Hi there, you're listening to the Hellenistic Age podcast.

Episode 119, The Rise of the Parthian Empire, from Arsakis to Mithridates I.

As Rome consolidated its mastery over the Mediterranean and slowly crushed the Hellenistic

kingdoms from the West, another rising power in the East was poised to dominate Iran and

Mesopotamia, that of the

Arsaccaic kingdom of Parthia.

For almost 500 years, the Parthians ruled over an empire stretching from the Euphrates

to the borders of India, successfully adopting and repurposing Iranian, Greek, nomadic, and

other indigenous traditions. Such was their military

prowess that they managed to even hold their own against the Roman Empire at its height. And unlike

the Romans, power remained in the hands of the same dynasty, the Arsacchids, throughout its entire

history. However, in the mid-second century BC.C., the Arsacids were still small players

in the wider landscape of the Seleucan Empire, but the many crises in Syria would place

him in the unique opportunity to raise themselves from local kings to masters of an empire.

In this episode, we will discuss the history of the Parthians, from the earliest

appearance in our sources, down to the beginning reign of Mithridates I, the man who challenged

the might of the Salucids, and established the Parthians as the preeminent power of Asia.

As part of my research for this episode, I have found two works that would best serve as a good

introductions for the history of the Parthians. The first is The Parthians, the Forgotten Empire,

by Uwe-Ellerbrach, an English translation of an original German work, which is a comprehensive

look at the Parthian realm from its organization to its art. The second is Rain of Arrows by

Nicholas Overtoom, which focuses more on the political history of the Parthians during the third

...