View source for Arsaces I of Parthia

{{Short description|First king of Parthia}}
{{CS1 config|mode=cs1}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Arsaces I<br/>{{lang|xpr|𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊}}
| title        = 
| image        = Coin of Arsaces I (1), Nisa mint.jpg
| image_size   = 300px
| caption      = Coin of Arsaces I. The reverse shows a seated archer carrying a bow, with the [[Greek language|Greek]] legend reading "ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ" (right) and "[AYT]OKPATOP[OΣ]" (left), meaning [coin of] "Arsaces [[Autokrator|autocrator]]".
| succession   = King of the [[Parthian Empire|Arsacid dynasty]]
| reign        = 247 – 217 BC
| coronation   = 
| full name    = 
| predecessor  = 
| successor    = [[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]]
| issue        = [[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]]
| dynasty      = 
| father       = Phriapites
| death_date   = 217 BC
| death_place  = [[Parthia]]
| religion     = [[Zoroastrianism]]
}}
'''Arsaces I''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɑr|s|ə|s|iː|z}}; from {{langx|grc|Ἀρσάκης}}; in {{langx|xpr|𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊}} ''Aršak'') was the first king of [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]], ruling from 247 BC to 217 BC, as well as the founder and eponym of the [[Parthian Empire|Arsacid dynasty]] of [[Parthia]]. The leader of the [[Parni]], one of the three tribes of the [[Dahae]] confederacy, Arsaces founded his dynasty in the mid-3rd century BC when he conquered the [[satrap]]y of Parthia (now shared between [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Iran]]) from [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]], who had rebelled against the [[Seleucid Empire]]. He spent the rest of his reign consolidating his rule in the region, and successfully stopped the Seleucid efforts to reconquer Parthia. Due to Arsaces' achievements, he became a popular figure amongst the Arsacid monarchs, who used his name as a royal honorific. By the time of his death, Arsaces had laid the foundations of a strong state,{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=xxxiv}} which would eventually transform into an empire under his great-grandnephew, [[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mithridates I]], who assumed the ancient [[Near East]]ern royal title of [[King of Kings]].<ref>{{harvnb|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179}}; {{harvnb|Schippmann|1986|pp=525–536}}</ref> Arsaces was succeeded by his son [[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]].

Literary sources are very scarce on Arsaces, and exclusively come from contradictory Greek and Roman accounts written centuries after his death. As a result, his reign is sparsely known. His existence was even questioned by modern scholars, until new studies and archaeological findings confirmed his identity in the 1960s.

==Name==
''{{lang|la|Arsacēs}}'' is the [[Latin]] form of the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''Arsákēs'' ({{lang|grc|Ἀρσάκης}}), itself from [[Parthian language|Parthian]] ''Aršak'' ({{lang|xpr|𐭀𐭓𐭔𐭊}}). The name is [[diminutive]] of [[Old Iranian]] ''Aršan'', meaning "hero". The name was also used by some of the rulers of the [[Persians|Persian]] [[Achaemenid Empire]], including [[Artaxerxes II]] ({{reign|404|358 BC}}), whom the Arsacids considered their [[progenitor]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2021|p=253}}

==Background==
[[Image:Parthian mounted archer.jpg|thumb|Parthian mounted archer, located in [[Palazzo Madama, Turin]].]]
The sources regarding Arsaces' life differ greatly. He is mostly known from Greek and Roman sources, who were hostile to him and his dynasty due to the later [[Roman–Parthian Wars]].{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=171}} In [[Iran]]ian national history his descent is traced back to several mythical figures, such as being a descendant of either [[Kay Kawād|Kay Kawad]], Kay Arash, Dara the son of Homay, or [[Arash]], the heroic archer-figure. The affiliation of Arsaces with Arash is due to the resemblance in their names and Arsaces' coins imitating him as a bowman.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}} According to [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] historian [[Ammianus Marcellinus]], Arsaces was a bandit of low birth, who invaded and conquered [[Parthia]], killing its satrap [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]], who had recently declared independence from the [[Hellenistic]] [[Seleucid Empire]].<ref>Marcellinus, [[wikisource:Roman History/Book XXIII#VI|xxiii. 6]].</ref>

The most accepted theory is the one by the Greek geographer [[Strabo]]:{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}}{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}}{{sfn|Curtis|2007|p=7}} according to him, Arsaces was a [[Scythians|Scythian]] or a [[Bactria]]n chieftain, who became the leader of the [[Parni]], one of the three tribes of the [[Dahae]] confederacy of [[Central Asia]].<ref>Strabo, [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/11I*.html xi. 9].</ref> The Dahae relied their strength completely on horseback, and thus possessed an extremely mobile force, which was able to retreat to the south of the [[Aral Sea]] when endangered.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=32}} Because of this, other empires met complications in their efforts trying to control them.{{sfn|Axworthy|2008|p=32}}

The Dahae had originally lived between the [[Syr Darya|Jaxartes]] in the 4th-century BC, but gradually moved southward, possibly in the early 3rd-century BC.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=3}} They first migrated southeast to Bactria, but were driven away, and as a result changed their course to the west.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=3}} They gradually started settling in Parthia, a region in the south-eastern part of the [[Caspian Sea]], that almost corresponded to present-day [[Khorasan Province]] of Iran and southern [[Turkmenistan]].{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}}{{sfn|Ghodrat-Dizaji|2016|p=42}} The region was then under the rule of the Seleucids.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}} By 282/1 BC, Parthia was under considerable Parni influence.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}} The Parni were not the only to migrate to Parthia, as the region was constantly receiving new waves of Iranian migrants from the north.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=20}}

The Parni were an eastern Iranian tribe, who practised [[Ancient Iranian religion|Iranian polytheism]].{{sfn|Boyce|1986|pp=540-541}} By the middle of the 3rd-century BC, however, they had been assimilated into the local Parthian culture; they adopted Parthian, a [[Western Iranian languages|north-western Iranian language]], and became adherents of the [[Zoroastrianism]] religion, even giving themselves Zoroastrian names, such as Arsaces' father, Phriapites, whose name was derived from [[Avestan]] ''*Friya pitā'' ("father-lover").{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}}{{sfn|Boyce|1986|pp=540-541}}{{sfn|Lecoq|1985|p=151}}{{efn|The Arsacids are generally believed to been adherants of [[Zoroastrianism]], however, this is barely apparent archaeologically.{{sfn|Hauser|2013|p=743}} Historians such as [[Richard Foltz]] and [[Parvaneh Pourshariati]] have argued that the Arsacids were in reality Mithraists, i.e worshippers of [[Mitra|Mithra]].{{sfn|Foltz|2013|p=22}}}} Arsaces himself was probably born and raised in Parthia, speaking the Parthian language.{{sfn|Boyce|1984|p=81}} According to the French historian Jérôme Gaslain, Arsaces could have arguably spent much of his life in the Seleucid lands, and may even have belonged to the local elite of Parthia.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}}

The Dahae frequently served as horse archers in the armies of Greek rulers, from the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonian]] [[Alexander the Great]] ({{reign|336|323|era=BC}}) to the Seleucid [[Antiochus III the Great]] ({{reign|222|187|era=BC}}). This implies that Arsaces, who is described as an "experienced soldier" in classical records, may have served as a mercenary under the Seleucid rulers or their governors.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2021|p=165}}

== Reign ==
[[Image:Rome-Seleucia-Parthia 200bc.jpg|300px|thumb|Location of [[Parthia]] and its surroundings.]]

=== Accession and wars ===
In c. 250 BC, Arsaces and his Parni followers seized [[Astauene]], which lay near the [[Atrek]] valley.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}} A few years later, probably in c. 247 BC, Arsaces was crowned king in [[Asaak]], a city which he had founded, and which served as the Arsacid royal necropolis.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179-180}} His coronation at Asaak is generally presumed to mark the start of the Arsacid dynasty.{{sfn|Schippmann|1986|pp=525–536}} Around 245 BC, [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]], the governor of the Seleucid province of Parthia, proclaimed his independence from the Seleucid monarch [[Seleucus II Callinicus]] ({{reign|246|225 BC}}), and made his governorate an independent kingdom.{{sfn|Schippmann|1986|pp=525–536}} 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 BC—under the command of Arsaces and his brother [[Tiridates I of Parthia|Tiridates I]]{{sfn|Curtis|2007|p=7}}{{sfn|Bivar|1983|p=29}} the Parni [[Parni conquest of Parthia|invaded Parthia]] and seized control of Astabene (Astawa) from Andragoras, the northern region of that territory, the administrative capital of which was [[Kuchan]].{{sfn|Bickerman|1983|p=19}} 
[[Image:Seleukos II Kallinikos, Tetradrachm, 246-225 BC, HGC 9-303p.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tetradrachm]] of [[Seleucus II Callinicus]], king (''[[basileus]]'') of the [[Seleucid Empire]].{{sfn|Hoover|2009|p=61}}]] 
A short while later, the Parni seized the rest of Parthia from Andragoras, killing him in the process. With the conquest of the province, the Arsacids became known as Parthians in Greek and Roman sources.{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=171}} This term has likewise been in regular use by modern western authors as well, however, according to the modern historian Stefan R. Hauser, it "should be abandoned as it conveys an incorrect idea of an ethnic ruling class within the multiethnic, multilingual population".{{sfn|Hauser|2013|p=730}} The neighbouring province of [[Hyrcania]] was shortly conquered by the Parni as well.<ref name="JUS">Justin, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030902213004/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/english/trans41.html xli. 5]}}.</ref> A recovery expedition by the Seleucids under Seleucus II was made in 228 BC, which proved problematic for Arsaces, who was at the same time at war with the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|Greco-Bactrian]] ruler [[Diodotus II]] ({{reign|239|220 BC}}). In order to avoid fighting on two fronts, Arsaces quickly concluded a peace treaty with Diodotus II.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}}

Nevertheless, he was unable to stop the Seleucid expedition and was forced to leave Parthia for Central Asia, where he took refuge with the [[Apasiacae]].{{sfn|Schmitt|1986|pp=151-152}} The Seleucid conquest proved to be short-lived; due to issues in the western portions of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus II was forced to leave Parthia, which gave Arsaces the opportunity to regain his lost territories, and most likely also expand his dominion further south.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}} Indeed, Arsaces' withdrawal to the Apasiacae was perhaps a strategic move, since Seleucus II neither possessed the resources to chase him nor the time to conclude a peace treaty.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=5}} Arsaces also made an alliance with the Greco-Bactrians,{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=169}} which confirms that contact between the two powers had most likely been established long ago.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}} According to the Roman historian [[Justin (historian)|Justin]], Arsaces "settled the Parthian government, levied soldiers, built fortresses, and strengthened his towns."<ref name="JUS" /> Apart from Asaak, he also founded the city of Dara in Mount Zapaortenon, a place in Parthia.{{sfn|Weiskopf|1993|pp=671-672}} [[Nisa, Turkmenistan|Nisa]], likewise founded by Arsaces, would be then used as the royal residence of the Arsacids till the 1st-century BC.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179-180}}

=== Succession ===
[[Image:Nisa-Overview-2015.JPG|thumb|300px|Overview of the ruins of [[Nisa, Turkmenistan|Nisa]], the former royal residence of the [[Parthian Empire|Arsacids]].]]
For a long time, the line of succession of Arsaces, and to some extent his historicity, had been unclear. The now-deprecated narrative of the foundation of the Arsacid dynasty by Arsaces and his brother Tiridates, who led the Parni in revolt together, was established by Jean Foy-Vaillant in 1725. He and generations of scholars thought that after Arsaces' death, Tiridates succeeded him as king of the Arsacid dynasty.{{sfn|Foy-Vaillant|1725|pp=1ff.}}<ref>{{harvtxt|Wolski|1962|pp=139–142}}, for a summary of the old historiography since Foy-Vaillant.</ref> This led to some different theories, including one that considered Arsaces a legendary figure, whilst attributing the foundation of the Arsacids to Tiridates.{{sfn|Bivar|1983|p=29, 30}}

Between 1957 and 1962 {{ill|Józef Wolski|pl}} published a series of articles with the opposite view: he regarded Arsaces as the founder of the Arsacids, and Tiridates as legendary.<ref>{{harvtxt|Wolski|1959}} and {{harvtxt|Wolski|1962|p=145}}. The author's main argument was that Justin was misunderstood in previous studies, which also relied too much on [[Arrian]]—a Greek historian whose work comprises numerous mistakes.</ref> This theory has since been supported—with minor divergences—by most scholars, until its confirmation by the discovery in Nisa of an [[ostraca|ostracon]] bearing the name of Arsaces.{{sfn|Bivar|1983|p=30}} Moreover, numismatic data and recent analysis of the sources have led to the conclusion that the character of Tiridates is indeed fictional, and that Arsaces continued to rule until his death in 217 BC, where he was succeeded by his son, [[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]].{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=169}}

== Coinage ==
[[Image:Coin of Arsaces I (2), Nisa mint.jpg|thumb|Coin of Arsaces, Nisa mint.]]
In essence, Arsaces' coins "provided the prototype for all subsequent Arsacid coinage, although itself undergoing a few changes".{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|p=766}} [[Khodadad Rezakhani]] adds that his coins took many stylistic elements from Seleucids and earlier Achaemenid satrapal issues, but he nonetheless made several innovations that differentiated them from those of his predecessors.{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|pp=766-767}} According to [[Alireza Shapour Shahbazi]], on his coins, Arsaces "deliberately diverges from Seleucid coins to emphasize his nationalistic and royal aspirations";{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}} the typical Seleucid figure of [[Apollo]] seated on the [[omphalos]] and holding a bow is replaced by an archer imitating Arsaces,{{efn|According to Fabrizio Sinisi, scholars are divided about the identity of the archer. According to Sinisi, the archer might represent a so-called "deified" ancestor of the Arsacids or simply the Arsacid king himself. Sinisi notes: "A definite answer is difficult, but as the link with the Seleucid Apollo on omphalos is still not obviously apparent in this phase, since the Parthian archer is seated on a stool, the already noted Achaemenid connections might perhaps be stressed: these would in fact provide a context for the seated archer figure, for the karen title, and for the obverse head with the soft cap as well. That the living Arsaces might have tried to represent himself as heir of the old Iranian empire of course in no way excludes that his memory could later have been subject to some kind of special homage, but the character of the Iranian royal ancestor cult still remains problematic".{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|p=280}}}} who is seated on a stool (done in the same fashion as some Achaemenid satraps, such as [[Datames]]) whilst wearing [[Saka]]ian clothing and a soft cap, known as the ''[[bashlyk]]''.{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}} 

Some of the inscriptions on Arsaces' coins calls him ''kārny''{{efn|Also spelled ''krny'' or ''karen''.{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|p=767}}{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|p=280}} According to David Sellwood, this Aramaic word may be cognate with the [[House of Karen|family name "Karen"]], but he adds that in "Achaemenian usage", it was the equivalent of ''οτρατηγόs'', and thus "close to our assumed meaning for autocrat".{{sfn|Sellwood|1983|p=280}}}} (the Greek equivalent being ''[[autokrator]]''), which was a title carried by prominent Achaemenid military leaders, such as [[Cyrus the Younger]].{{sfn|Shahbazi|1986|p=525}}{{efn|[[Khodadad Rezakhani|Rezakhani]] notes that the earliest coins of Arsaces bear the inscription ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ. These particular coins are reportedly the only attestations to the usage of this title by the Arsacids. Rezakhani states that it might suggest "an initial submission to Seleucid suzerainty, as the title suggests that Arsaces I thought of himself as the appointed military governor of Parthia, a fact that might also show his self-understanding as the successor of [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]], the rebellious Seleucid satrap of Parthia". According to the same rationale, Rezakhani notes that "some issues from Nisa, in addition to including the name of Arsaces in Greek, bear Aramaic ''krny'', an Achaemenid military title for Arsaces, replacing any Greek titles".{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|p=767}}}} Through the use of this title, Arsaces was deliberately putting himself above that of a satrap, but simultaneously avoided using the royal title of ''[[basileus]]'' (king), which would imply that he followed the Seleucid regal tradition, which he dismissed.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2021|p=251}} From an Iranian point of view, the title of ''basileus'' was of minor importance.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2021|p=252}} 

Arsaces seemingly used the city he had founded – Nisa, as a site for his coin mints.{{sfn|Curtis|2007|p=8}} The coins of Arsaces were minted in both silver and bronze.{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|p=766}} Arsaces' silver ''[[drachms]]'' (which would become the main denomination of the Arsacids) depict his unbearded profile on the obverse, looking to the right, similar to depictions of Seleucid royals on coins.{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|pp=276, 279}} According to Fabrizio Sinisi, similarly, the seated archer on the reverse is turned to the left.{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|p=279}} The Greek legend ΑΡΣΑΚΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΟΡΟΣ is inscribed in two vertical lines on the sides of the ''drachms'', in similar fashion to Seleucid coins.{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|pp=279-280}} Regardless of these features, Sinisi notes that Arsaces' coins are "immediately recognizable as issued by a non-Greek ruler".{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|p=280}} For instance, Arsaces wears the pointed soft cap on the obverse, similar to coins of the Achaemenid era, as does the archer on the reverse who is dressed in an Iranian riding costume.{{sfn|Sinisi|2012|p=280}}

== Legacy ==
Arsaces' prestige endured long after his death. An everlasting fire in his honour was still guarded in the city of Asaak more than two centuries after his death, as reported by [[Isidore of Charax]].{{sfn|Isidore of Charax|p=11}} This indicates that the act of declaring a king had a religious importance.{{sfn|Frye|1984|p=217}} It most likely served as the dynastic fire of the Arsacids, possibly created in order to highlight that they were heirs to the Achaemenid Empire.{{sfn|Boyce|1986|p=87}} Due to his achievements, he became known as the "father of the nation", and his name became a royal honorific that was used by all the Arsacid monarchs out of admiration for his achievements.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=169}}{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=23}}{{efn|Rezakhani notes: "Although all Arsacid kings had their own personal names, attested in Greco-Roman sources and occasionally in the Babylonian astronomical diaries, they universally used the title Arsaces as their regnal name, supposedly in honor of Arsaces I, although even that dynastic founder might have had the personal name Tiridates (Parth. *trd’t), making Arsaces a clan name of the dynasty. In fact, in the absence of narrative sources for Arsacid history and the prominence often given to numismatic evidence for reconstructing Arsacid history, the universal use of the title Arsaces poses a particular hindrance to our understanding of the history of the dynasty."{{sfn|Rezakhani|2013|page=767}}}} The name also connected the Arsacids with the legendary [[Kayanian]] ruler Kavi Arshan, whose dynasty must still have been remembered by the inhabitants of eastern Iran, such as the Parthians and the Dahae.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2021|p=253}} A fictitious claim was later made from the 2nd-century BC onwards by the Arsacids, which represented Arsaces as a descendant of the Achaemenid [[King of Kings]], Artaxerxes II.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179}}

The family of Arsaces would rule for four and a half centuries, till it was toppled by the [[Sasanian Empire]] in 224 AD. Even then, however, the descendants of Arsaces continued to wield considerable influence and authority; one of the [[Seven Great Houses of Iran]], the [[House of Karen]], produced several major figures in Iranian history, such as the 6th-century vizier [[Bozorgmehr]], and the 9th-century prince and rebel [[Mazyar]] ({{reign|817|839}}).{{sfn|Pourshariati|2017}} The Arsacids also played an important role in the history of the [[Caucasus]]; the principalities of [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia|Armenia]], [[Arsacid dynasty of Caucasian Albania|Caucasian Albania]] and [[Arsacid dynasty of Iberia|Iberia]] were ruled by branches of the Arsacid dynasty. According to [[Procopius]], even as late as the 6th-century, the Armenian nobility still remembered their Arsacid heritage and the character of Arsaces.{{sfn|Pourshariati|2008|p=44}}

== Family tree ==
{| style="border-spacing: 2px; border: 1px solid darkgray;"
|+'''Legend'''
|{{chart/start}}{{chart|KoK|KoK=Orange|boxstyle_KoK=background-color:#F7BE81;}}{{chart/end}}
|[[King of Kings]]
|{{chart/start}}{{chart|KING|KING=Yellow|boxstyle_KING=background-color:#ff9;}}{{chart/end}}
|[[List of Parthian kings|King]]
|}
{{Tree chart/start}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | PHR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | PHR = Phriapites | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | |,|-|^|-|.| | | | | | | | | | | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | || border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | |ARS| |UNK| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |ARS='''Arsaces I'''<br/>({{reign|247|217 BC}})|boxstyle_ARS=background-color:#ff9;|UNK=Unknown|border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | UNL = Unnamed woman | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | |AR2| |UNK| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | AR2 = [[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]]<br/>({{reign|217|191 BC}})|UNK=Unknown|boxstyle_AR2=background-color:#ff9;||boxstyle_CA=background-color:#ff9;|border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | | | | || border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | | | | |PHR| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | PHR = [[Priapatius]]<br/>({{reign|191|176 BC}})|boxstyle_PHR=background-color:#ff9;| border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | | |,|-|-|-|+|-|-|-|.| | | | | | | | | | | | | border=1}}
{{Tree chart| | | | | | | |PHR| |MIT| |ART| | | | | | | | | | | | | | PHR = [[Phraates I]]<br/>({{reign|176|171 BC}})| MIT = [[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mithridates I]]<br/>({{reign|171|132 BC}})| ART = [[Artabanus I of Parthia|Artabanus I]]<br/>({{reign|127|124/3 BC}})||boxstyle_PHR=background-color:#ff9;|boxstyle_ART=background-color:#ff9;|boxstyle_MIT=background-color:#F7BE81;|border=1}}
{{Tree chart/end}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

== Bibliography ==
=== Ancient works ===
* {{cite book | author=Isidore of Charax | author-link=Isidore of Charax | title=Parthian Stations}}
*[[Justin (historian)|Justin]], Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus.
*[[Ammianus Marcellinus]], ''Res Gestae''.
*[[Strabo]], ''[[Geographica]]''.

=== Modern works ===
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFLecoq1985}}
* {{cite book | last = Axworthy | first = Michael | author-link = Michael Axworthy | title = A History of Iran: Empire of the Mind | url = https://archive.org/details/historyiranempir00axwo | url-access = limited | year = 2008 | publisher = Basic Books | location = New York | pages = [https://archive.org/details/historyiranempir00axwo/page/n18 1]–368| isbn = 978-0-465-00888-9 }}
* {{cite book | title = Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices | year = 1984 | publisher = Psychology Press | last = Boyce | first = Mary | author-link = Mary Boyce | pages = 1–252 | isbn = 9780415239028 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=a6gbxVfjtUEC&q=false }}
* {{cite book | title = The History of Ancient Iran | year = 1984 | publisher = C.H.Beck | last = Frye | first = Richard Nelson | author-link = Richard N. Frye | pages = [https://archive.org/details/historyofancient0000frye/page/n20 1]–411 | isbn = 9783406093975 | url = https://archive.org/details/historyofancient0000frye | url-access = registration | quote = false. }}
* {{Cambridge History of Iran|volume=3a|last=Bickerman|first=Elias J.|authorlink=Elias Joseph Bickerman|chapter=The Seleucid Period|pages=3–20}}
* {{Cambridge History of Iran|volume=3a|last=Bivar|first=A.D.H.|authorlink=Adrian David Hugh Bivar|chapter=The Political History of Iran under the Arsacids|pages=21–99}}
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | article=Arsacids iv. Arsacid religion | last=Boyce | first=M. | author-link=Mary Boyce | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-iv | volume=2 | fascicle=5 | pages=540–541 }}
* {{cite book|last=Curtis|first=Vesta Sarkhosh|author-link=Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis|chapter=The Iranian Revival in the Parthian Period|pages=7–25|title=The Age of the Parthians: The Ideas of Iran|volume=2|year=2007|publisher=I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd., in association with the London Middle East Institute at SOAS and the British Museum|location=London & New York|editor-last1=Curtis|editor-first1=Vesta Sarkhosh|editor-link1=Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis|editor-last2=Stewart|editor-first2=Sarah|isbn=978-1-84511-406-0}}
* {{cite book |first1=Edward |last1=Dąbrowa |editor1-last=Daryaee |editor1-first=Touraj |editor1-link=Touraj Daryaee |title=The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |chapter=The Arsacid Empire |pages=1–432 |isbn=978-0-19-987575-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-poAgAAQBAJ |access-date=2019-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190101051501/https://books.google.dk/books?id=K-poAgAAQBAJ&pg |archive-date=2019-01-01 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book | title = Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present | year = 2013 | publisher = Oneworld Publications | last = Foltz | first = Richard | author-link = Richard Foltz | pages = 1–368 | isbn = 9781780743097 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sZRGAQAAQBAJ }}
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* {{cite book |last=Ghodrat-Dizaji|first=Mehrdad|editor-last1=Curtis|editor-first1=Vesta Sarkhosh|editor-last2=Pendleton|editor-first2=Elizabeth J.|editor-last3=Alram|editor-first3=Michael|editor-last4=Daryaee|editor-first4=Touraj|title=The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion |date=2016 |publisher=Oxbow Books |isbn=9781785702082 |chapter=Remarks on the Location of the Province of Parthia in the Sasanian Period}}
* {{cite book |first1=Stefan R. |last1=Hauser |editor1-last=Potts |editor1-first=Daniel T. |title=The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Iran |date=2013 |publisher=Oxford University Press |chapter=The Arsacids (Parthians)|pages=728–751|isbn=9780190668662|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z_tRvgAACAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kia|first1=Mehrdad|title=The Persian Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]|date=2016|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1610693912|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B5BHDAAAQBAJ&q=false}}
* {{cite book|last1=Hoover|first1=Oliver D.|title=''Handbook of Syrian Coins: Royal and Civic Issues, Fourth to First Centuries BC'' [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 9]|location = Lancaster/London |date=2009|publisher=Classical Numismatic Group}}
* {{Encyclopædia Iranica | article=Aparna | last=Lecoq | first=P. | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/aparna-c3k | volume=2 | fascicle=2 | page=151}}
* {{cite book |last=Olbrycht|first=Marek Jan|year=2021|title=Early Arsakid Parthia (ca. 250-165 B.C.)|publisher=Brill|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OHkxEAAAQBAJ|isbn=978-9004460751}}
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* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | article=Arsacids ii. The Arsacid dynasty | last=Schippmann | first=K. | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-ii | volume=2 | fascicle=5 | pages=525–536 }}
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | article=Apasiacae  | last=Schmitt | first=R. | author-link=Rüdiger Schmitt | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/apasiacae-tribe | volume=2 | fascicle=2 | pages=151–152 | year=1986 }}
* {{Cambridge History of Iran|volume=3a|last=Sellwood|first=David|chapter=Parthian Coins}}
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | article=Arsacids i. Origins | last=Shahbazi | first=A. Sh. | author-link=Alireza Shapour Shahbazi | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arsacids-i | volume=2 | fascicle=5 | page=525 }}
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* {{cite book | first=Jean | last=Foy-Vaillant | title=[[iarchive:arsacidarumimper01foyv/page/n5|Arsacidarum imperium, sive, Regum Parthorum historia : ad fidem numismatum accommodata]] | volume=1 | publication-place=Paris | date=1725}}
* {{Encyclopaedia Iranica | article=Dārā (city) | last=Weiskopf | first=Michael | article-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/dara-the-name-of-a-parthian-city-and-of-a-byzantine-garrison-town-of-the-sasanian-period | volume=6 | fascicle=6 | pages=671–672 }}
* {{cite journal | first=Józef | last=Wolski | jstor=4434614 | title=L'Historicité d'Arsace Ier | language=fr | work=[[Historia (classical antiquity history journal)|Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte]] |volume=8 | issue=2 | date=April 1959 | pages=222–238}}
* {{cite journal | first=Józef | last=Wolski | jstor=4434737 | title=Arsace II et la Généalogie des Premiers Arsacides | language=fr | work=Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte | volume=11 | number=2 | date=April 1962 | pages=138–145}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[Parthian Empire|Arsacid dynasty]]||||217 BC}}
{{S-new}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[List of Parthian monarchs|King of Parthia]]|years=247–217 BC}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Arsaces II of Parthia|Arsaces II]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Parthian kings}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Good article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsaces 01 Of Parthia}}
[[Category:217 BC deaths]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Parthian monarchs]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC births]]
[[Category:3rd-century BC Iranian people]]