Phraates soon turned his arms against the peoples who dwelt in the Elburz range, south of the Caspian Sea. The Mardians[1] in particular he deported and settled in Charax near the Caspian Gates.[2] Not long after this victory Phraates died and left the throne to his brother Mithradates, for whom he cherished a special affection, although he had several sons presumably of age.[3] If we follow the traditional date, Mithradates came to the throne about 171 b.c.;[4] with his accession we enter one of the greatest periods of Parthian history.[5]
About 175 b.c. the usurper Eucratides wrested control of Bactria from Demetrius, who was more interested in his conquests in the Punjab.[6] Taking advantage of Bactrian weakness which had doubtless resulted from continued warfare, Mithradates may have invaded Tapuria and Traxiana at this time.[7]
- ↑ On these peoples see Arrian Anabasis iii. 24; Strabo xi. 8. 1 and xi. 13. 6.
- ↑ Isid. Char. Mans. Parth. 7. Charax is the Greek translation of the native word for "stockade."
- ↑ Justin xli. 5. 9–10.
- ↑ Wroth, Parthia, p. xx.
- ↑ E. Breccia, "Mitridate I il Grande, di Partia," Klio, V (1905), 39–54.
- ↑ Cf. Apollodorus Parthica(?) in Strabo xv. 1. 3; see also xi. 9. 2.
- ↑ There is no evidence to date this campaign. On these districts cf. Strabo xi. 11. 2, whose Aspionus and Turiva are so identified by Tarn, "Sel.-Parth. Studies," Proc. Brit. Acad., XVI (1930), 122–26. Tarn believes the campaign took place after 163; but his argument in CAH IX, 578 and n. 1, that Parthia was a bar to the transmission of even coinage designs, does not seem strong. Cf. Rostovtzeff in CAH, VII, 174.
