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Home / Periods / Ancient World / Arsacid Parthian Empire

Period

Arsacid Parthian Empire

247 BCE–224 CE

The Arsacid dynasty created a durable Iranian empire that linked Mesopotamia, the Iranian plateau and the trade routes leading toward Central Asia. Royal authority depended on powerful noble houses, regional kings and mobile cavalry armies.

Parthian warfare became famous for horse archers and heavily armoured cavalry. The empire repeatedly fought Rome over Armenia, Syria and control of the Euphrates frontier while also facing dynastic disputes and pressure from steppe peoples in the east and north.

The first century BCE was especially turbulent, combining civil conflict, Roman invasions, the victory at Carrhae and prolonged negotiation between Arsacid kings and the rulers of the late Roman Republic and Augustan state.

Related people for Arsacid Parthian Empire

Phraates IV of Parthiadied 2 BCE Spartacus104 BCE–72 BCE Surena85 BCE–53 BCE

Series

Series about Arsacid Parthian Empire (1 series)

Parthian Chronicles in Order

by Peter Darman 16 books 4.5(22,678)

The Parthian Chronicles follow Pacorus, a fictional Parthian prince whose life stretches across the violent politics of the first century BCE. The opening novel places him beside Spartacus during the Third Servile War; later volumes return him to Mesopotamia, where he becomes ruler of Dura and is drawn…