Pacorus I

Pacorus I
𐭐𐭊𐭅𐭓
Pacorus I; 𐭐𐭊𐭅𐭓
	Arsacid dynasty
Father	Orodes II
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Pacorus I (also spelled Pakoros I; Parthian: 𐭐𐭊𐭅𐭓; died 38 BC) was a Parthian prince, who was the son and heir of Orodes II (r. 57–37 BC). The numismatist David Sellwood deduced that Pacorus ruled in c. 39 BC. It is uncertain whether Pacorus ruled alongside his father, or ruled independently. His wife was an unnamed Armenian princess, who was a sister of the Artaxiad king of Armenia, Artavasdes II (r. 55–34 BC).

Following the Parthian victory against the

Publius Ventidius Bassus. His death spurred a succession crisis in which Orodes II, deeply afflicted by the death of his favourite son, relinquished the throne to his other son Phraates IV

(r. 37–2 BC) as his new heir.

Name

The name Pacorus is the

Old Iranian bag-puhr ('son of a god').^[1]^[2] The Armenian and Georgian transliteration is Bakur (respectively; Բակուր, ბაკური).^[1]

Biography

Pacorus was the eldest son and heir of

Artaxiad king Artavasdes II (r. 55–34 BC). Orodes II persuaded Artavasdes to a marriage alliance between Pacorus and Artavasdes's sister.^[5]

Following Crassus's defeat and death at Carrhae, the Parthians attempted to capture Roman-held territories in

Octavian and eventually conducted negotiations with him at Brundisium.^[10]

After Syria was occupied by Pacorus's army, Labienus split from the main Parthian force to invade Anatolia while Pacorus and his commander Barzapharnes invaded the Roman Levant.^[9] They subdued all settlements along the Mediterranean coast as far south as Ptolemais (modern Acre, Israel), with the exception of Tyre.^[11] In Judea, the pro-Roman Jewish forces of high priest Hyrcanus II, Phasael, and Herod were defeated by the Parthians and their Jewish ally Antigonus II Mattathias (r. 40–37 BC); the latter was made king of Judea while Herod fled to his fort at Masada.^[9]

Despite these successes, the Parthians were soon driven out of the Levant by a Roman counteroffensive.

Publius Ventidius Bassus, an officer under Mark Antony, defeated and then executed Labienus at the Battle of the Cilician Gates (in modern Mersin Province, Turkey) in 39 BC.^[12] Shortly afterward, a Parthian force in Syria led by general Pharnapates was defeated by Ventidius at the Battle of Amanus Pass.^[12] As a result, Pacorus temporarily withdrew from Syria. When he returned in the spring of 38 BC, he faced Ventidius at the Battle of Mount Gindarus, northeast of Antioch. Pacorus was killed during the battle, and his forces retreated across the Euphrates. His death spurred a succession crisis in which Orodes II, deeply afflicted by the death of his favourite son, relinquished the throne to his other son Phraates IV (r. 37–2 BC) as his new heir.^[13]

The numismatist David Sellwood deduced that Pacorus ruled in c. 39 BC. It is uncertain whether Pacorus ruled alongside his father, or ruled independently.^[3]

In literature

The medieval Muslim writer

Alexander the Great's conquest of Persia.^[14]

References

^ ^a ^b Rapp 2014, p. 334.
^ Marciak 2017, p. 224.
^ ^a ^b Ellerbrock 2021, p. 43.
^ Olbrycht 2021.
^ Bivar 1983, pp. 55–56; Garthwaite 2005, p. 79; see also Brosius 2006, pp. 94–95 and Curtis 2007, pp. 12–13
^ Kennedy 1996, p. 80 asserts that permanent occupation was the obvious goal of the Parthians, especially after the cities of Roman Syria and even the Roman garrisons submitted to the Parthians and joined their cause.
^ Kennedy 1996, pp. 78–79; Bivar 1983, p. 56
^ Bivar 1983, pp. 56–57; Strugnell 2006, p. 243
^ ^a ^b ^c Bivar 1983, p. 57; Strugnell 2006, p. 244; Kennedy 1996, p. 80
^ Syme 1939, pp. 214–217
^ Bivar 1983, p. 57
^ ^a ^b Bivar 1983, pp. 57–58; Strugnell 2006, pp. 239, 245; Brosius 2006, p. 96; Kennedy 1996, p. 80
^ Bivar 1983, p. 58; Brosius 2006, p. 96; Kennedy 1996, pp. 80–81; see also Strugnell 2006, pp. 239, 245–246
^ Yarshater 1983, p. 475.