Meredates
Meredates was a king of Charakene who ruled about 131–150 / 151.
In 1984 a bronze statue of Heracles was found in Seleucia on the Tigris , with an inscription in two languages ( Greek and Parthian ) on the thighs . The inscription reports that in 151 the Parthian king Vologaeses IV fought against Meredates and expelled him as king from the Charakene . The statue itself was brought from the Charakene and placed in the Temple of Apollo at Seleukia on the Tigris . From this inscription it can be concluded that the Charakene was independent for a time, but was then subjugated again by the Parthians . Meredates is also known from some coins and from an inscription found in Palmyra (see Yarhai ). He was the son of the Parthian king Pakoros . His coin images clearly show Parthian influence, which is in line with his origins from the Parthian royal house. The coin legends are: Meredates, son of Phokoros, King of Kings, King of Omani . The Omani are an Arab people ruled by the Charakene. The assignment of the coinage of the Meredates as character has been questioned because of their different style.
literature
- Monika Schuol : The characters. A Mesopotamian kingdom in the Hellenistic-Parthian period (= Oriens et Occidens. Volume 1). At the same time dissertation University of Cologne, 1998. Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-515-07709-X .
- Josef Wiesehöfer : Ancient Persia. From 550 BC BC to AD 650 (= Albatros in the Patmos publishing house ). Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-491-96151-3 , pp. 169-170, panel XVIb, c.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Meredates |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | King of Charakene |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1st century or 2nd century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd century |