Parthamaspates of Parthia

Tetradrachm of Parthamaspates.

Parthamaspates was a Parthian prince who ruled as a Roman client king in Mesopotamia, and later of Osroene during the early second century AD. He was the son of the Parthian emperor Osroes I.^[1]

Biography

After spending much of his life in Roman exile, he accompanied the emperor Trajan on the latter's campaign to conquer Parthia. Trajan originally planned to annex Ctesiphon as part of the Roman Empire, but ultimately decided instead to place Parthamaspates on his father's throne as a Roman client, doing so in 116.^[2] Trajan effectively crowned Parthamaspates as a king of Parthia.^[3]

Following Roman withdrawal from the area, Osroes easily defeated Parthamaspates and reclaimed the Parthian throne.^[1]

After his defeat in Parthia, Parthamaspates again fled to the Romans who then, as a consolation, granted him the co-rule of Osroene, a small Roman client state between Asia Minor and Syria. He was king of Osroene together with Yalur from 118 to 122, and afterwards sole ruler to 123.^[1]

Sestertius of Antoninus Pius showing a subdued Parthia (PAR-TH-IA on the reverse) handing the crown to him, an empty claim that Parthia was still subject to Rome after the events surrounding Parthamaspates.^[4]

From his territory of Osroene, he is known to have traded with the Kushan Empire, goods being sent by sea and through the Indus River.^[1]

Long after the failure of Parthamaspates, Rome still claimed to have control of Parthian land, as shown in a coin of Antoninus Pius (138–161 AD) with the image of a subdued "Parthia" offering the crown to him.^[4]

References

1. Ellerbrock, Uwe (2021). The Parthians: The Forgotten Empire. Routledge. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-000-35848-3.
2. Schlude, Jason M. (13 January 2020). Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 165. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.
3. Schlude, Jason M. (13 January 2020). Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.
4. Schlude, Jason M. (13 January 2020). Rome, Parthia, and the Politics of Peace: The Origins of War in the Ancient Middle East. Routledge. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-351-13570-2.

Sources

• (in French) Clément Huart & Louis Delaporte, L'Iran antique : Élam et Perse et la civilisation iranienne, Albin Michel, coll. « L'Évolution de l'Humanité », Paris, 1943, p. 327.
• Toumanoff, Cyril (1986). "Arsacids". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 5. Cyril Toumanoff. pp. 525–546.

Parthamaspates of Parthia Arsacid dynasty
Preceded by Osroes I	King of the Parthian Empire 116–117	Succeeded by Osroes I
Preceded by None (interregnum)	King of Osroene 118–123 (with Yalur to 122)	Succeeded by Ma'nu VII