. Arsaces was able to strike coins up until his submission
to Antiochus III.
Priapatios (191-176 BC)
Son of Arsaces II. Ruler under the Seleucids. Regained Parthian independence
after Antiochus III's defeat by the Romans in 189 BC and began to expand
the kingdom. Did not strike coins.
Phraates I (176-171 BC)
Son of Priapatios. Phraates continued the slow expansion begun by his
father, and did not resume striking coins.
Mithradates I (171-138
BC)
Great king who made Parthia into a major power. Son of Priapatios. Expanded
the empire westward into Mesopotamia and eastward into Bactria. Actively
promoted Hellenism and titled himself "philhellene" (friend of the Greeks)
on his coinage. First appearance of a
Greek-style portrait showing
the royal diadem, the standard Greek symbol for kingship.
Phraates II (138-127
BC)
Son of Mithradates I, he inherited the throne at a young age as shown by
his short beard on his coins. Killed in battle against eastern nomads - the
Sakas, an Indo-Scythian group.
Inter-regnal Issue (127 BC)
Phraates' death temporarily left the empire in disarray as potential candidates
fought for the throne.
Artabanus I (127-124
BC)
Brother of Mithradates I. Loses Babylonia to the kingdom of
Characene. Killed in battle with the
Sakas. Parthian numismatic art at its finest.
Mithradates II (123-88
BC)
Son of Artabanus I. Second only to Mithradates I as most powerful Parthian
king, consolidated the empire and assumed the Achaemenid title "king of kings".
The empire reached its greatest extent and had its first contact with Rome.
Introduced the Parthian
tiara, which became a standard symbol of kingship in many eastern kingdoms
and initiated the depiction of the golden throne of the Arsacids on the reverse.
Gotarzes
I (95-87 BC)
Assumed power over parts of Parthia in opposition to Mithradates II. Probably
never controlled all of the empire.
Orodes I (90-77
BC)
Expelled Gotarzes from Babylonia and eventually reunited the empire. Probably
the son of Mithradates II. Has portrait with tiara as
sub-king under Mithradates II
and with diadem as sole ruler.
Sinatruces (77-70
BC)
Reputedly the brother of Mithradates II. Recalled to the throne from exile
among the Scythians at the age of eighty. The civil unrest which followed
the death of Mithradates II was finally ended during his reign, and the "regular"
order of succession reestablished.
Phraates III (70-57
BC)
Son of Sinatruces. King at the time of Pompey's campaigns in Asia Minor.
Killed by his sons, Mithradates and Orodes. First appearance of the
facing portrait on Parthian
coins.
Mithradates III (57-54
BC)
Son of Phraates III, murdered his father in conjunction with his brother
Orodes. The brothers soon fell out. First king to use the star and crescent
symbols.
Orodes II (57-38
BC)
Son of Phraates III, murdered his father in conjunction with his brother
Mithradates. With the support of the Suren, head of one of the leading families
of Parthia, Orodes defeated his brother and executed him. Re-established
strong central control in Parthia and influence in
Armenian affairs, and was responsible
for defeating Roman ambitions in the east, most notably with the defeat of
Crassus at Carrhae in 53 BC. One of the most common of Parthian coin types.
First appearance of the "royal
wart" on Parthian coinage.
Pacorus I (sub-king)(ca. 50 BC)
Eldest son of Orodes II, led two invasions of
Roman Syria and Asia Minor. Finally
killed in 39 BC. Issued coinage during the reign of Orodes II, possibly as
co-ruler of the empire.
Phraates IV (38-2
BC)
Another son of Orodes II, killed his father to secure the throne and then
proceeded to wipe out his thirty brothers and their families. This did not
engender much trust in his followers, thus explaining the many rebellions
which Phraates IV had to face. In addition, the Romans were eager to avenge
their defeat at Carrhae, creating even greater turmoil. Despite all of this,
the Parthian economy seems to have thrived, as witnessed by the numerous
coins of this reign. Defeated Marc Antony's invasion, then returned the standards
captured at Carrhae to Augustus, who sent an Italian slave-girl, Musa, as
a gift. Killed by his wife and son, Musa and Phraatakes.
Tiridates (29-27 BC)
Usurper who was initially successful, forcing Phraates IV into exile among
the Scythians. After being pushed back out of Mesopotamia, Tiridates was
able to ally himself with Augustus and force Phraates to retreat again, as
witnessed by some his coins on which he calls himself "friend of the Romans".
Eventually defeated by Phraates.
Phraatakes (2 BC - 4
AD)
Son of Phraates IV and Musa. Musa was a slave-girl given to Phraates as part
of an exchange of gifts with the Romans. She became Phraates' favorite wife,
and proceeded to get rid of her sons' older rivals, including her husband.
Following Magian custom, she and her son were then married. Musa's portrait
appears on certain issues of Phraatakes' coinage along with his own. Dethroned
by the Parthian senate, which did not tolerate foreigners, especially those
with Roman connections.
Orodes III (6 AD)
Placed on the throne by the Parthian senate to replace Phraatakes and Musa,
and then assassinated for his alleged cruelty.
Vonones I (8-12 AD)
Son of Phraates IV, returned from Rome to take the throne. Unfortunately,
his long exile in Rome had made him questionable in the eyes of the Parthian
aristocracy, so he was faced with rebellion from the outset of his reign.
Defeated by Artabanus II after a long struggle. His coins are notable for
the western hair-style on his portrait and the appearance of Nike on the
reverse in place of the seated archer.
Artabanus II (10-38
AD)
Defeated Vonones I to assume the throne. His coins show the beginning of
a long process of rejection of Greek influence and the resurgence of traditional
Persian art and values. Spent most of his reign suppressing rebellions, and
was at one point forced to live among the Scythians as a destitute hunter.
Upon his return to the throne at the head of an army of the Dahae (another
Scythian tribe), he continued to wear the rags - there is a facing portrait
of him on a series of tetradrachms from this period. Seleucia, the largest
Greek city in the Parthian empire, becomes independent for a short time.
Vardanes
I (40-45 AD)
Probably the son of Artabanus II. Reimposed Parthian control over Seleucia.
Assassinated by his brother, Gotarzes II during a hunt.
Gotarzes II (40-51
AD)
Another son of Artabanus II, whose coin types are very similar to those of
his father. Gotarzes was noted for his cruelty, which resulted in several
revolts.
Vonones
II (51 AD)
Probably only controlled the empire for a very short time, though he may
have remained in control of parts of Persia for much longer. His coins show
a facing portrait, similar to that of Phraates III.
Vologases I (51-78
AD)
Son or brother of Vonones II. At one point during his reign he was ousted
by his son Vardanes, but he survived to regain control in time to deal with
a Roman invasion under Corbulo and a secessionist movement under Sanabares.
Finally overthrown by Artabanus and Pacorus.
Vardanes II (55-58
AD)
Son of Vologases I. Successfully wrested the throne from his father for a
time, then defeated and presumably executed.
Vologases II (77-80 AD)
Little is known about this ruler- he is possibly related to Vonones II, based
on evidence from his coinage.
Pakoros II (78-105
AD)
Eventually reclaimed the whole of the empire, after many years of conflict
between many rivals, including Vologases II, Artabanus III and others in
the continuing series of civil wars that had afflicted the Parthians since
Vonones I. Began his rule very young, as witnessed by his
beardless portrait on his coinage. He
disappears from coins somewhere around 105 AD.
Artabanus III (80-90
AD)
Another rival for the throne, probably related to Artabanus II, Artabanus
III was able to get the Romans' attention by supporting a pseudo-Nero as
a contender for the Roman throne. Pushed out of Mesopotamia fairly quickly,
he managed to maintain his rule on the Persian plateau for a longer period.
Vologases III (105-147
AD)
Vologases had a long and prosperous reign, with the usual rebellions, but
none were permanently successful. Fought against the Kushans and Alani. His
drachmas are among the most common of Parthian coins and show a progression
from a short beard to a long
beard.
Osroes
I (109-129 AD)
First of Vologases' challengers, Osroes is the ruler who opposed Trajan,
to whom he lost his daughter, and the famous golden throne of Parthia depicted
on the reverse of Parthian coins since the time of Mithradates II. Brother
of Pakoros II. His coins show him with a bunched hairstyle associated with
the Sassanian dynasty of Fars. The coin depicted here is a bronze chalkon.
Parthamaspates (116
AD)
Trajan's puppet, Parthamaspates was a son of Osroes I. He was forced out
of Parthia during the troubles following Trajan's death, and was eventually
given a throne in Osrhoene by Hadrian, where he founded a dynasty.
Mithradates IV (140
AD)
Another rival of Vologases III, known only from his coins.
Unknown King (140 AD)
Known only from an uncommon series of coins.
Vologases IV (147-191
AD)
Probably a son of Vologases III. Invaded Armenia and defeated a Roman force,
but suffered a counter-invasion by the Romans under Lucius Verus.
Osroes
II (190 AD)
Known only from his coinage, which is quite common.
Vologases V (191-208 AD)
Supported Pescenius Niger in his unsuccessful bid for the Roman Empire, and
was consequently faced with a Roman invasion under Septimius Severus. His
coins are rare and feature the bunched hair style introduced by Osroes I.
Vologases VI (208-228
AD)
Son of Vologases V, at war with his brother, Artabanus IV.
Artabanus IV (216-224 AD)
Son of Vologases V, at war with Vologases VI. Defeats Macrinus at Nisibis.
Eventually defeated by the Sassanians
at Hormuzdagan in 224 AD, thus officially ending the Parthian empire, though
parts managed to hold out for a short while in outlying areas.
