Parni conquest of Parthia

Location of Parthia.

Date	238 BC
Location	Parthia
Result	Parni victory

Belligerents

Parni

Kingdom of Parthia

Commanders and leaders

Arsaces

Andragoras †

v t e Seleucid–Parthian wars
Parni conquest of Parthia Mount Labus Syrinx Ecbatana

In 245 BC, Andragoras, the Seleucid governor (satrap) of Parthia ("roughly western Khurasan"^[1]) proclaimed independence from the Seleucids, when - following the death of Antiochus II - Ptolemy III seized control of the Seleucid capital at Antioch, and "so left the future of the Seleucid dynasty for a moment in question."^[2]

Meanwhile, "a man called Arsaces, of Scythian or Bactrian^[a] origin, [was] elected leader of the Parni tribes."^[3] Following the secession of Parthia from the Seleucid Empire and the resultant loss of Seleucid military support, Andragoras had difficulty in maintaining his borders, and about 238 BCE—under the command of "Arsaces and his brother Tiridates"^[3]^[4]—the Parni invaded^[5] Parthia and seized control of Astabene (Astawa), the northern region of that territory, the administrative capital of which was Kabuchan (Kuchan in the vulgate).

A short while later the Parni seized the rest of Parthia from Andragoras, killing him in the process.

Notes

Sources

Bickerman, Elias J. (1983), "The Seleucid Period", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 3–20
Bivar, A.D.H. (1983), "The Political History of Iran under the Arsacids", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 21–99
Bivar, A.D.H. (2003), "Gorgan v.: Pre-Islamic History", Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 11, New York: iranica.com
Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Stewart, Sarah, eds. (2007), The Age of the Parthians, Ideas of Iran, vol. 2, London: I. B. Tauris

v t e Parthian Empire
Origins	Parni Dahae Parni conquest of Parthia
Dynasty	Armenia Iberia Caucasian Albania Chosroid Indo-Parthia
Noble clans	Seven Great Houses Ispahbudhan Karen Mihran Spandiyadh Suren Varaz Zik
Culture	Art Coinage Dress Language Music
Wars	Seleucid–Parthian Wars Battle of Ecbatana Roman–Parthian Wars Roman–Parthian War of 58–63 Roman–Parthian War of 161–166 Antony's Atropatene campaign Pompeian–Parthian invasion of 40 BC Battle of Ctesiphon (165) Battle of Ctesiphon (198) Battle of Carrhae Battle of the Cilician Gates Battle of Mount Gindarus Battle of Amanus Pass Battle of Nisibis (217) Parthian war of Caracalla Armenian–Parthian War Bactrian–Parthian War
Related	Parthia Parthian army Parthian Dark Age Parthian shot Roman–Iranian relations
Lists	Parthian monarchs Rulers of Parthian sub-kingdoms

See also

Notes

Sources