Vologases I of Parthia
Vologases I 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 | |
---|---|
Arsacid dynasty | |
Father | Vonones II |
Mother | Greek concubine |
Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Vologases I (Parthian: 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 Walagash) was the King of Kings of the Parthian Empire from 51 to 78. He was the son and successor of Vonones II (r. 51). He was succeeded by his younger son Pacorus II, who continued his policies.
Name
Vologases is the Greek and Latin form of the Parthian Walagaš (𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔). The name is also attested in New Persian as Balāsh and Middle Persian as Wardākhsh (also spelled Walākhsh). The etymology of the name is unclear, although Ferdinand Justi proposes that Walagaš, the first form of the name, is a compound of words "strength" (varəda), and "handsome" (gaš or geš in Modern Persian).[1]
Background
Vologases was a son of
Reign
Invasion of Armenia
Vologases became the new Parthian king in 51.[2] He sought to continue the policies of the prominent former Parthian king Artabanus II (r. 12–38/41), and thus, one of his first objectives was to strengthen the Parthian position in strategically and politically unstable regions which had served for decades as the source of war with the Romans.[5][6] He gave the kingship of Media Atropatene to his elder brother Pacorus, while the even more politically important kingship of Armenia was given to Vologases' younger brother Tiridates after a Parthian invasion of the country in 53.[7]
Vologases felt his invasion was justified due to the recent usurpation of the Armenian throne by the
War with the Romans
Unhappy with the Parthian reconquest of Armenia, in 54 the newly ascended Roman emperor Nero sent his general, Corbulo to restore Roman authority in the country.[10] Vologases was unable to aid his brother, due to the rebellion of his son Vardanes II and subsequently a revolt in the eastern Parthian province of Hyrcania.[11] Supported by Vologases, Tiridates sent flying columns to raid the Romans far and wide in 58.[10][12] Corbulo responded by using the same tactics.[10] He also emboldened the Roman client-kings Antiochus IV of Commagene, Pharasmanes I, and the Moschi tribes to attack outlying areas of Armenia.[10]
The loyalty of the Armenian population was split up between the Parthians and Romans, although overall they preferred Parthian rule, due to it being more tolerant, and also due to the similarity between Parthian and Armenian culture.[10] Corbulo conquered the Armenian capital of Artaxata, which he had destroyed.[13][14] The following year (59) he conquered Tigranocerta in southern Armenia, where he wintered.[15] Tiridates took advantage of this situation to return to northern Armenia from Atropatene. However, by the spring of 60, he was forced to withdraw by the Roman forces once more.[15]
Nero appointed a Cappadocian prince named Tigranes on the Armenian throne.[15] The new ruler, protected by a strong Roman force, became bold and started in 61 attacking the border areas of Adiabene, a vassal kingdom of the Parthians.[15][16] The Adiabenian king, Monobazos, including Tiridates, protested in front of the entire Parthian court, complaining that Vologases did not do enough to protect his subjects.[17]
This situation was important and endangered the relations between Vologases and his subjects.[17] During a public feast, Vologases supported Tiridates' appeals, and placed the royal diadem on his head.[13] He also appointed a certain nobleman named Monaeses as the commander of a Parthian force that included contingents from Adiabene.[18] Monaeses was sent into Armenia, where he besieged Tigranocerta in 62.[15][16] The city was strongly fortified, and had been further reinforced by two legions. The Parthians attempts to scale the city proved fruitless, with the Adiabenian contingents suffering heavy losses.[15]
At this point, Corbulo sent an envoy to Vologases, who had encamped with his court at
The Roman government then sent
After Tiridates' visit in Rome, Nero summoned Vologases I to Rome several times, but when the invitations became burdensome to Vologases I, he sent back a dispatch to this effect: "It is far easier for you than for me to traverse so great a body of water. Therefore, if you will come to Asia, we can then arrange to meet each other."[25]
Later life and death
However, Vologases I was still satisfied with this result and honored the memory of Nero,
Government
Coinage
Vologases was the first Arsacid ruler to have the
Trade
Vologases sought to accomplish the goal of Artabanus II, by attempting to establish a long and structured trade-route that spanned through
Zoroastrianism
Vologases is an important figure in Zoroastrianism. According to the 10th-century Middle Persian Zoroastrian document Denkard ("Acts of Religion"), Vologases ordered his subjects to safeguard variants of the Avestan books and schooling, which had been scattered due to raids and plundering by the Macedonian king Alexander the Great (r. 336–323 BC) in the 4th-century BC.[30]
Family tree
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Kings of the Parthian Empire
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Contenders |
Vonones II (r. 51) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tiridates I of Armenia | Vologases I (r. 51–78) | Pacorus of Atropatene | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pacorus II (r. 78–110) | Vardanes II (r. 54–58) | Vologases II (r. 78–80) | Artabanus III (r. 79/80–81) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ Chaumont & Schippmann 1988, pp. 574–580.
- ^ a b c Gregoratti 2018, p. 1.
- ^ Bivar 1983, p. 79.
- ^ Olbrycht 2016, p. 24.
- ^ Dąbrowa 2007, p. 125.
- ^ Dąbrowa 2012, p. 175.
- ^ Dąbrowa 2007, p. 125; Dąbrowa 2010, p. 34; Schippmann 1987, pp. 221–224
- ^ Bivar 1983, pp. 79–80; Dąbrowa 2010, p. 35
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 13.37.
- ^ a b c d e Bivar 1983, p. 81.
- ^ Bivar 1983, pp. 81–83.
- ^ Dąbrowa 2017, pp. 181–182.
- ^ a b Dąbrowa 2017, p. 182.
- ^ Bivar 1983, p. 82.
- ^ a b c d e f Bivar 1983, p. 83.
- ^ a b Marciak 2017, p. 360.
- ^ a b Gregoratti 2017, p. 132.
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 15.2.
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 15.5.
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 15.6.
- ^ Tacitus, The Annals 15.7.
- ^ a b Smith, William (1867). "Corbulo". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Boston. p. 851.
{{cite encyclopedia}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Tacitus, Annals, 15.1–6,Dio Cassius, 62.20
- ^ The Penny Cyclopædia of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. Great Britain: Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. 1842. p. 496.
- ISBN 1-4191-1613-4.
- ^ Suetonius Nero, p. 57
- ISBN 978-1-78096-183-5.
- ^ public domain: Meyer, Eduard (1911). "Vologaeses s.v. Vologaeses I.". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 196. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Jewish Wars7.8.4
- ^ a b c d Curtis 2016, p. 183.
- ^ Garthwaite 2005, pp. 80–81; see also Curtis 2007b, p. 21 and Schlumberger 1983, p. 1030
- ^ Schlumberger 1983, p. 1030
- ^ a b Gregoratti 2017, p. 131.
- ^ Gregoratti 2017, p. 131–132.
- ^ Gregoratti 2014, p. 56.
- ^ Gregoratti 2014, pp. 56–57.
Bibliography
Ancient works
Modern works
- Alemany, Agustí (2000). Sources on the Alans: A Critical Compilation. BRILL. ISBN 9789004114425.
- Bivar, A.D.H. (1983). "The Political History of Iran Under the Arsacids". In ISBN 0-521-20092-X.
- Chaumont, M. L. (1986). "Armenia and Iran ii. The pre-Islamic period". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 4. pp. 418–438.
- Chaumont, M. L.; Schippmann, K. (1988). "Balāš". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 6. pp. 574–580.
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2007a). "Religious iconography on ancient Iranian coins". Journal of Late Antiquity. London: 413–434.
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2007b), "The Iranian Revival in the Parthian Period", in Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh and Sarah Stewart (ed.), The Age of the Parthians: The Ideas of Iran, vol. 2, London & New York: I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., in association with the London Middle East Institute at SOAS and the British Museum, pp. 7–25, ISBN 978-1-84511-406-0.
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2012). "Parthian coins: Kingship and Divine Glory". The Parthian Empire and its Religions. Computus Druck Satz & Verlag. pp. 67–83. ISBN 9783940598134.
- Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2016). "Ancient Iranian Motifs and Zoroastrian Iconography". In Williams, Markus; Stewart, Sarah; Hintze, Almut (eds.). The Zoroastrian Flame Exploring Religion, History and Tradition. I.B. Tauris. pp. 179–203. ISBN 9780857728159.
- Dąbrowa, Edward (2007). "The Parthian Kingship". History of the Ancient Near East / Monographs. XI: 123–134.
- Dąbrowa, Edward (2010). "The Arsacids and their State". XI: 21–52.
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(help) - Dąbrowa, Edward (2012). "The Arsacid Empire". In ISBN 978-0-19-987575-7.
- Dąbrowa, Edward (2013). "The Parthian Aristocracy: its Social Position and Political Activity". Parthica. 15: 53–62.
- Dąbrowa, Edward (2017). "Tacitus on the Parthians": 171–189.
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(help) - Dąbrowa, Edward (2018). "Arsacid Dynastic Marriages" (PDF). Electrum. 25: 73–83. .
- Garthwaite, Gene Ralph (2005), The Persians, Oxford & Carlton: Blackwell Publishing, Ltd., ISBN 978-1-55786-860-2
- Gregoratti, Leonardo (2014). "The Parthian Empire: Romans, Jews, Nomads, and Chinese on the Silk Road". Journal of Late Antiquity. London: 43–70.
- Gregoratti, Leonardo (2017). "The Arsacid Empire". In Daryaee, Touraj (ed.). King of the Seven Climes: A History of the Ancient Iranian World (3000 BCE - 651 CE). UCI Jordan Center for Persian Studies. pp. 1–236. ISBN 9780692864401.
- Gregoratti, Leonardo (2018). "Vologases I". In Bagnall, Roger (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Ancient History. Leiden: John Wiley & Sons.
- Kia, Mehrdad (2016). The Persian Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1610693912.
- Marciak, Michał (2017). Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene: Three Regna Minora of Northern Mesopotamia Between East and West. BRILL. ISBN 9789004350724.
- Olbrycht, Marek Jan (1997). "Parthian King's tiara - Numismatic evidence and some aspects of Arsacid political ideology". Notae Numismaticae. 2: 27–61.
- Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2013). "Vologases I and Pakoros II in Parthia". 7: 280–286.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2015). "Arsacid Iran and the nomads of Central Asia – Ways of cultural transfer". Complexity of Interaction along the Eurasian Steppe Zone in the First Millenium CE. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology. Vol. 7. Bonn. pp. 333–390.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2016). "Dynastic Connections in the Arsacid Empire and the Origins of the House of Sāsān". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth J.; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Oxbow Books. ISBN 9781785702082.
- ISBN 978-0199733309.
- Schmitt, Rüdiger (2005). "Personal Names, Iranian iv. Parthian Period". Encyclopaedia Iranica.
- Schlumberger, Daniel (1983), "Parthian Art", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London & New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1027–1054, ISBN 978-0-521-20092-9.
- Schippmann, K. (1987). "Azerbaijan iii. Pre-Islamic History". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 2. pp. 221–224.
- Shayegan, M. Rahim (2011). Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–539. ISBN 9780521766418.
Further reading
- Gregoratti, Leonardo (2015). "A Tale of Two Great Kings: Artabanus and Vologaeses". In Krasnowolska, A. (ed.). Studies on the Iranian World: Before Islam: Medieval and Modern, Vol. 1. Kraków: Jagiellonian University Press. pp. 203–210.