List of Parthian monarchs

Below is a list of rulers of the Iranian Parthian Empire (247 BC – 228 AD).

Portrait	Name	Title(s)	Succession & notes	Reign	Death
	Arsaces I 𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊 (Aršak)	King, kārny (autokrator)	Leader of the Parni tribe. Conquered the satrapy of Parthia from Andragoras, who had rebelled against the Seleucid Empire.	247 BC – 217 BC	217 BC Unknown causes.
	Arsaces II 𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊 (Aršak)	King	Son of Arsaces I. Accepted status as a vassal king under the Seleucids after suffering a defeat by the Seleucid king Antiochus III the Great.	217 BC – 191 BC	191 BC Unknown causes.
	Priapatius 𐭐𐭓𐭉𐭐𐭕 (Friyapāt)	Great King, King, Arsaces	Grandnephew of Arsaces I.	191 BC – 176 BC	176 BC Unknown causes.
	Phraates I 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕 (Frahāt)	King, Arsaces	Son of Priapatius.	176 BC – 171 BC	171 BC Unknown causes.
The first four Parthian (Arsacid) kings; Arsaces I, Arsaces II, Priapatius and Phraates I ruled a medium-sized kingdom in northeastern Iran. It was first under that Mithridates I that the Parthian realm encompassed Iran, thus transforming into an empire.
	Mithridates I the Great 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces, Philhellene	Son of Priapatius. First Arsacid ruler to assume the ancient Achaemenid title of King of Kings, not used after his reign until the rule of Mithridates II.	171 BC – 132 BC	132 BC Unknown causes.
	Phraates II 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕 (Frahāt)	Great King, Arsaces, Philhellene	Son of Mithridates I.	132 BC – 127 BC	127 BC Killed in battle against invading nomads in the east.
	Artabanus I 𐭍𐭐𐭕𐭓 (Ardawān)	Great King, Arsaces, Philhellene	Son of Priapatius.	127 BC – 124 BC	124 BC Killed in battle against invading nomads in the east.
	Mithridates II the Great 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Artabanus I. Reintroduced the title of King of Kings, used after him until the end of the Sasanian dynasty in 651 AD.	124 BC – 91 BC	91 BC Unknown causes.
	Gotarzes I 𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆 (Gōdarz)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Mithridates II.	91 BC – 87/80 BC	87/80 BC Unknown causes.
	Mithridates III 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Uncertain existence.[1][2][3] Son of Mithridates II. Usurper or rival king against Gotarzes I and/or Orodes I.	87 BC – 80 BC	80 BC Unknown causes.
	Orodes I 𐭅𐭓𐭅𐭃 (Wērōd/Urūd)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Gotarzes I. Only partial control of the Parthian Empire.	80 BC – 75 BC	75 BC Unknown causes.
	Sinatruces I	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Part of the Arsacid dynasty, but relation unknown. Took the throne with the aid of the Saka.	78/7 BC (or 75/4) – 70/69 BC	70/69 BC Unknown causes.
	Phraates III 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕 (Frahāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Sinatruces.	69 BC – 57 BC	57 BC Murdered by his sons Orodes II and Mithridates IV.
	Mithridates IV 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Phraates III.	57 BC – 54 BC	54 BC Executed by his brother Orodes II.
	Orodes II 𐭅𐭓𐭅𐭃 (Wērōd/Urūd)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Phraates III.	57 BC – 37 BC	37 BC Relinquished the throne to his son Phraates IV.
	Phraates IV 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕 (Frahāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Orodes II. Briefly deposed by rival claimant Tiridates II in 32 BC.	37 BC – 2 BC	2 BC Murdered by his wife Musa and their son Phraates V.
	Musa	Queen of Queens	Wife of Phraates IV. Seized the throne from him together with their son Phraates V.	2 BC – 2 AD	2 AD Overthrown and executed by the nobility.
	Phraates V 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕 (Frahāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Phraates IV and Musa. Seized the throne from his father together with his mother.	2 BC – 2 AD	2 AD Overthrown and executed by the nobility.
	Orodes III 𐭅𐭓𐭅𐭃 (Wērōd/Urūd)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Part of the Arsacid dynasty, but relation unknown. Raised to the throne by the nobility following the overthrow of his predecessors.	2 AD– 6 AD	6 AD Overthrown and executed by the nobility.
	Vonones I	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Phraates IV. Raised to the throne by the nobility following the overthrow of Orodes III.	6 – 12	19 Killed attempting to escape imprisonment.
	Artabanus II 𐭍𐭐𐭕𐭓 (Ardawān)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of a Dahae prince and an Arsacid princess who was a daughter of Phraates IV. Seized the throne from Vonones I. Briefly deposed by rival claimant Tiridates III in 35–36 AD.	10 – 40	40 Unknown causes.
	Vardanes I	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Artabanus II. Against Gotarzes II.	40 – 47	47 Assassinated at the instigation of a party of Parthian nobles.
	Gotarzes II 𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆 (Gōdarz)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Artabanus II. Rival king against Vardanes I in 40–47.	40 – 51	51 Was murdered or died of illness.
	Meherdates 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vonones I. Captured and mutilated by Gotarzes II.	49 – 51	??? Unknown causes.
	Vonones II	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Brother of Artabanus II. Ruled for only a few months.	51	51 Unknown causes.
	Vologases I 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vonones II. His reign saw a marked revival of ancient Iranian customs and a strong reaction against Hellenism.	51 – 78	78 Unknown causes.
	Vardanes II	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases I. Usurper who only briefly controlled parts of the Parthian Empire.	55 – 58	?? Unknown causes.
	Pacorus II	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases I.	78 – 110	110 Unknown causes.
	Vologases II 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases I. Rival king against Pacorus II.	78 – 80	80 Killed fighting Pacorus II.
	Artabanus III 𐭍𐭐𐭕𐭓 (Ardawān)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases I. Usurper and rival king against Pacorus II.	79/80 – 81	81 Killed fighting Pacorus II.
	Osroes I 𐭇𐭅𐭎𐭓𐭅 (Husrōw)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Part of the Arsacid dynasty, but relation unknown. Rival king against Pacorus II and Vologases III. Briefly deposed by the Romans in 116–117.	109 – 129	129 Unknown causes.
	Vologases III 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases II. Rival king against Osroes I, Parthamaspates, Sinatruces II and Mithridates V. Successfully united Parthia in 140.	110 – 147	147 Unknown causes.
	Parthamaspates	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Osroes I. Briefly raised as client king of Parthia by Roman Emperor Trajan.	116 – 117	??? Unknown causes.
	Sinatruces II	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Nephew of Osroes I, usurper against Parthamaspates.	116	??? Unknown causes.
	Mithridates V 𐭌𐭄𐭓𐭃𐭕 (Mihrdāt)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces		129– 140	140 Died in an attack against the Kingdom of Commagene.
	Vologases IV 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Mithridates V.	147 – 191	191 Unknown causes.
	Osroes II 𐭇𐭅𐭎𐭓𐭅 (Husrōw)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Uncertain relation; usurper and rival king against Vologases IV.	191	191 Unknown causes.
	Vologases V 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases IV.	191 – 208	208 Unknown causes.
	Vologases VI 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔 (Walaγš)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases V. Uncontested king until 213, when his brother Artabanus IV rebelled, who by 216 was in control of most of the empire. Later defeated by the Sasanians.	208 – 228	228 Unknown causes.
	Artabanus IV 𐭍𐭐𐭕𐭓 (Ardawān)	King of Kings, Great King, Arsaces	Son of Vologases V. Rival king against Vologases VI.	213 – 224	224 Defeated and killed by the Sasanian king Ardashir I at the Battle of Hormozdgan.

King of the Parthian Empire
Imperial
Mithridates I 171–132 BC Transformed the Parthian realm into an empire
Details
First monarch	Arsaces I
Last monarch	Artabanus IV
Formation	247 BC
Abolition	224 AD
Appointer	Divine right, hereditary

See also

• Detailed Arsacids Family tree (French Wikipedia)

References

1. Shayegan 2011, pp. 197, 232.
2. Curtis 2012, p. 68.
3. Olbrycht 2016, p. 23.

Sources

• Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh (2012). "Parthian coins: Kingship and Divine Glory". The Parthian Empire and its Religions. pp. 67–83. ISBN 9783940598134.
• Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2016). "Dynastic Connections in the Arsacid Empire and the Origins of the House of Sāsān". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth J.; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Oxbow Books. ISBN 9781785702082.
• Shayegan, M. Rahim (2011). Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–539. ISBN 9780521766418.

Further reading

• Assar, Gholamreza F. (2006). A Revised Parthian Chronology of the Period 91-55 BC. Parthica. Incontri di Culture Nel Mondo Antico. 8: Papers Presented to David Sellwood. Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali. ISBN 978-8-881-47453-0. ISSN 1128-6342.
• Dąbrowa, Edward (2012). "The Arsacid Empire". In Daryaee, Touraj (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press. pp. 1–432. ISBN 978-0-19-987575-7. Archived from the original on 2019-01-01. Retrieved 2019-01-13.
• Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2015). "Arsacid Iran and the nomads of Central Asia – Ways of cultural transfer". Complexity of Interaction along the Eurasian Steppe Zone in the First Millenium CE. Bonn Contributions to Asian Archaeology. 7. Bonn. pp. 333–390.
• Rezakhani, Khodadad (2013). "Arsacid, Elymaean, and Persid Coinage". In Potts, Daniel T. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199733309.
• Schippmann, K. (1986). "Arsacids ii. The Arsacid dynasty". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 5. pp. 525–536.
• Shahbazi, A. Sh. (1986). "Arsacids i. Origins". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. II, Fasc. 5. p. 525.
• Sinisi, Fabrizio (2012). "The Coinage of the Parthians". In Metcalf, William E. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195305746.