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Vonones I

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Vonones I
King of Kings
Tetradrachmof Vonones I,Seleuciamint
King of theParthian Empire
Reign8–12
PredecessorOrodes III
SuccessorArtabanus II
King ofArmenia
Reign12–18
PredecessorTigranes VandErato
SuccessorArtaxias III
Died19
Cilicia
(modern-dayTurkey)
IssueMeherdates
DynastyArsacid dynasty
FatherPhraates IV
MotherScythianprincess (?)
ReligionZoroastrianism

Vonones I(ΟΝΩΝΗΣOnōnēson his coins) was anArsacidprince, who ruled asKing of KingsofParthian Empirefrom 8 to 12, and subsequently as king ofArmeniafrom 12 to 18. He was the eldest son ofPhraates IV(r. 37–2 BC) and was sent toRomeas a hostage in 10/9 BC in order to prevent conflict over the succession of Phraates IV's youngest son,Phraataces.

Background and early life

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Vonones was the eldest son ofPhraates IV.[1]According to the classical Roman historianTacitus,Vonones was related to theScythianking.[2]Phraates IV had previously in his reign been aided by the Scythians to retake his throne from the usurperTiridatesinc. 30 BC,and thus Vonones could possibly be the result of a marriage alliance between Phraates IV and a Scythian tribal chief, who agreed to help him in return.[3]Vonones was along with three of his brothers (Phraates,Seraspandes and Rhodaspes) sent toRomein 10/9 BC, in order to prevent conflict over the succession of Phraates IV's youngest son,Phraataces.[4]The Roman emperorAugustusused this as propaganda depicting the submission of Parthia to Rome, listing it as a great accomplishment in hisRes Gestae Divi Augusti.[5]

Reign

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After the assassination ofOrodes IIIin about 6 AD, the Parthians applied to Augustus for a new king from thehouse of Arsaces.[6]Augustus sent them Vonones I, but he could not maintain himself as king; he had been educated as aRoman,and was despised by the Parthian nobility as a Roman stooge.[6][7]Another member of the Arsacid house,Artabanus II,who ruledMedia Atropatene,was invited to the throne. In a civil war he defeated and expelled Vonones I.[7]

Vonones I fled intoArmeniaand became king there in 12.[8]Artabanus II, now the monarch of the Parthian Empire, attempted to depose Vonones I from the Armenian throne and appoint his own son instead.[9]This was opposed by the Romans, who regarded this as posing a danger to their interests.[9]As a result, the Roman emperorTiberius(r. 14–37) sent his stepsonGermanicusto prevent this from happening.[9]However, the Roman general was met with no resistance by the Parthians, and reached an agreement with Artabanus II to appointArtaxias IIIthe new King of Armenia and renounce their support of Vonones I.[9][10]The Romans thus acknowledged Artabanus II as the legitimate Parthian ruler.[10]In order to ratify the friendly relationship between the two empires, Artabanus and Germanicus met on an island in theEuphratesin 18.[9]The Romans moved Vonones I intoSyria,where he was kept in custody, though in a kingly style.[11]Later he was moved toCilicia,[12]and when he tried to escape in about 19, he was killed by his guards.[13][7]

His death and the now unchallenged dominance of Artabanus II split the Parthian nobility, since not all of them supported a new branch of the Arsacid family taking over the empire.[14]The ParthiansatrapofSakastan,DrangianaandArachosia,namedGondophares,declared independence from Artabanus II and founded theIndo-Parthian Kingdom.[15][14]He assumed the titles of "Great King of Kings" and "Autokrator",demonstrating his new-found independence.[14]Nevertheless, Artabanus and Gondophares most likely reached an agreement that the Indo-Parthians would not intervene in the affairs of the Arsacids.[15]Vonones was survived by his sonMeherdates,who attempted to take the Parthian throne in 49–51.[16]

References

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  1. ^Strugnell 2008,p. 285.
  2. ^Bigwood 2008,p. 264.
  3. ^Bigwood 2008,pp. 247, 264.
  4. ^Kia 2016,p. 198;Strugnell 2008,pp. 284–285;Dąbrowa 2012,p. 173;Schippmann 1986,pp. 525–536
  5. ^Bivar 1983,p. 67;Brosius 2006,pp. 96–99
  6. ^abTacitus, The Annals2.2
  7. ^abcOne or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Meyer, Eduard(1911). "Vonones s.v. Vonones I.".InChisholm, Hugh(ed.).Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 211.
  8. ^Tacitus, The Annals2.3
  9. ^abcdeDąbrowa 2012,p. 174.
  10. ^abOlbrycht 2012,p. 215.
  11. ^Tacitus, The Annals2.4
  12. ^Tacitus, The Annals2.58
  13. ^Tacitus, The Annals2.68
  14. ^abcOlbrycht 2016,p. 24.
  15. ^abOlbrycht 2012,p. 216.
  16. ^Dąbrowa 2012,p. 175.

Bibliography

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Ancient works

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Modern works

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Vonones I
Died:19
Preceded by King of the Parthian Empire
8–12 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King of Armenia
12–18 		Succeeded by
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