Arsacids (Parthians)
Phriapatius
فریاپت
- Reign
- c. 191–176 BCE
- Dynasty
- Arsacids (Parthians)
- Persian page
- فارسی
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Phriapatius: fifteen quiet years, and the father of three kings
The third king of Parthia according to Justin, who reigned fifteen years. Iranica says “very little is known” of him. His coins carry the Greek titles “king” and “great”, a sign that Parthia minted freely again after Rome defeated Antiochus III (190 BCE). Three of his sons, Phraates I, Mithridates I and Artabanus I, all became king.
- years of reign (Justin)
- 15
- sons who became king
- 3
Map: Parthia and Hyrcania
Administration & economyc. 191 BCE1 of 3
The third king
Justin calls him “the third king of the Parthians”. A Nisa ostracon calls Mithridates II “grandson of Friyapat, the son of the nephew of Arsaces”; so Phriapatius was not Arsaces II’s son.
Certainty: DisputedJustin does not say how he related to Arsaces II; some made him Arsaces II’s son, and older reconstructions a grandson of “Tiridates”. The Nisa ostracon rules out both.
Sources: Justin, tr. J. S. Watson, 1853 · I. M. Diakonoff, V. A. Livshits, 1976–2001 · V. Sarkhosh Curtis, 2019
BattleCampaignBuildingAdministration & economyReligionArrow keys, Home/End and Space work.
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
Years of rebuilding
Iranica treats Phriapatius and Phraates I together: “very little is known”, except that the Parthians consolidated their hold on the Caspian shore. The coins and the new title “great” are the only native evidence.
The third king of the Parthians was Priapatius; but he was also called Arsaces…
Free coinage is a mark of sovereignty: when a king mints in his own name again, he no longer pays anyone tribute.
Trustworthy money underpins a market; Parthian silver kept the Greek weight standard and stayed compatible with neighbouring markets.
Sources: K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica · D. Sellwood
Synthesis
Phriapatius is known mostly through his sons. His reign, between the defeat of 209 and the great leap under Mithridates I, was a quiet time of rebuilding and the return of free coinage.
Bibliography
- Justin, tr. J. S. Watson, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus, books 38–42 (books 40–44 online) (1853). https://www.attalus.org/translate/justin7.htmlA Roman digest of the lost history of Pompeius Trogus (1st century BCE); the most continuous account of the early Parthians, but Roman in outlook and full of “Scythian” clichés.
- K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Arsacids ii. The Arsacid dynasty (1986, updated 2016). https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-ii/
- I. M. Diakonoff, V. A. Livshits, Parthian Economic Documents from Nisa (Corpus Inscriptionum Iranicarum II/II) (1976–2001). Thousands of administrative ostraca from the wine stores of Nisa; the only native Parthian documents of the period.
- V. Sarkhosh Curtis, From Mithradat I (c. 171–138 BCE) to Mithradat II (c. 122/1–91 BCE): the Formation of Arsacid Parthian Iconography, in Y. Moradi (ed.), Afarin Nameh, pp. 25–31 (2019). Used for the coinage, the titles and Mithridates II’s parentage.
- 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.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; licence and author were checked on each file page.
Arsaces IIPhraates I, his sonMithridates I, his sonArtabanus I, his sonThe Arsacid dynasty