Battle of Hormozdgan

Coordinates: 32°03′00″N 48°51′00″E / 32.0500°N 48.8500°E / 32.0500; 48.8500
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Battle of Hormozdgan
Artabanus IV and his forces
DateApril 28, 224
Location
Hormozdgan (possibly Ram-Hormoz
)
Result Sasanian victory
Belligerents
Parthian Empire Sasanian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Artabanus IV 
Dad-windad Executed
Ardashir I
Prince Shapur
Strength
An army larger than Ardashir I's army[1] 10,000 cavalry[1]

The Battle of Hormozdgan (also spelled Hormizdagan and Hormozgan) was the climactic battle between the Arsacid and the Sasanian dynasties that took place on April 28, 224. The Sasanian victory broke the power of the Parthian dynasty, effectively ending almost five centuries of Parthian rule in Iran, and marking the official start of the Sasanian era.

Background

Around 208

Pars, and had now under prince Ardashir I begun to conquer the neighboring regions and more far territories, such as Kirman.[2][4] At first, Ardashir I's activities did not alarm Artabanus IV, until later, when the Arsacid king finally chose to confront him.[2]

History

Pars

The location of the battle has not been found. The Arabic chronicle Nihayat al-arab states that the battle took place in bʾdrjʾan or bʾdjʾn, which

Islamic geographers whilst the former is reported in detail.[1] The town of Ram-Hormoz still endures today, and is 65 km east of Ahvaz, "in a wide plain just at the foot of the hills that form the northeastern tail of the Bengestan Mountain of the Zagros chain."[1] According to Shahbazi, "the plain nearby is admirably suited for a cavalry engagement."[1]

Artabanus IV
(r. 213–224)

According to

lamellar armor.[1] Ardashir I's son and heir, Shapur, as portrayed in the Sasanian rock reliefs, also took part in the battle.[7] The battle was fought on 28 April 224, with Artabanus IV being defeated and killed, marking the end of the Arsacid era and the start of 427-years of Sasanian rule.[1]

Aftermath

Coin of Ardashir I as King of Kings (r. 224–242)

The chief secretary of the deceased Arsacid king,

Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda, while Shapur and two other princes are watching from behind.[11][10]

Vologases VI was driven out of Mesopotamia by Ardashir I's forces soon after 228.

Sasanian army (spah) was identical to the Parthian one.[13] Indeed, the majority of the Sasanian cavalry composed of the very Parthian nobles that had once served the Arsacids.[13] This demonstrates that the Sasanians built up their empire thanks to the support of other Parthian houses, and has due to this has been called "the empire of the Persians and Parthians".[14] However, memories of the Arsacid Empire never completely vanished, with efforts trying to restore the empire in the late 6th-century made by the Parthian dynasts Bahram Chobin and Vistahm, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.[15][16]

  • The rock relief of Ardashir I's triumph over Artabanus IV
    The rock relief of
    Artabanus IV
  • Ardashir I receiving the badge of kingship over a fire shrine from the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda
    Ardashir I receiving the badge of kingship over a fire shrine from the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda

Notes

  1. ^ Artabanus IV is erroneously known in older scholarship as Artabanus V. For further information, see Schippmann (1986a, pp. 647–650)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Shahbazi 2004, pp. 469–470.
  2. ^ a b c d Schippmann 1986a, pp. 647–650.
  3. ^ a b c Daryaee 2014, p. 3.
  4. ^ Schippmann 1986b, pp. 525–536.
  5. ^ a b Wiesehöfer 1986, pp. 371–376.
  6. ^ a b c Al-Tabari 1985–2007, v. 5: p. 13.
  7. ^ Shahbazi 2002.
  8. ^ Rajabzadeh 1993, pp. 534–539.
  9. ^ Daryaee 2014, pp. 2–3.
  10. ^ a b c Shahbazi 2005.
  11. ^ a b c McDonough 2013, p. 601.
  12. ^ Chaumont & Schippmann 1988, pp. 574–580.
  13. ^ a b McDonough 2013, p. 603.
  14. ^ Olbrycht 2016, p. 32.
  15. ^ Shahbazi 1988, pp. 514–522.
  16. ^ Shahbazi 1989, pp. 180–182.

Sources

Further reading

External links

32°03′00″N 48°51′00″E / 32.0500°N 48.8500°E / 32.0500; 48.8500