PARTHIAN

After Parthia successfully separated itself from the Seleucid Empire [i] , it slowly expanded until its lands stretched across Mesopotamia. Its Royal Road [ii] that connected the East to the West solidified its position in international trade. The Parthians also established themselves as a veritable power in their day by staving off the Roman encroachment for some time. The Parthians usually avoided taking overly offensive stances, but that did not stop others from doing the same. During its decline, the Parthian Empire suffered numerous [iii] intrusions by Rome under Trajan and Septimius Severus [iv]. Foreign intrusions wore away at the empire until the Sassanids overthrew Parthia [v].

Mesopotamia [vi] became home to many empires throughout the centuries. The Parthians followed the Seleucid Empire, its first enemy, in ruling over the region. In many ways, the Parthian Empire left Mesopotamia relatively unchanged compared to their predecessor, as they maintained most of their inherited infrastructure [vii]. During its zenith, the Parthians had to stave of Roman advances over the region, with the exception of a two century long relative peace following a peace treaty between Emperor Augustus and King Phraates IV. The Parthian Empire was ultimately brought to an end by the next empire that would rule over Mesopotamia’s land, the Sassanids [viii].

One of the most enduring influences of the Parthian Empire is the modern words in Armenia and Iran that can be traced back to the Arsacid period. Although no Parthian literature survived that dates back to prior to the Sassanid period, the oral history tradition of minstrel peats kept the history of the Parthian Empire alive. The Parthian word for minstrel, gosan, survives in many Iranian languages as well as in Armenian. Linguistic borrowings [ix] between what is now modern-day Iran and Armenia have a long history, yet under the Arsacid period, the number of loanwords from Parthian reached the highest level.

The Parthian Empire was a monarchy with a feudal decentralized structure [x]. While kings ruled the entire empire, they divided the provinces into eparchies [xi]. These eparchies were smaller than the satrapies the Seleucids had in order to avoid potential uprisings like the one that created the Parthian Empire. The Parthian aristocracy used many of the social institutions, structures and organizations established by the Seleucid Empire whilst adding some adaptations of its own [xii]. Much like its Roman counterpart, the Parthian empire tolerated vassal kingdoms [xiii] and left many settlements, and their governing systems intact, as long as they paid tribute to the Parthian King.

The semi-nomadic Parni settled in what is now northeastern Iran and built a small kingdom. It was first a vassal to the Achaemenid Empire [xiv]. Parthia would then go on to become a satrapy for the Seleucid Empire. After its independence from the Seleucids under Arsaces I, founder of the Arsacid Dynasty, Parthia would go on to become the most enduring empire of the ancient near east. Throughout its history, Parthia showed itself to be adept in adopting [xv] the techniques, policies and infrastructures of its predecessor and competitors in order to create unique architectural design [xvi], innovative military tactics and vast trade networks.

Although the Parthians were known for having borrowed from many cultures before or around them, they also used a complex combination of styles to create a distinctly heterogenous Parthian culture and style [xvii]. This distinct style is most widely recognized by anthropologists and historians in Parthian architecture, art, and fighting style. Parthian architecture [xviii] was an amalgam of the east and west that incorporated Hellenistic characteristics from Seleucid architecture and contemporary Greek and Roman styles. Besides architecture and culture, Parthians were also renowned for their military tactics [xix], in particular the “Parthian Shot” [xx] technique and hit and run fighting style used by their cavalries.

The Parthian’s geographic position [xxi] played a significant role in its economic prowess. The empire’s position between China and the Mediterranean basin contributed to its status as an important center for commerce with the Royal Road running east and west across Mesopotamia. At their height, the Parthians controlled most of the trade routes connecting Asia with the Greco-Roman world [xxii]. By taking over numerous cities on the Persian Gulf, the Parthian Empire gained access to the Indian market. After taking over the Seleucid Empire, the Parthians preserved the already existing infrastructure, which they tactfully used to build their standing in trade and commerce.