North Gubernator - Carter Riordan
as Artabanus and Mithridates II, the fledgling empire managed to fend off an invasion and keep itself intact. These leaders helped Parthia grow into a superpower that could challenge even Rome.
The Parthians fought very differently than the armies of Greece and Rome. The Parthian Archer was a force to be reckoned with, capable of shooting arrows backward at pursuing enemy cavalry while riding on a horse galloping at full speed. Parthian soldiers on horseback could overwhelm enemies from all directions, with both light, mounted archers and heavily armored cavalry. It was these strategies that allowed Parthia to defeat the forces of the notoriously wealthy triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus at the battle of Carrhae in 53 B.C.E. In this horrific battle, the Roman legions lost their battle standards, and many men were killed. Crassus was killed in the battle, and his death would eventually lead to war breaking out between the other two triumvirs, Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great.
Marc Antony, a member
Carthage is widely known as Rome’s greatest rival. But there is another Empire that rivaled Rome for Hundreds of years and was a headache to many accomplished Roman Generals and Emperors. This Empire was the Parthian Empire, a vast multicultural empire based in ancient Iran but spanning wide swaths of the ancient Middle and Near East.
The Parthian Empire began when the rebellious district of Parthia in the Seleucid Empire rose up against its powerful overlord. Parthia had already been defeated twice in previous rebellions against the Seleucid Dynasty, but their third campaign would succeed. In this final war, the Parthians won a decisive victory against Seleucid forces at the Battle of Ecbatana and secured much of the territory of the former Seleucid state for their new empire. This territory stretches from the Euphrates River all of the way to western Pakistan.
The new empire soon came under threat from both internal strife and external invasion. But with great leaders such
of the second triumvirate, attempted another invasion of Parthia in 36 B.C.E. Antony led his armies into Parthia through Armenia, pushing ahead despite his baggage train lagging behind. When his baggage train was attacked and destroyed, Antony’s forces were left without supplies. With the Parthians conducting hit-and-run attacks and winter approaching, retreat was the only option. The long retreat home was a nightmare. Traveling home through the Armenian mountains during the winter, over 30,000 men died.
The Parthians, in addition to their battlefield success, had a flourishing culture at home. With its position along important trade routes, goods from all over the world passed through Parthia, making it very wealthy. The Parthian Empire had access to trade with the Romans, Central Asia, India, and even the Chinese Han Dynasty. This position in the Near East also allowed the empire to become very multicultural. This is reflected in the diverse array of religions practiced within their borders. The most popular of which was Zoroastrianism, the world’s first monotheistic religion. The polytheistic religions of Babylon and Greece were also practiced by many.
Parthian art and architecture are also
The Parthian Empire
Rome’s rival to the east
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