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DOI Artikel:Olbrycht, Marek Jan: Parthian king's tiara: Numismatic evidence and some aspects of Arsacid political ideology
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21229#0029
TOM II_
KRAKÓW 1997
NOTAE MMISMATICAE
ZAPISKI NUMIZMATYCZNE
MAREK J. OLBRYCHT
Nowy Sącz
PARTHIAN KING’S TIARA - NUMISMATIC
EVIDENCE AND SOME ASPECTS OF ARSACID
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY1
INTRODUCTION
Written records relating to the Arsacid period in Iran (approx. 240 BC
to 226 AD)2 being relatively few, it is exceedingly important for any know-
ledge about that time to study the iconography of extant Parthian coinage.
The coins of the Arsacids (as well as of their vassals) constitute an impor-
tant source of knowledge on the Parthian empire which is all the more
1 I am grateful to Prof. E. Dąbrowa, Prof. M. Mielczarek, and Mr. J. Bodzek, M.A., for
their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. None are responsible for nor necessarily
agree with what is presented here. My thanks are also due to the Numismatic Cabinet at the
National Museum in Cracow, and especially to Mrs. B. Haczewska and Mr. J. Bodzek, for
allowing me access to Parthian coins for the purpose of the present publication. The pre-
sent paper was for the most part complete by 1993. Some later literature is also considered.
2 Sources for Arsacid period in Iran are analyzed by: J. Wolski, L’Empire des Arsacides,
Lovanii 1993 (= Acta Iranica XXXII), pp. 9ff.; J. Wiesehöfer, Das antike Persien. Von 550 v.
Che bis 650 n. Chr, München-Zürich 1994, pp. 163ff., 360ff.
27
KRAKÓW 1997
NOTAE MMISMATICAE
ZAPISKI NUMIZMATYCZNE
MAREK J. OLBRYCHT
Nowy Sącz
PARTHIAN KING’S TIARA - NUMISMATIC
EVIDENCE AND SOME ASPECTS OF ARSACID
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY1
INTRODUCTION
Written records relating to the Arsacid period in Iran (approx. 240 BC
to 226 AD)2 being relatively few, it is exceedingly important for any know-
ledge about that time to study the iconography of extant Parthian coinage.
The coins of the Arsacids (as well as of their vassals) constitute an impor-
tant source of knowledge on the Parthian empire which is all the more
1 I am grateful to Prof. E. Dąbrowa, Prof. M. Mielczarek, and Mr. J. Bodzek, M.A., for
their comments on earlier drafts of this paper. None are responsible for nor necessarily
agree with what is presented here. My thanks are also due to the Numismatic Cabinet at the
National Museum in Cracow, and especially to Mrs. B. Haczewska and Mr. J. Bodzek, for
allowing me access to Parthian coins for the purpose of the present publication. The pre-
sent paper was for the most part complete by 1993. Some later literature is also considered.
2 Sources for Arsacid period in Iran are analyzed by: J. Wolski, L’Empire des Arsacides,
Lovanii 1993 (= Acta Iranica XXXII), pp. 9ff.; J. Wiesehöfer, Das antike Persien. Von 550 v.
Che bis 650 n. Chr, München-Zürich 1994, pp. 163ff., 360ff.
27