Arsacids (Parthians)
Osroes I
خسرو یکم اشکانی
- Reign
- c. 109–129 CE
- Dynasty
- Arsacids (Parthians)
- Persian page
- فارسی
Featured dossier
Osroes I: the king who lost Ctesiphon to Trajan but not Parthia
Osroes ruled a large part of Parthia while contending with Vologases (III). He installed Parthamasiris as king of Armenia, and in 114 CE Trajan marched into Armenia. Rome took Armenia and northern Mesopotamia, captured Ctesiphon in 116 CE and reached the Persian Gulf. But revolt in the conquered lands and failure before Hatra forced Trajan back. Hadrian made the Euphrates the frontier again.
- Ctesiphon taken (CE)
- 116
- frontier back on the Euphrates (CE)
- 117
Map: Trajan’s war
Administration & economyc. 109 CE1 of 6
Osroes at Seleucia
Osroes’ coins appear at Seleucia from about 109 CE. Iranica: after the internal conflicts ended, from 114 CE Osroes “probably” held the Parthian throne.
Certainty: DisputedLe Rider gave the coins of 77/78, 89/90 and 106–108 to a separate king he called “Vologases II”, so the old “Vologases II” became “Vologases III”. Iranica reports this, and all these dates are disputed.
Sources: K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica, 1986, updated 2016 · D. Sellwood, 1980
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Three separate layers
Each section has three layers: “Historical evidence” is only what the sources say; “Philosophical interpretation” is our reading by the standard of property and liberty; “Modern cultural meaning”. Quotations come only from published translations, with references.
Historical evidencePhilosophical interpretationModern cultural meaning
Dossier · 1
Trajan’s war
Iranica sums the war up like this: in 114 CE the Romans marched into Armenia and killed Parthamasiris, Osroes’ appointee. Trajan took northern Mesopotamia by the end of 115 CE and soon after Ctesiphon, and reached the Persian Gulf. Then revolt broke out in the conquered lands and the Jews rose in the Roman east, and his attempt on Hatra failed. He died in summer 117 CE.
Iranica gives three explanations of Trajan’s motive: trade (Guey), a secure frontier (Lepper), and personal glory (Cassius Dio). All three may be right. Iranica also says Trajan profited from Parthia’s internal struggles, but “ultimately his victory cost too much”.
The capital fell, but the country did not. The revolt of the conquered peoples and the resistance of a city like Hatra showed that taking land is not the same as holding it. Hadrian accepted this and peace returned, a peace that profited the trade of both sides.
Sources: K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica
Dossier · 2
Two kings in one empire
For much of Osroes’ reign, Vologases (III) was also king over part of Parthia and struck coins. Iranica says their conflict ended in Vologases’ victory after 129 CE, since Osroes’ coinage at Seleucia stops in 127/128 CE.
Perhaps this split made Trajan’s advance easy, and perhaps it also saved Parthia: with Ctesiphon taken, only half the kingdom had been beaten.
Divided power is more vulnerable, but it is also harder to bring down at a single blow.
Sources: K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica · D. Sellwood
Synthesis
Osroes I survived the greatest Roman assault on Parthia. He lost Ctesiphon, but the revolts and Hatra turned Rome back and Hadrian returned the frontier to the Euphrates. What we know of him comes mostly from coins and the Roman reports Iranica summarizes.
Bibliography
- K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Arsacids ii. The Arsacid dynasty (1986, updated 2016). https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-ii/
- D. Sellwood, An Introduction to the Coinage of Parthia, 2nd ed. (1980). The standard numbering of Parthian coins (“S”); some of its attributions have since been revised.
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