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Phraates IV

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Phraates IV
𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕
Great King,King of Kings,Arsaces
Coin of Phraates IV,Mithradatkertmint
King of theParthian Empire
Reign37–2 BC
PredecessorOrodes II
SuccessorPhraates VandMusa
Died2 BC
SpouseOlennieire,
Cleopatra,
Baseirta,
Bistheibanaps,
Musa
IssueVonones I,
Phraates,
Seraspandes,
Rhodaspes,
Karen,
Phraates V
DynastyArsacid dynasty
FatherOrodes II
ReligionZoroastrianism

Phraates IV(also spelledFrahad IV;Parthian:𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕Frahāt) wasKing of Kingsof theParthian Empirefrom 37 to 2 BC. He was the son and successor ofOrodes II(r. 57–37 BC), and was given the throne after the death of his brotherPacorus I.Phraates IV soon murdered all his brothers, and also possibly his father. His actions alienated the Armenians and also some of his nobles, including the distinguishedMonaeses,who fled to theRomantriumvirMark Antony,but shortly returned and reconciled with Phraates IV.

Phraates IVwas attackedin 36 BC by Mark Antony, who marched throughArmeniaintoMedia Atropatene,and was defeated and lost the greater part of his army. Antony, believing himself betrayed byArtavasdes II,king of Armenia, invaded his kingdom in 34 BC, took him prisoner, and concluded a treaty withArtavasdes I,king of Media Atropatene. But when the war withOctavianbroke out, Antony could not maintain his conquests; Phraates IV recovered Media Atropatene and madeArtaxias,the son of Artavasdes II, king of Armenia.

Around the same time, Phraates IV's throne was usurped byTiridates II,but he quickly managed to reestablish his rule with the aid ofScythiannomads. Tiridates fled to the Romans, taking one of Phraates IV's sons with him. In negotiations conducted in 20 BC, Phraates IV arranged for the release of his kidnapped son. In return, the Romans received the lostlegionary standardstaken atCarrhaein 53 BC, as well as any surviving prisoners of war. The Parthians viewed this exchange as a small price to pay to regain the prince.

Along with the prince, Octavian (now known as Augustus) gave Phraates IV an Italian slave-girl namedMusa,who quickly became queen and a favourite of Phraates IV, giving birth to Phraataces (Phraates V). Seeking to secure the throne for her son, Musa convinced Phraates IV to send his four first-born sons (Vonones,Phraates,Seraspandes and Rhodaspes) toRomein order to prevent conflict over his succession. In 2 BC, Musa had Phraates IV poisoned and made herself along with Phraates V the co-rulers of the empire.

Name[edit]

Phraátēs(Φραάτης) is theGreekform of theParthianFrahāt(𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕), itself from theOld Iranian*Frahāta-( "gained, earned" ).[1]TheModern Persianversion isFarhād(فرهاد).[2]

Consolidation of power[edit]

In 38 BC, the heir to the Parthian throne,Pacorus Iwas defeated and killed at theBattle of Mount Gindarusby aRomanforce. His death spurred a succession crisis in whichOrodes II(r. 57–37 BC), deeply afflicted by the death of his favourite son, relinquished the throne to his other son Phraates IV.[3]Orodes II died soon afterwards. His cause of death is uncertain. According toCassius Dio,he had either died of grief due to Pacorus' death, or of old age.[4]Plutarch,however, states that Orodes was murdered by Phraates IV.[4]Fearing that his position might become endangered, Phraates IV executed all his half-brothers–the sons of Orodes and hisCommagenianwifeLaodice,partially due to their maternal descent being greater than that of his own.[5]Laodice was probably killed as well.[6]

Coin ofMark Antony

Phraates IV also had supporters of his brothers and his own opponents sent into exile; one of them,Monaeses,a Parthian nobleman who had distinguished himself as a military leader under Orodes II, fled to Syria, where he took refuge with the RomantriumvirMark Antony.[7]There Monaeses urged him to attack Parthia, and promised him to spearhead the troops and conquer the empire without any difficulties.[8][4]Antony granted Monaeses three cities—Larissa,HierapolisandArethusa,and promised him the Parthian throne.[8][9]Around the same time, Antony had restored Roman rule inJerusalem,and executed the Parthian puppet kingAntigonus II Mattathias,who was succeeded byHerod the Great.[4]The relations between Parthia andArmeniahad also been damaged, due to the death of Pacorus I (who was married into the Armenian royal house) and Phraates IV's treatment of his brothers and some of the nobility, which upset the Armenians.[10]The Parthians took the defection of Monaeses very serious, and as a result Phraates IV invited Monaeses back to the country and reconciled with him.[8]

War with Mark Antony[edit]

Map of the Parthian–Roman borders

The following year, when Antony marched toTheodosiopolis,Artavasdes II of Armeniadefected to the Roman side by sending Antony additional troops. AntonyinvadedMedia Atropatene,then ruled by Parthia's allyArtavasdes I,with the intention of seizing the capital Praaspa, the location of which is now unknown. However, Phraates IV ambushed Antony's rear detachment, destroying a giantbattering rammeant forthe siegeof Praaspa; after this, Artavasdes II abandoned Antony's forces.[11]The Parthians pursued and harassed Antony's army as it fled to Armenia. Eventually, the greatly weakened force reached Syria.[12]

The defeat of Antony, along with that of Crassus atCarrhaein 53 BC, would be remembered by Romans for a long period, and often incited them to invade Parthia in later events.[13]After this, Antony lured Artavasdes II into a trap with the promise of a marriage alliance. He was taken captive in 34 BC, paraded in Antony's mockRoman triumphinAlexandria,Egypt,[14]and eventually executed byCleopatra VIIof thePtolemaic Kingdom.[15]Antony attempted to strike an alliance with Artavasdes I of Media Atropatene, whose relations with Phraates IV had recently soured. This was abandoned when Antony and his forces withdrew from Armenia in 33 BC; they escaped a Parthian invasion while Antony's rival Octavian attacked his forces to the west.[16]According to Cassius Dio, Phraates IV murdered the Commagenian KingAntiochus Iinc. 31 BC.[17]Following Antony's suicide in Egypt followed by that ofhis wife Cleopatrain 30 BC,[18]the Parthian allyArtaxias IIreassumed the throne of Armenia.

Brief overthrow, diplomatic correspondence with Augustus and death[edit]

A close-up view of thebreastplateon the statue ofAugustus of Prima Porta,showing a Parthian man returning toAugustusthelegionary standardslost byMarcus Licinius CrassusatCarrhae

Following the defeat of Antony andCleopatraofPtolemaic Egyptat theBattle of Actiumin 31 BC, Octavian consolidated his political power and in 27 BC was namedAugustusby theRoman Senate,becoming the firstRoman emperor.[19]Around this time,Tiridates II of Parthiabriefly overthrew Phraates IV, who was able to quickly reestablish his rule with the aid of Scythian nomads.[20]Tiridates fled to the Romans, taking one of Phraates IV's sons with him. In negotiations conducted in 20 BC, Phraates IV arranged for the release of his kidnapped son. In return, the Romans received the lostlegionary standardstaken atCarrhaein 53 BC, as well as any surviving prisoners of war.[21]The Parthians viewed this exchange as a small price to pay to regain the prince.[22]Augustus hailed the return of the standards as a political victory over Parthia; this propaganda was celebrated in the minting of new coins, thebuilding of a new templeto house the standards, and even in fine art such as thebreastplatescene on his statueAugustus of Prima Porta.[23]

Along with the prince, Augustus gave Phraates IV an Italian slave-girl namedMusa,who quickly became queen and a favourite of Phraates IV, giving birth to Phraataces (Phraates V).[24]Emma Strugnell (2008) has suggested that Augustus' choice to send Musa may have been an attempt to obtain information or influence the Parthian king to the advantage of the Romans.[25]She further adds that "Augustus could potentially launch a punitive invasion against Parthia, with the probable aim of converting it into a Roman province."[26]According to theParchments of Avroman,Phraates IV had already at least four other queens at that time: Olennieire, Cleopatra, Baseirta and Bistheibanaps.[27]

Seeking to secure the throne for her son, Musa convinced Phraates IV in 10/9 BC to send his four first-born sons (Vonones,Phraates,Seraspandes and Rhodaspes) toRomein order to prevent conflict over his succession.[28]Again, Augustus used this as propaganda depicting the submission of Parthia to Rome, listing it as a great accomplishment in hisRes Gestae Divi Augusti.[29]In 2 BC, Musa had the aged Phraates IV poisoned and made herself along with Phraates V the co-rulers of the empire.[30]

Coinage[edit]

Coin of Phraates IV,Mithradatkertmint

Under Phraates IV and his father, the production of coins reached its zenith, with the only Parthian ruler having similar numbers beingMithridates II(r. 124–88 BC).[31]Phraates IV mostly kept the same style of Parthian coinage that was used under his father.[32]The obverse of his coins portrays him with short hair and beard, along with a visible moustache.[32]According to the modern historian Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, the portrait greatly resembles theShami statue,discovered in the Bakhtiari mountains in southwestern Iran, and currently stored in theNational Museum of IraninTehran.[33]Abird of preyis present behind his head, which is associated with thekhvarenah,i.e. kingly glory.[34]The bird, possibly a symbol of the bird of the deityVerethragna,is holding adiadem,awreathor a ring.[34]

The reverse depicts a seated archer wearing a soft cap (bashlyk) and sitting on a throne. Curtis notes its close resemblance to the thrones of theAchaemenidmonarchs portrayed on the rock reliefs atPersepolis.[35]Other reverse of his coins, however depicts an investiture scene, where Orodes is receiving a scepter by the Greek goddessTyche.[32][33]In the Parthian era, Iranians used Hellenistic iconography to portray their divine figures,[36][37]thus the investiture scene can be associated with thekhvarenah,with Tyche being either a representation ofAnahitaorAshi.[38]The titling of Phraates IV on his coinage was: "[coin] of the King of Kings,Arsakes,Just, Benefactor, Illustrious,Philhellene."[39]

Family[edit]

Marriages[edit]

Phraates IV had the following wives:[40]

  • Olennieire
  • Cleopatra
  • Baseirta
  • Bistheibanaps
  • Musa

Issue[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Schmitt 2005.
  2. ^Kia 2016,p. 160.
  3. ^Bivar 1983,p. 58;Brosius 2006,p. 96;Kennedy 1996,pp. 80–81; see alsoStrugnell 2006,pp. 239, 245–246
  4. ^abcdBivar 1983,p. 58.
  5. ^Dąbrowa 2018,pp. 80–81.
  6. ^Boyce & Grenet 1991,p. 313.
  7. ^Russell 1987,p. 125;Bivar 1983,p. 58
  8. ^abcCassius Dio,Book 49, 24.1.
  9. ^Plutarch,vol IX. 37.1.
  10. ^Russell 1987,p. 125.
  11. ^Bivar 1983,pp. 58–59.
  12. ^Bivar 1983,pp. 60–63;Garthwaite 2005,p. 80;Curtis 2007,p. 13; see alsoKennedy 1996,p. 81 for analysis on Rome's shift of attention away from Syria to the Upper Euphrates, starting with Antony.
  13. ^Bivar 1983,p. 66.
  14. ^Roller 2010,p. 99
  15. ^Burstein 2004,p. 31;Bivar 1983,pp. 64–65;Bivar 1983,pp. 64–65
  16. ^Bivar 1983,pp. 64–65.
  17. ^Widengren 1986,pp. 135–136.
  18. ^Roller 2010,pp. 145–151.
  19. ^Roller 2010,pp. 138–151;Bringmann 2007,pp. 304–307
  20. ^Bivar 1983,pp. 65–66
  21. ^Garthwaite 2005,p. 80; see alsoStrugnell 2006,pp. 251–252
  22. ^Bivar 1983,pp. 66–67
  23. ^Brosius 2006,pp. 96–97, 136–137;Bivar 1983,pp. 66–67;Curtis 2007,pp. 12–13
  24. ^Kia 2016,p. 198;Schippmann 1986,pp. 525–536
  25. ^Strugnell 2008,p. 283.
  26. ^Bigwood 2008,p. 283.
  27. ^Strugnell 2008,p. 283 (see also note 36);Bigwood 2008,pp. 244–245
  28. ^Kia 2016,p. 198;Strugnell 2008,pp. 284–285;Dąbrowa 2012,p. 173;Schippmann 1986,pp. 525–536
  29. ^Bivar 1983,p. 67;Brosius 2006,pp. 96–99
  30. ^Kia 2016,p. 199;Richardson 2012,p. 161;Bivar 1983,p. 68
  31. ^Metcalf 2016,p. 284.
  32. ^abcRezakhani 2013,p. 771.
  33. ^abCurtis 2012,p. 71.
  34. ^abCurtis 2016,p. 184.
  35. ^Curtis 2007,p. 419.
  36. ^Curtis 2012,p. 76–77.
  37. ^Boyce 1984,p. 82.
  38. ^Curtis 2012,p. 71;Olbrycht 2016,p. 99;Curtis 2016,p. 183
  39. ^Bigwood 2004,p. 60.
  40. ^Brosius 2000.
  41. ^Dąbrowa 2017,pp. 175–176.
  42. ^abStrugnell 2008,pp. 284–285.
  43. ^Pourshariati 2017.
  44. ^Olbrycht 2014,pp. 94–96.
  45. ^Kia 2016,p. 199;Dąbrowa 2012,p. 174

Bibliography[edit]

Ancient works[edit]

Modern works[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Phraates IV
Died:2 BC
Preceded by King of the Parthian Empire
37–2 BC 		Succeeded by
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