DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45399#0032
n
NUMISMATA ORIENTALIA.
came to the throne. Then he became divine, and divine beings are above all changes. This
rule, however, is not absolute. Pacorus II. is bearded on his later coins, beardless on his
earlier. But most Parthian Kings were grown men when they came to the throne, and had
probably made up their minds as to the best cut for a beard and the most becoming manner
of wearing their hair, and any slight variation in the features, such as years produce, it would
be quite beyond the power of a Parthian artist to portray.
Next to the types borne by the coins, come the inscriptions on them. Of these the most
important part by far are the dates. The copper coins of the successors os Orocles often tell
us in what year they were issued. The tetradrachms of the same princes give us still more
precise information. For on them we find recorded not the year of issue only, but also the
month. It has already been stated that the era used by the Parthians in dating is that of the
Seleucidae, which is reckoned from the 1st of October, 312 b.c. But as the length of this
year was regulated, not by the sun, but by the moon, it is impossible to say with certainty
and accuracy to what precise period the Seleucid years 20, 100, and so on belong; we can only
make the general rule that the Seleucid year 100 corresponds to parts of 213/12 b.c., and so
on with other dates. The Parthian year was divided into the twelve months, Dius, Apellseus,
Audynseus, Peritius, Dystrus, Xanthicus, Artemisius, Dsesius, Panemus, Lotus, Gorpiaeus, Hyper -
beretaeus, of which the first corresponded roughly with October, and the rest in order with
the succeeding months of our year. An intercalary month was inserted at intervals in order
to bring back the months to their proper season. This was called Embolimus.
All the Parthian Kings save Oroples and Goterzes, until we reach the time of Pacorus II.
and Vologeses III., used on their coins only the dynastic name of Arsaces. Writers say that
all the kings took this name from veneration for the founder; but it is clear that Arsaces
was only an official title like Pharaoh in Egypt, Caesar and Augustus at Pome, and Czar at
the present day in Russia. Every king had in addition a name peculiar to him, not a mere
title like Euergetes and Philadelphus, such as the Ptolemies of Egypt took, but a real name.
This they did not use on their coins perhaps because they issued coins in a purely official
capacity, nor did they always use it in their dealings with foreign nations. But towards the
end of the first century of the Christian era, the Parthian monarchy began to be split up
among rival princes, each of whom claimed to be the true representative of the Arsacid line,
and exercised the supreme power in a part of Western Asia. It was then that the custom arose
for each monarch, in addition to the name of Arsaces, to place his more particular name upon
some of his coins. I say some, because for a considerable time after the introduction of this
custom it is the tetradrachms only which display the innovation, the drachms still reproducing
in their blundered legend the dynastic title only. When this change does reach the drachms,
the name which is found on them is in every case written, not in Greek, but in Pehlvi
characters—a sign that the Greek tongue was no longer understood by the people.
The epithets and titles by which the Arsacid monarchs distinguish themselves are very
varied. Indeed, we find the key to the arrangement of the pieces of the first thirteen kings
NUMISMATA ORIENTALIA.
came to the throne. Then he became divine, and divine beings are above all changes. This
rule, however, is not absolute. Pacorus II. is bearded on his later coins, beardless on his
earlier. But most Parthian Kings were grown men when they came to the throne, and had
probably made up their minds as to the best cut for a beard and the most becoming manner
of wearing their hair, and any slight variation in the features, such as years produce, it would
be quite beyond the power of a Parthian artist to portray.
Next to the types borne by the coins, come the inscriptions on them. Of these the most
important part by far are the dates. The copper coins of the successors os Orocles often tell
us in what year they were issued. The tetradrachms of the same princes give us still more
precise information. For on them we find recorded not the year of issue only, but also the
month. It has already been stated that the era used by the Parthians in dating is that of the
Seleucidae, which is reckoned from the 1st of October, 312 b.c. But as the length of this
year was regulated, not by the sun, but by the moon, it is impossible to say with certainty
and accuracy to what precise period the Seleucid years 20, 100, and so on belong; we can only
make the general rule that the Seleucid year 100 corresponds to parts of 213/12 b.c., and so
on with other dates. The Parthian year was divided into the twelve months, Dius, Apellseus,
Audynseus, Peritius, Dystrus, Xanthicus, Artemisius, Dsesius, Panemus, Lotus, Gorpiaeus, Hyper -
beretaeus, of which the first corresponded roughly with October, and the rest in order with
the succeeding months of our year. An intercalary month was inserted at intervals in order
to bring back the months to their proper season. This was called Embolimus.
All the Parthian Kings save Oroples and Goterzes, until we reach the time of Pacorus II.
and Vologeses III., used on their coins only the dynastic name of Arsaces. Writers say that
all the kings took this name from veneration for the founder; but it is clear that Arsaces
was only an official title like Pharaoh in Egypt, Caesar and Augustus at Pome, and Czar at
the present day in Russia. Every king had in addition a name peculiar to him, not a mere
title like Euergetes and Philadelphus, such as the Ptolemies of Egypt took, but a real name.
This they did not use on their coins perhaps because they issued coins in a purely official
capacity, nor did they always use it in their dealings with foreign nations. But towards the
end of the first century of the Christian era, the Parthian monarchy began to be split up
among rival princes, each of whom claimed to be the true representative of the Arsacid line,
and exercised the supreme power in a part of Western Asia. It was then that the custom arose
for each monarch, in addition to the name of Arsaces, to place his more particular name upon
some of his coins. I say some, because for a considerable time after the introduction of this
custom it is the tetradrachms only which display the innovation, the drachms still reproducing
in their blundered legend the dynastic title only. When this change does reach the drachms,
the name which is found on them is in every case written, not in Greek, but in Pehlvi
characters—a sign that the Greek tongue was no longer understood by the people.
The epithets and titles by which the Arsacid monarchs distinguish themselves are very
varied. Indeed, we find the key to the arrangement of the pieces of the first thirteen kings