Mithridates II (Parthia)
Mithridates II ( Persian مهرداد Mit'radāta , "given by Mithras") was a Parthian king who lived from about 123 to 88 BC. Ruled. He was already called the great in ancient times . He is also the first Parthian ruler who calls himself King of Kings on his coins and thus linked to the Achaemenids . He is also referred to as Euergetes on his coins . Mithridates II is considered the most important Parthian ruler, under whom the empire reached its greatest extent.
Conquest of Mesopotamia
Mithridates II was the son of his predecessor Artabanos I , who perished fighting enemies from the east. In the west, large parts of the empire had been lost at about the same time, so that it appeared that the Parthian Empire was on the verge of collapse. Mithridates II, however, proved to be a capable king and was initially able to reincorporate Babylonia into the kingdom. Shortly before, this area had broken away from the empire with the Charakene . As a token of victory, he let coins of Hyspaosines , which, however, were already 124 BC Had died, overprint. The whole of Mesopotamia was taken by storm and the ruler reached as early as 113 BC. BC Dura Europos .
Mithridates II then attacked Armenia , which was ruled by King Artavasdes , and was able to capture Tigranes , the son of the Armenian king. This is the first time the Parthians have actively interfered in Armenian politics.
The east of the empire
In the east of the empire the problems seemed insoluble. Invading nomads, called Scythians in ancient sources , had destroyed the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and massively threatened the empire's eastern borders. Here Mithridates II was able to repel the invading nomads and incorporated the provinces of Parthia and Aria back into the empire. Sistan , which came under the direct control of the nomads, appears to have at least made him a vassal.
In 121 BC In the east, the Chinese under Han Emperor Wu Di (141–87 BC), when the western Han dynasty was at its height, defeated the Huns and expanded strongly to the west. In the Ferghana , the Chinese sphere of influence met that of the Parthian Empire. For the year 120 BC A Chinese delegation to the Parthian court under Mithridates II is attested. The explorer Zhang Qian and his entourage paved a way to the Parthian Empire in various missions, which led to brisk trade and cultural exchange between China, Central Asia and the Middle East. The Silk Road was opened and became the main route between east and west. This important trade route then exerted a lasting influence on China and all countries in Asia and Europe for centuries.
The western border of the empire
94 BC The Armenian king died and Mithridates II put his son Tigranes, who until then had lived with the Parthians, on the Armenian throne. Soon after, Mithridates II attacked Adiabene , Gordyene and Osrhoene and conquered these city-states, making the Euphrates the western border of the Parthian Empire. It was here that the Parthians met the Romans for the first time. Mithridates II sent 96 BC A certain Orobazos as ambassador to Sulla . A contract was negotiated, with Sulla apparently gaining the upper hand and placing Orobazos in such a way that he and thus the Parthians appeared as supplicants. The actual outcome of the negotiations is not known, but it can be assumed that the Euphrates was set as the border. Orobazos is said to have been executed later.
In 88 BC The Seleucid king Demetrios III besieged . in Berea his brother Philip I Philadelphus , whereupon the ruler of the city called Arabs and Parthians for help. On the Parthian side, the governor Mithridates Sinnakes hurried to Berea. The besiegers were overwhelmed, Demetrios III. captured and sent to Mithridates II. The Seleucid ruler remained in Parthian captivity for the rest of his life until he died of an illness.
Domestic politics
From 90 BC Mithridates II had to fight domestic enemies. 93 and 92/1 v. He is still recognized as ruler on documents in Babylonia. Shortly afterwards a certain Gotarzes I rose to the rank of anti-king, who in the documents of the years 91/0 to 81/0 BC. Appears as ruler in Mesopotamia. Usually the Parthian rulers are not referred to by their name in documents, but only as Arsaces . The fact that Gotarzes appears explicitly with his own name indicates internal political problems and also seems to prove that he was not the only ruler with a claim to the throne. However, the details of the events remain unclear.
There are clear indications that the Parthian Empire was restructured under Mithridates II. The last administrative texts in cuneiform were written under his rule. Babylonian style temples were replaced by more Hellenistic-Parthian style. Both may indicate that the oriental temple administration was not continued. The oldest dated documents from Nisa belong to his reign.
Representations of the ruler
The portrait of the ruler is known almost exclusively from his coinage. In principle, several types can be distinguished. He can appear with a short beard and a diadem. There are pictures that show him with a medium-length beard or with a long beard, the ruler always wearing a diadem. A completely different type of picture shows him with a tiara on his head.
In Behistun , in what is now western Iran, there is a rock relief that shows the ruler and four vassals or officials who pay their respects to him. The inscriptions are in Greek. The relief is poorly preserved today and is only known from old copies.
Remarks
- ^ A b Marcus Iunianus Iustinus 42, 2
- ↑ Strabo 11, 14, 15
- ^ Plutarch , Sulla 4.
- ↑ Flavius Josephus , Jüdische Antiquities , 13-14
- ↑ A. Kose, Uruk, Architektur IV, From the Seleucid to the Sasanid Period , Mainz am Rhein 1998, p. 415
literature
- Josef Wiesehöfer : Mithridates II, king of Parthia, 125 / 121–91 BCE. In: Oxford Classical Dictionary Online ( freely available here ).
Web links
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Artabanos I. |
King of the Parthian Empire 123–88 BC Chr. |
Gotarzes I. |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mithridates II |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | parthian king |
| DATE OF BIRTH | before 123 BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 88 BC Chr. |