Parthian Empire (jan 1, 247 BC – jan 1, 224)

Description:

The Parthian Empire is also known as the Arsacid Empire. As a result of the weakening hold the Seleucids had over Western Asia because of their two-front war, the Parthian king Mithridates I began to expand his control. The Parthians quickly took control of the Seleucids land. Soon after, the Chinese Emperor Han and Mithridates founded the Silk Road to transport Chinese goods to the Mediterranean. Unlike the Seleucids, the early Arsacids remained neutral in the wars involving Rome. Eventually though, the Arsacids and the Romans faced one another in battle. Then the Arsacids invaded Rome several times in order to expand their territory. The empire became internally unstable eventually weakening it enough that it was overcome by Rome and by the rise of the Sassanid dynasty from within.

The Parthian Empire followed a similar structure of leadership to the Persian Empires before it. It was decentralized and depended on the satrapies and internal spies to run.

Archeologically, the Arsacids didn't leave many marks of their empire. There was a notable evolution, however, in burial sites to be located at ground level rather than high up on cliff sides. As a result, the carvings were intended to be legible rather than solely a grand symbol of power. This change perhaps marks a proliferation of literacy, but also an evolution of how power is expressed.

Additional Sources:

Gregoratti, Leonardo. "Parthian Empire." Encyclopedia of Empire, edited by John Mackenzie, Wiley, 2016. Credo Reference, http://ezproxy.macalester.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileyempire/parthian_empire/0?institutionId=742. Accessed 29 Apr. 2018.

Image - http://www.iranchamber.com/history/parthians/images/parthian_empire_map.gif

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: