A report on Parthian Empire, Achaemenid Empire and Artaxerxes II

The Parthian Empire in 94 BC at its greatest extent, during the reign of Mithridates II ((r. 124 – 91))

Relief of Artaxerxes II on his tomb at Persepolis, Iran

The silver drachma of Arsaces I (r. c. 247–211 BC) with the Greek language inscription ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ "of Arsaces"

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest territorial extent under the rule of Darius I (522 BC–486 BC)

Retreat of the Ten Thousand, at the Battle of Cunaxa, Jean Adrien Guignet

Parthia, shaded yellow, alongside the Seleucid Empire (blue) and the Roman Republic (purple) around 200 BC

Armoured cavalry of Achaemenid Hellespontine Phrygia attacking a Greek psiloi at the time of Artaxerxes II and his Satrap Pharnabazus II, Altıkulaç Sarcophagus, early fourth century BC

Drachma of Mithridates I, showing him wearing a beard and a royal diadem on his head. Reverse side: Heracles/Verethragna, holding a club in his left hand and a cup in his right hand; Greek inscription reading ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΕΓΑΛΟΥ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ "of the Great King Arsaces the Philhellene"

The King's Peace, promulgated by Artaxerxes II in 387 BC, put an end to the Corinthian War under the guarantee of the Achaemenid Empire.

Drachma of Mithridates II (r. c. 124–91 BC). Reverse side: seated archer carrying a bow; inscription reading "of the King of Kings Arsaces the Renowned/Manifest Philhellene."

Map of the expansion process of Achaemenid territories

Achaemenid campaign of Pharnabazus II against Egypt in 373 BC.

Han dynasty Chinese silk from Mawangdui, 2nd century BC, silk from China was perhaps the most lucrative luxury item the Parthians traded at the western end of the Silk Road.

Cyrus the Great is said, in the Bible, to have liberated the Hebrew captives in Babylon to resettle and rebuild Jerusalem, earning him an honored place in Judaism.

Bronze statue of a Parthian nobleman from the sanctuary at Shami in Elymais (modern-day Khūzestān Province, Iran, along the Persian Gulf), now located at the National Museum of Iran. Dated 50 BC-150 AD, Parthian School.

The tomb of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire. At Pasargadae, Iran.

Ethnicities of the soldiers of the Empire, on the tomb of Artaxerxes II. On the lintel over each figure appears a trilingual inscription describing each ethnicity. These are known collectively as "Inscription A2Pa".

A Roman marble head of the triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus, who was defeated at Carrhae by Surena

The Achaemenid Empire at its greatest extent, c. 500 BC

Roman aurei bearing the portraits of Mark Antony (left) and Octavian (right), issued in 41 BC to celebrate the establishment of the Second Triumvirate by Octavian, Antony and Marcus Lepidus in 43 BC

The Persian queen Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, sister-wife of Cambyses II, Darius the Great's wife, and mother of Xerxes the Great

Upper Relief of the tomb of Artaxerxes II.

Drachma of Phraates IV (r. c. 38–2 BC). Inscription reading ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΝ ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΦΑΝΟΥΣ ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ "of the King of Kings Arsaces the Renowned/Manifest Benefactor Philhellene"

Map showing events of the first phases of the Greco-Persian Wars

Soldiers of many ethnicities on the upper relief

A close-up view of the breastplate on the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta, showing a Parthian man returning to Augustus the legionary standards lost by Marcus Licinius Crassus at Carrhae

Greek hoplite and Persian warrior depicted fighting, on an ancient kylix, 5th century BC

A denarius struck in 19 BC during the reign of Augustus, with the goddess Feronia depicted on the obverse, and on the reverse a Parthian man kneeling in submission while offering the Roman military standards taken at the Battle of Carrhae

Achaemenid king fighting hoplites, seal and seal holder, Cimmerian Bosporus.

Map of the troop movements during the first two years of the Roman–Parthian War of 58–63 AD over the Kingdom of Armenia, detailing the Roman offensive into Armenia and capture of the country by Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo

Achaemenid gold ornaments, Brooklyn Museum

Parthian king making an offering to god Herakles-Verethragna. Masdjid-e Suleiman, Iran. 2nd–3rd century AD. Louvre Museum Sb 7302.

Persian Empire timeline including important events and territorial evolution – 550–323 BC

Rock relief of Parthian king at Behistun, most likely Vologases III (r. c. 110–147 AD)

Relief showing Darius I offering lettuces to the Egyptian deity Amun-Ra Kamutef, Temple of Hibis

A Parthian (right) wearing a Phrygian cap, depicted as a prisoner of war in chains held by a Roman (left); Arch of Septimius Severus, Rome, 203 AD

The 24 countries subject to the Achaemenid Empire at the time of Darius, on the Egyptian statue of Darius I.

A Sarmatian-Parthian gold necklace and amulet, 2nd century AD. Located in Tamoikin Art Fund

The Battle of Issus, between Alexander the Great on horseback to the left, and Darius III in the chariot to the right, represented in a Pompeii mosaic dated 1st century BC – Naples National Archaeological Museum

Parthian golden necklace, 2nd century AD, Iran, Reza Abbasi Museum

Alexander's first victory over Darius, the Persian king depicted in medieval European style in the 15th century romance The History of Alexander's Battles

A Parthian ceramic oil lamp, Khūzestān Province, Iran, National Museum of Iran

Frataraka dynasty ruler Vadfradad I (Autophradates I). 3rd century BC. Istakhr (Persepolis) mint.

Coin of Kamnaskires III, king of Elymais (modern Khūzestān Province), and his wife Queen Anzaze, 1st century BC

Dārēv I (Darios I) used for the first time the title of mlk (King). 2nd century BC.

A statue of a young Palmyran in fine Parthian trousers, from a funerary stele at Palmyra, early 3rd century AD

Winged sphinx from the Palace of Darius in Susa, Louvre

Coin of Mithridates II of Parthia. The clothing is Parthian, while the style is Hellenistic (sitting on an omphalos). The Greek inscription reads "King Arsaces, the philhellene"

A ceramic Parthian water spout in the shape of a man's head, dated 1st or 2nd century AD

Volume of annual tribute per district, in the Achaemenid Empire, according to Herodotus.

Parthian votive relief from Khūzestān Province, Iran, 2nd century AD

Achaemenid tax collector, calculating on an Abax or Abacus, according to the Darius Vase (340–320 BC).

A barrel vaulted iwan at the entrance at the ancient site of Hatra, modern-day Iraq, built c. 50 AD

Letter from the Satrap of Bactria to the governor of Khulmi, concerning camel keepers, 353 BC

The Parthian Temple of Charyios in Uruk.

Relief of throne-bearing soldiers in their native clothing at the tomb of Xerxes I, demonstrating the satrapies under his rule.

A wall mural depicting a scene from the Book of Esther at the Dura-Europos synagogue, dated 245 AD, which Curtis and Schlumberger describe as a fine example of 'Parthian frontality'

Achaemenid king killing a Greek hoplite. c. 500 BC–475 BC, at the time of Xerxes I. Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A sculpted head (broken off from a larger statue) of a Parthian soldier wearing a Hellenistic-style helmet, from the Parthian royal residence and necropolis of Nisa, Turkmenistan, 2nd century BC

Persian soldiers (left) fighting against Scythians. Cylinder seal impression.

Parthian long-necked lute, c. 3 BC – 3 AD

Color reconstruction of Achaemenid infantry on the Alexander Sarcophagus (end of 4th century BC).

Royal Parthian objects at the Persia exhibition, Getty Museum

Seal of Darius the Great hunting in a chariot, reading "I am Darius, the Great King" in Old Persian (𐎠𐎭𐎶𐏐𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁𐎴 𐏋, "adam Dārayavaʰuš xšāyaθiya"), as well as in Elamite and Babylonian. The word "great" only appears in Babylonian. British Museum.

Achaemenid calvalryman in the satrapy of Hellespontine Phrygia, Altıkulaç Sarcophagus, early 4th century BC.

Armoured cavalry: Achaemenid Dynast of Hellespontine Phrygia attacking a Greek psiloi, Altıkulaç Sarcophagus, early 4th century BC.

Reconstitution of Persian landing ships at the Battle of Marathon.

Greek ships against Achaemenid ships at the Battle of Salamis.

Iconic relief of lion and bull fighting, Apadana of Persepolis

Achaemenid golden bowl with lioness imagery of Mazandaran

A section of the Old Persian part of the trilingual Behistun inscription. Other versions are in Babylonian and Elamite.

A copy of the Behistun inscription in Aramaic on a papyrus. Aramaic was the lingua franca of the empire.

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven wonders of the ancient world, was built by Greek architects for the local Persian satrap of Caria, Mausolus (Scale model)

Reconstruction of the Palace of Darius at Susa. The palace served as a model for Persepolis.

Lion on a decorative panel from Darius I the Great's palace, Louvre

Apadana Hall, Persian and Median soldiers at Persepolis

Lateral view of tomb of Cambyses II, Pasargadae, Iran

Plaque with horned lion-griffins. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Arses ( 445 – 359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II ( Artaxšaçāʰ; ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 358 BC. He was the son and successor of Darius II ((r.

- Artaxerxes II

The rulers of the Parthian Empire notably considered Artaxerxes II their progenitor.

- Artaxerxes II

The Arsacid rulers were titled the "King of Kings", as a claim to be the heirs to the Achaemenid Empire; indeed, they accepted many local kings as vassals where the Achaemenids would have had centrally appointed, albeit largely autonomous, satraps.

- Parthian Empire

The Macedonian king Alexander the Great, himself an ardent admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the Achaemenid Empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the former territory of the empire fell to the rule of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire after the partition of Alexander’s empire, until the Iranian elites of the central plateau finally reclaimed power under the Parthian Empire by the 2nd century BC.

- Achaemenid Empire

A fictitious claim was later made from the 2nd-century BC onwards by the Parthians, which represented them as descendants of the Achaemenid king of kings, Artaxerxes II of Persia ((r.

- Parthian Empire

Queen Parysatis favoured Cyrus more than her eldest son Artaxerxes II.

- Achaemenid Empire

3 related topics with Alpha

Satrap

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A dignitary of Asia Minor in Achaemenid style, circa 475 BC. Karaburun tomb near Elmalı, Lycia

Coin of Themistocles, a former Athenian general, as Achaemenid Empire Satrap of Magnesia, circa 465–459 BC

Coinage of Tiribazos, Satrap of Achaemenid Lydia, 388–380 BC

Achaemenid Satrap Autophradates receiving visitors, on the Tomb of Payava, circa 380 BC

Banquet scene of a Satrap, on the "Sarcophagus of the Satrap", Sidon, 4th century BC

The satraps appointed by Alexander the Great during his campaign

Bagadates I (Minted 290–280 BC), the first indigenous satrap to be appointed by the Seleucid Empire

Coin of "Western Satrap" Nahapana, circa 120 CE

A satrap was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires.

In the Parthian (language of the Arsacid Empire) and Middle Persian (the language of the Sassanian Empire), it is recorded in the forms šahrab and šasab, respectively.

Darius I struggled with widespread rebellions in the satrapies, and under Artaxerxes II occasionally the greater parts of Asia Minor and Syria were in open rebellion (Revolt of the Satraps).

Persepolis

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As is typical of Achaemenid cities, Persepolis was built on a (partially) artificial platform.

Darius the Great, by Eugène Flandin (1840)

Aerial architectural plan of Persepolis.

Perspolis in 1920s, photo by Harold Weston

Hemidrachm from the Kingdom of Perside.Date: c. 100AC. - 100 AD.

Bust of Alexander the Great (British Museum of London).

"The Burning of Persepolis", led by Thaïs, 1890, by Georges-Antoine Rochegrosse

Ruins of the Western side of the compound at Persepolis.

Achaemenid frieze designs at Persepolis.

Reliefs of lotus flowers are frequently used on the walls and monuments at Persepolis.

Statue of a Persian Mastiff found at the Apadana, kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

Babylonian version of an inscription of Xerxes I, the "XPc inscription".

The lithograph of Shapur II in Bishapour, which is modeled on the maps of the Persepolis donors.

Sketch of Persepolis from 1704 by Cornelis de Bruijn.

Drawing of Persepolis in 1713 by Gérard Jean-Baptiste.

Drawing of the Tachara by Charles Chipiez.

A bas-relief at Persepolis, representing a symbol in Zoroastrianism for Nowruz.{{ref|a}}

A bas-relief from the Apadana depicting Delegations including Lydians and Armenians{{ref|page 39 image 21 in The Arts of Persia edited by R W Ferrier}} bringing their famous wine to the king.

Achaemenid plaque from Persepolis, kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

Objects from Persepolis kept at the National Museum, Tehran.

The Great Double Staircase at Persepolis.

Bas-relief on the staircase of the palace.

Depiction of united Medes and Persians at the Apadana, Persepolis.

Depiction of trees and lotus flowers at the Apadana, Persepolis.

Ruins of the Hall of the Hundred Columns, Persepolis.

Forgotten Empire Exhibition, the British Museum.

Persepolitan rosette rock relief, kept at the Oriental Institute.

alt=Museum display case showing Achaemenid objects.|Achaemenid objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, including a bas relief from Persepolis.

A general view of the ruins at Persepolis.

Persepolis (, Pārsa; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c.

Indeed, in his Chronology of the Ancient Nations, the native Iranian writer Biruni indicates unavailability of certain native Iranian historiographical sources in the post-Achaemenid era, especially during the Parthian Empire.

The two completed graves behind the compound at Persepolis would then belong to Artaxerxes II and Artaxerxes III.

Mithra

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Iranian deity of covenant, light, oath, justice and the sun.

Coinage of Kushan ruler Kanishka I with Miiro (Μιιρο), "Mithra". Circa 120-150 CE

Coin of Artabanus II of Parthia (c. 128–124 BC). The Hellenistic depiction on the reverse shows the king kneeling before an Apollo-like god, which is thought to be Mithra.

A marble relief of the tauroctony in later Roman Mithraism, II-III century AD

Investiture of Sassanid emperor Ardashir II (3rd century CE bas-relief at Taq-e Bostan, Iran. On the left stands the yazata Mithra with raised barsom, sanctifying the investiture.

Although there is no known Mithraic iconography in the Achaemenid period, the deity is invoked in several royal Achaemenid inscriptions:

In Artaxerxes II's (r.

The youthful Apollonian-type Mithra is found in images from other countries of Iranian culture in the Parthian period, such as Commagene in the Roman-Parthian border and the Kushan Empire on the Indo-Iranian border.