Arsacids (Parthians)
Vonones II
ونن دوم
- Reign
- 51 CE (a few months)
- Dynasty
- Arsacids (Parthians)
- Persian page
- فارسی
Featured dossier
Vonones II: the king of a few months, father of Vologases
The ruler of Media Atropatene, called to the throne after Gotarzes II died, who died himself a few months later. Tacitus says he “was memorable neither for his good nor bad fortune”. His main legacy is that he was the father of Vologases I, one of the longest-reigning Parthian kings.
- year of reign
- <1
- sons who became kings: Vologases, Tiridates, Pacorus
- 3
Map: Media and Ctesiphon
Administration & economybefore 51 CE1 of 2
Ruler of Media
Tacitus says Vonones, “who then ruled the Medes”, was summoned to the throne. Iranica (Schippmann) calls him a brother of Artabanus II and “king of Armenia”.
Certainty: DisputedMost scholars make him king of Media Atropatene. Boyce calls him “presumed to be” Gotarzes’ son. His relation to Artabanus and Gotarzes is unclear.
Sources: Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church & W. J. Brodribb, 1876 · K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica, 1986, updated 2016 · M. Boyce, Encyclopaedia Iranica, 2001, updated 2014
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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
The king Tacitus shrugged off
All the literary sources say about Vonones II is in one sentence of Tacitus: he was summoned to the throne after Gotarzes died, had a short and inglorious reign, and his son Vologases succeeded him. A coin from Ecbatana is attributed to him.
He was memorable neither for his good nor bad fortune; he completed a short and inglorious reign, and then the empire of Parthia passed to his son Vologeses.
Tacitus calls Vologases the son of Vonones and a “Greek concubine”, and says he became king when his brothers stood aside. So Vonones had at least three sons who all became kings: Vologases in Parthia, Tiridates in Armenia and Pacorus in Media Atropatene.
Vonones’ short, quiet reign after years of civil war may itself have been an achievement: a succession without bloodshed, rare in Parthian history.
Sources: Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church & W. J. Brodribb · K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica · M. Boyce, Encyclopaedia Iranica
Synthesis
Vonones II is one of the least known Arsacid kings. His importance is the bridge he made between the turmoil after Artabanus II and the long reign of Vologases I.
Bibliography
- Tacitus, tr. A. J. Church & W. J. Brodribb, Annals 6.31–44, 11.8–10, 12.10–14, 12.44–51, 13.6–9, 13.34–41, 14.23–26, 15.1–31 (1876). https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Annals_(Tacitus)The fullest account of Parthia in the first century CE; a Roman view from the capital, with harsh moral judgements on “barbarians”.
- K. Schippmann, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Arsacids ii. The Arsacid dynasty (1986, updated 2016). https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-ii/
- M. Boyce, Encyclopaedia Iranica, Gōdarz i. Historical figures (2001, updated 2014). https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/godarz/godarz-i-historical-figures/
- 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.
Gotarzes II, his predecessorVologases I, his sonThe Arsacid dynasty