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THE GROWTH OF PARTHIA

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Encouraged by the Bactrian success, the Parthians also rose against Seleucid control. This took place shortly before 247 b.c.,^[1] the beginning of the Parthian era,^[2] when two brothers, Arsaces^[3] and Tiridates, led a revolt against Andragoras,^[4] satrap of Antiochus II Theos (261–247 b.c.). Even the Greeks

↑ Probably about 250 b.c. There is the possibility that 247 b.c., the beginning of the Parthian era, represents the date of the revolt; so Percy Gardner, The Parthian Coinage ("International Numismata Orientalia," Part V [London, 1877]), p. 3. Tarn in CAH, IX, 576, feels that it marks the coronation of Tiridates I; but it seems unlikely that the event was of sufficient importance to date the era. Moses Chor. ii. 1 refers to the revolt, but the Armenian sources are so varied and distorted that they have not been used except where they can be verified by some reliable historian or by archaeology. J. Saint-Martin, Fragments d'une histoire des Arsacides (Paris, 1850), has attempted rather unsuccessfully to make use of the Armenian historians. Cf. also Pseudo-Agathangelus (FHG, V 2, pp. 198 f.), Agathangelus (ibid., pp. 109–21), Pseudo-Bardanes (ibid., p. 86). On the revolt see Euseb. Chron., ed. Karst, p. 97, Olympiad 133.
↑ There is an extensive literature on the question of the Parthian era, but since the matter is now definitely settled there is nothing to be gained by taking it up in detail. Solution of the problem dates from George Smith's discovery of a double-dated tablet (Assyrian Discoveries [London, 1875], p. 389), though, owing to an error in his dating of the Seleucid era, his figure was one year too early. Cf. F. X. Kugler, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in Babel (Münster in Westfalen, 1907–37), II, 443–63.
↑ The figure of the first Arsaces is even more obscure than those of his immediate successors. Until the period of dated coinage, about 140/39 b.c., there is no certain basis for the arrangement of the Parthian kings. The traditional list as found in Wroth, Parthia, pp. 273 f., is not, however, purely fictional. W. W. Tarn in CAH, IX, 613, has largely discarded this arrangement and based his new list on the cuneiform sources, though they rarely give the king any other name than Arsaces.
↑ Justin xli. 4. 6–7. Arrian Parthica fr. 1, quoted in Photius 58, gives the name as Pherecles; but Syncellus, p. 539, presumably also quoting Arrian, makes it Agathocles. This Andragoras is not the one of the coins (cf. p. 7, n. 26).

[1] Probably about 250 b.c. There is the possibility that 247 b.c., the beginning of the Parthian era, represents the date of the revolt; so Percy Gardner, The Parthian Coinage ("International Numismata Orientalia," Part V [London, 1877]), p. 3. Tarn in CAH, IX, 576, feels that it marks the coronation of Tiridates I; but it seems unlikely that the event was of sufficient importance to date the era. Moses Chor. ii. 1 refers to the revolt, but the Armenian sources are so varied and distorted that they have not been used except where they can be verified by some reliable historian or by archaeology. J. Saint-Martin, Fragments d'une histoire des Arsacides (Paris, 1850), has attempted rather unsuccessfully to make use of the Armenian historians. Cf. also Pseudo-Agathangelus (FHG, V 2, pp. 198 f.), Agathangelus (ibid., pp. 109–21), Pseudo-Bardanes (ibid., p. 86). On the revolt see Euseb. Chron., ed. Karst, p. 97, Olympiad 133.

[2] There is an extensive literature on the question of the Parthian era, but since the matter is now definitely settled there is nothing to be gained by taking it up in detail. Solution of the problem dates from George Smith's discovery of a double-dated tablet (Assyrian Discoveries [London, 1875], p. 389), though, owing to an error in his dating of the Seleucid era, his figure was one year too early. Cf. F. X. Kugler, Sternkunde und Sterndienst in Babel (Münster in Westfalen, 1907–37), II, 443–63.

[3] The figure of the first Arsaces is even more obscure than those of his immediate successors. Until the period of dated coinage, about 140/39 b.c., there is no certain basis for the arrangement of the Parthian kings. The traditional list as found in Wroth, Parthia, pp. 273 f., is not, however, purely fictional. W. W. Tarn in CAH, IX, 613, has largely discarded this arrangement and based his new list on the cuneiform sources, though they rarely give the king any other name than Arsaces.

[4] Justin xli. 4. 6–7. Arrian Parthica fr. 1, quoted in Photius 58, gives the name as Pherecles; but Syncellus, p. 539, presumably also quoting Arrian, makes it Agathocles. This Andragoras is not the one of the coins (cf. p. 7, n. 26).

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