Parthian Empire

The Parthian Empire was an Iranian empire ruled by the Arsacid dynasty from the mid-third century BCE until its conquest by the Sasanian Empire in 224 CE.

Arsacid dynasty: The Iranian royal house that ruled the Parthian Empire and later retained authority in parts of Armenia and Iberia. Its kingship gave the empire its dynastic continuity and name.
Parni: An Iranian nomadic people who conquered the region of Parthia and founded the Arsacid dynasty. Their conquest under Arsaces I began the political line that became the empire.
Mithridates II of Parthia: An Arsacid king who ruled in the late second and early first centuries BCE and strengthened Parthia's position in western Asia. His reign expanded Parthian diplomacy and influence near Rome's eastern frontier.
Battle of Carrhae: A 53 BCE battle in which a Parthian army destroyed the Roman forces of Marcus Licinius Crassus. The victory demonstrated the effectiveness of Parthian cavalry against Roman legions.
Sasanian Empire: An Iranian empire founded by the Sasanian dynasty that replaced Arsacid rule in 224 CE. Its centralized monarchy and imperial ideology differed from the Arsacid order it displaced.
Parthian feudalism: A scholarly model of Parthian rule emphasizing powerful landed nobles and decentralized political authority. It describes how local magnates constrained the central king.
Arsaces I of Parthia: The founder of the Arsacid dynasty, who established rule in Parthia in the mid-third century BCE. His revolt created the dynasty's first independent kingdom.
Orodes II of Parthia: An Arsacid king whose forces defeated the Roman army at Carrhae in 53 BCE. His reign witnessed Parthia's most famous victory over Rome.
Battle of Nisibis (217): A costly battle between Parthia and Rome in 217 CE, fought during the reign of Artabanus IV. It shows the severe costs of the empire's final major war with Rome.
Kingdom of Armenia: An ancient kingdom between the Roman and Iranian spheres, often ruled by branches of the Arsacid dynasty. Arsacid influence persisted there after the Parthian Empire's fall.

Linked from 41 pages