Parthamaspates of Parthia

Parthamaspates was a Parthian prince who ruled as a Roman client king in Mesopotamia, and later of Osroene during the early second century AD. He was the son of the Parthian emperor Osroes I.[1]

Coin of Parthamaspates.

Biography

After spending much of his life in Roman exile, he accompanied the emperor Trajan on the latter's campaign to conquer Parthia. Trajan originally planned to annex Ctesiphon as part of the Roman Empire, but ultimately decided instead to place Parthamaspates on his father's throne as a Roman client, doing so in 116.[2] Trajan effectively crowned Parthamaspates as a king of Parthia.[3]

Following Roman withdrawal from the area, Osroes easily defeated Parthamaspates and reclaimed the Parthian throne.[1]

After his defeat in Parthia, Parthamaspates again fled to the Romans who then, as a consolation, granted him the co-rule of Osroene, a small Roman client state between Asia Minor and Syria. He was king of Osroene together with Yalur from 118 to 122, and afterwards sole ruler to 123.[1]

A coin of Antoninus Pius showing a subdued Parthia (PAR-TH-IA on the reverse) handing the crown to him, an empty claim that Parthia was still subject to Rome after the events surrounding Parthamaspates.[4]

From his territory of Osroene, he is known to have traded with the Kushan Empire, goods being sent by sea and through the Indus River.[1]

Long after the failure of Parthamaspates, Rome still claimed to have control of Parthian land, as shown in a coin of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) with the image of a subdued "Parthia" offering the crown to him.[5]

References

Ellerbrock, Uwe (2021). The Parthians: The Forgotten Empire. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-000-35848-3.
Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.
Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.
Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.
Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

Sources

(in French) Clément Huart & Louis Delaporte, L'Iran antique : Élam et Perse et la civilisation iranienne, Albin Michel, coll. « L'Évolution de l'Humanité », Paris, 1943, p. 327.
Toumanoff, Cyril (1986). "Arsacids". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 5. Cyril Toumanoff. pp. 525–546.

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[UE61-1] Ellerbrock, Uwe (2021). The Parthians: The Forgotten Empire. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-000-35848-3.

[JMS165-2] Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

[3] Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

[4] Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

[5] Schlude, Jason M. Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

[6] Rulers with names in italics are considered fictional.

[7] Hallo, W.; Simpson, W. (1971). The Ancient Near East. New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. pp. 48–49.

[8] "Rulers of Mesopotamia". cdli.ox.ac.uk. University of Oxford, CNRS.

[9] Thomas, Ariane; Potts, Timothy (2020). Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins. Getty Publications. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-60606-649-2.

[10] Roux, Georges (1992). Ancient Iraq. Penguin Books Limited. pp. 532–534 (Chronological Tables). ISBN 978-0-14-193825-7.

[SKL-11] Per Sumerian King List

[12] Unger, Merrill F. (2014). Israel and the Aramaeans of Damascus: A Study in Archaeological Illumination of Bible History. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-62564-606-4.