DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45399#0014
4
NUMISMATA ORIENTALIA.
years, leaving his half-formed kingdom to his brother Tiridates.1 His capital was the Greek
city of Hecatompylns.
Tiridates was the real founder of the Parthian power. His first exploit was the conquest
of Hyrcania, which lies to the west of Parthia proper. But he had soon to undergo that
test of invasion by which the vitality of all new states is tried. Seleucus Callinicus of Syria
prepared in 246 a great eastern expedition against Parthia and Bactria. As always happened
in the Syrian expeditions against Parthia, he was at first successful in the field. He forced
Tiridates to ssy to the territory of the Aspiacae, a Scythian tribe. But he seems to have been
less fortunate in a second encounter, when he suffered a great defeat—a defeat which the
Parthian nation thenceforward considered as its “baptism of blood” and initiation into liberty,
and himself became a prisoner in Parthia. Our testimony for this captivity is not strong,3
but it is confirmed by the fact that Polybius terms Callinicus £ Pogon/ the bearded; and there
is iu the British Museum a tetradrachm representing him as wearing a long beard, a custom
adopted only by those Kings of Syria who were captives in Parthia. In any case Seleucus
soon returned to spend the rest of his reign in contests with his brother Antiochus Hierax,
and Tiridates was left in security to mould his new kingdom. He built a fresh capital, Dara,4
and is said to have reigned for as much as thirty-seven years.5
It must, nevertheless, be observed that the name and exploits of this King rest only on the
authority of Syncellus, who, however, seems to be following Arrian. Other writers, Moses of
Choren, Strabo, Justin himself, confuse the first and second Kings of Parthia under the one
name Arsaces, and suppose the revolted founder of the monarchy to have defeated Callinicus
and rissed for many years afterwards. The confusion probably arises from the fact that every
King os Parthia bore, besides his particular name, the general one of Arsaces, just as the Kings
of Egypt bore the name Ptolemseus, and the Emperors of Rome the name Caesar. Most of
the Parthian Kings are usually spoken of by writers as Arsaces or “the Parthian,” and it can
scarcely be wondered that this fact has led to some of them being confused together or
entirely overlooked. It is probable that Tiridates was the first to adopt the designation “Great
King,” while the title “ King of Kings ” was not assumed until after the victories of Mithra-
dates I. Both these titles have a historic meaning. They show that the Arsacidse claimed
to succeed to that lordship which the successors of Cyrus had enjoyed, and to be the legitimate
inheritors of the traditions os the great Asiatic monarchies. But the terms have also a simple
and descriptive application. The Arsacid was in fact, not in word only, the master of a
number of under-kings or satraps, each os whom was almost supreme in his own territory, and
as compared with these little rulers, he might well be termed Great.
Tiridates was succeeded by his son, whom Justin calls Arsaces only, but who is named in
the epitome of Trogus Pompeius, Artabanus. This monarch was called upon to contend with
an even more dangerous antagonist than Callinicus, Antiochus the Great of Syria, at a time
Syncellus, Chron. p. 284. 2 Strabo, xi. 8, 8. 3 Posidonius ap. Atben. Deipn. iv. p. 153a. 4 Justin, xli. 5. 5 Syncellus, 284b.
NUMISMATA ORIENTALIA.
years, leaving his half-formed kingdom to his brother Tiridates.1 His capital was the Greek
city of Hecatompylns.
Tiridates was the real founder of the Parthian power. His first exploit was the conquest
of Hyrcania, which lies to the west of Parthia proper. But he had soon to undergo that
test of invasion by which the vitality of all new states is tried. Seleucus Callinicus of Syria
prepared in 246 a great eastern expedition against Parthia and Bactria. As always happened
in the Syrian expeditions against Parthia, he was at first successful in the field. He forced
Tiridates to ssy to the territory of the Aspiacae, a Scythian tribe. But he seems to have been
less fortunate in a second encounter, when he suffered a great defeat—a defeat which the
Parthian nation thenceforward considered as its “baptism of blood” and initiation into liberty,
and himself became a prisoner in Parthia. Our testimony for this captivity is not strong,3
but it is confirmed by the fact that Polybius terms Callinicus £ Pogon/ the bearded; and there
is iu the British Museum a tetradrachm representing him as wearing a long beard, a custom
adopted only by those Kings of Syria who were captives in Parthia. In any case Seleucus
soon returned to spend the rest of his reign in contests with his brother Antiochus Hierax,
and Tiridates was left in security to mould his new kingdom. He built a fresh capital, Dara,4
and is said to have reigned for as much as thirty-seven years.5
It must, nevertheless, be observed that the name and exploits of this King rest only on the
authority of Syncellus, who, however, seems to be following Arrian. Other writers, Moses of
Choren, Strabo, Justin himself, confuse the first and second Kings of Parthia under the one
name Arsaces, and suppose the revolted founder of the monarchy to have defeated Callinicus
and rissed for many years afterwards. The confusion probably arises from the fact that every
King os Parthia bore, besides his particular name, the general one of Arsaces, just as the Kings
of Egypt bore the name Ptolemseus, and the Emperors of Rome the name Caesar. Most of
the Parthian Kings are usually spoken of by writers as Arsaces or “the Parthian,” and it can
scarcely be wondered that this fact has led to some of them being confused together or
entirely overlooked. It is probable that Tiridates was the first to adopt the designation “Great
King,” while the title “ King of Kings ” was not assumed until after the victories of Mithra-
dates I. Both these titles have a historic meaning. They show that the Arsacidse claimed
to succeed to that lordship which the successors of Cyrus had enjoyed, and to be the legitimate
inheritors of the traditions os the great Asiatic monarchies. But the terms have also a simple
and descriptive application. The Arsacid was in fact, not in word only, the master of a
number of under-kings or satraps, each os whom was almost supreme in his own territory, and
as compared with these little rulers, he might well be termed Great.
Tiridates was succeeded by his son, whom Justin calls Arsaces only, but who is named in
the epitome of Trogus Pompeius, Artabanus. This monarch was called upon to contend with
an even more dangerous antagonist than Callinicus, Antiochus the Great of Syria, at a time
Syncellus, Chron. p. 284. 2 Strabo, xi. 8, 8. 3 Posidonius ap. Atben. Deipn. iv. p. 153a. 4 Justin, xli. 5. 5 Syncellus, 284b.