Artabanus IV of Parthia

Artabanus IV of Parthia

Artabanus IV of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire from 216 to 224. He was the younger son of Vologases V of Parthia (191–208) who died in 208. Artabanus IV rebelled against his brother Vologases VI of Parthia (208–228), and soon gained the upper hand, although Vologases VI maintained himself in a part of Babylonia until about 228.

The Roman emperor Caracalla (211–217), wishing to make use of this civil war for a conquest of the East in imitation of his idol, Alexander the Great (336–323 BC), attacked the Parthians in 216. He crossed the Tigris, destroyed the towns and spoiled the tombs of Arbela, but when Artabanus IV advanced at the head of an army, he retired to Carrhae. There he was murdered by Martialis on April 8, 217. Caracalla's successor, the Praetorian Prefect of the Guard Macrinus (217–218), was defeated at Nisibis and concluded a peace with Artabanus IV, in which he gave up all the Roman conquests, restored the booty, and paid a heavy contribution to the Parthians.

At about this time, the Persian dynast Ardashir I (216–224) had already begun his conquests in Persia and Carmania. When Artabanus IV tried to subdue him his troops were defeated. The war lasted several years; at last Artabanus IV himself was vanquished and killed in 226. His brother Vologases VI's realm succumbed to Ardashir I a few years later. Thus the 400-year rule of the Arsacid Dynasty came to an end.

References

*
* Dio Cassius, vii, 12; lxxviii, 26.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Artabanus II of Parthia — ruled the Parthian Empire from about AD 10 to 38. He was the son of a princess of the Arsacid Dynasty who lived in the East among the Dahan nomads. He was raised to the throne by those Parthian grandees who would not acknowledge Vonones I, whom… …   Wikipedia

  • Artabanus I of Parthia — ruled the Parthian Empire from c. 128 to 124 BC. He succeeded his nephew Phraates II and died, just like his predecessor, in battle against the Tochari a name commonly identified with the Yuezhi of the Chinese sources, who had fled from Gansu in… …   Wikipedia

  • Artabanus III of Parthia — was a rival for the crown of the Parthian Empire during the reign of Pacorus II, against whom he revolted; his own reign extended from about 80 to 90. On a coin of 80 he calls himself Arsaces Artabanus. He was strong enough at one point to… …   Wikipedia

  • Artabanus — * Artabanus is the name of a genus of insects in the family Aradidae * Artabanus was the name of two noblemen of Persia: ** Artabanus was the younger brother of king Darius I of Persia, and satrap of Bactria in the early 5th century BC. He… …   Wikipedia

  • Artabanus III — ▪ king of Parthia flourished 1st century AD       king of Parthia (reigned c. AD 12–c. 38).       At first king of Media Atropatene, Artabanus III took the Parthian throne in AD 9 or 10 from Vonones (Vonones I) and was proclaimed king about two… …   Universalium

  • Artabanus IV — (reigned ca. a.d. 216 224)    The last ruler of the Arsacid dynasty and the Parthian Empire. After the death of his father, King Vologases V, in about 208, Artabanus fought with the new king, his brother Vologases VI, and eventually won. Not long …   Ancient Mesopotamia dictioary

  • Parthia — Infobox Former Country native name = Ashkâniân (اشکانیان) conventional long name = Parthian Empire common name = Parthia| continent = moved from Category:Asia to the Middle East region = Middle East, Central Asia, and Western Asia country = Iran… …   Wikipedia

  • Parthia — /pahr thee euh/, n. an ancient country in W Asia, SE of the Caspian Sea: conquered by the Persians A.D. 226; now a part of NE Iran. * * * Ancient land, southwestern Asia. Corresponding roughly to modern northeastern Iran, it formed a province of… …   Universalium

  • Artabanus I — ▪ king of Parthia also called  Arsaces II  flourished 3rd and 2nd centuries BC    king of Parthia (reigned 211–191 BC) in southwestern Asia. In 209 he was attacked by the Seleucid king Antiochus III of Syria, who took Hecatompylos, the Arsacid… …   Universalium

  • Artabanus V — ▪ king of Parthia flourished 3rd century       last king of the Parthian empire (reigned c. AD 213–224) in southwest Asia.       He was the younger son of Vologases IV, who died probably in 207, and was ruling the Median provinces at the time of… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”