Mihrdāt II heralded a new era for the Parthians. His 35-year reign is considered the most stable and, from an imperial point of view, the strongest era in the Arsacid dynasty. He is regarded in historiography as one of the most outstanding figures of antiquity.
A Narrative by Varan
Edited and Enhanced by Pīroz
Lineage and Ascension
Mihrdāt II descended from the line of Friyapat, the son of the nephew of Ashkan I. Friyapat’s sons were Mihrdāt I and Ardawan I. Mihrdat II, however, was the son of Ardawan I. Mihrdāt II’s ascent to the throne was very abrupt. The wars with the Saka and Yuezhi in the east of the empire led to the death of his uncle Frahat I and his father Ardawan I. In 124 BC, then, Mithridates II ascended the Arsacid throne of the Parthian Empire.
Military Success in the East
When Mihrdāt II rose to the throne, the empire was in turmoil in both the east and the west. During the invasion of the Sakas and Yuezhi, both the kingdom of Characene and Elymais had seceded from the empire in the west. In this way, the era of Mihrdāt II was marked by military successes.
In the east, he defeated the Sakas, who had previously invaded the territories. Thus, he stabilized the eastern regions, which included Bactria, Sogdia, and the Saka lands (Ellerbrock, Winkelmann 2012: 59). Parthian influence thus increased enormously in these regions. Parthian power was so strong that tributes were even imposed on the Saka tribes (Ellerbrock, Winkelmann 2012: 58), meaning that unprecedented Parthian control prevailed over the various Saka tribes. Thus, control over the various nomadic tribes of the east must have been established by the Parthians at an early stage. This influence is confirmed by Chinese sources which state that the Arsacid king ruled over the Scythian tribes (ibid.). Further, a Chinese envoy named Chang Chein reports in 115 BC that he was in Parthia around the years 129 BC and that Mihrdāt II had expanded his empire from the Amu Darya River to the north of the Yen Tsai (Aral/Aorsi) during this time. Thus, the entire Caspian steppes, where the Eranian Massagets resided, were under Arsacid Parthian influence. From the north, the Caspian steppes, through Merw, all the way to India was now the eastern border of the Arsacid Parthian Empire, with Merw and Kandahar being considered the center of eastern expansions (Tarn 1930: 585-586).
The successes in the East, which were to lead to the establishment of the Silk Road before the end of the reign, incorporated many different cultures into the Parthian Empire. Bactrians, Sogdians, Sakas, and Massagets, all of them east-Eranian peoples, became vassals and had to pay tribute. A good relationship prevailed between the east-Eranians and the Parthians, for henceforth there were no disputes. This is most likely due to cultural affinity, based on similar language, customs and other common cultural traits. Across the vast border of the Pamirs, the empire bordered that of the Chinese.
Expansion in the West
The struggles of Mihrdāt II’s predecessors, namely Frahāt I and Ardawān I in the east had led to a favorable moment for the kingdom of Characene under the leadership of the Iranian ruler Aspasina, who had snatched Babylon from the Arsacids and seized it. Now, with Mihrdāt II turning against the western territories, Aspasina had to accept Parthian suzerainty in the face of the Parthian military. He had to hand the rule of Babylon back to the Parthians and was allowed to continue ruling Characene as a vassal of the Parthians. Characene had remained independent since the Seleucid withdrawal and Mihrdāt I’s takeover of Babylon, but now came under Parthian control for the first time. A few years after this, Aspasina died and was replaced by a Parthian commander named Sindāt, who now took over the government.
With Characene under control, Mihrdāt II now turned against Elymais. The Elamite king Pittit had seceded from the empire during the first period of weakness of the Arsacids and had begun to carry out raids against Babylonia. Unlike Characene, this is probably why Mihrdāt II dealt differently with the treacherous Elymais and Arab rulers who had broken agreements with the Parthians: The Parthians invaded Elymais and captured Susa. Finally, the Parthians met Pittit in battle, defeated him, and took the entire province of Elymais. Although the Arsacids had left these early bordering kingdoms in the west to their political autonomy, the hostility these kingdoms had committed against the Arsacids in their moment of weakness was seemingly punished by the kingdoms now being captured and brought under direct Parthian control.
Military strength in the west, however, was not limited to the territories already incorporated by Mihrdāt I. Mihrdāt II extended the territory into the depths of Anatolia. He defeated the king of Armenia, Artavasdes, and captured his son Tigran (some sources also speak of the uncle, others of the father). The latter was subsequently installed in Armenia as Parthian puppet king and thus served Parthian interests (Ellerbrock, Winkelmann 2012: 58).
Neighbors in the West and the East
Parallel to the expansion of the Parthians under Mihrdāt II to Pontus and Cappadocia, Rome incorporated Greece into its territory. The further expansion of the Romans and the simultaneous Parthian incorporation of the principalities of Adiabene, Gordyene and Xosrowan, led to first contacts with the Roman Empire in 96 BC (Ellerbrock, Winkelmann 2012: 58). The Romans met their neighbors with the same mannerisms they displayed toward other peoples, namely haughtiness and arrogance. They considered themselves superior to the Parthians and underestimated them. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, they negotiated the Euphrates River as the border between Rome and Parthia (ibid.).
In the east, on the other hand, the Chinese achieved success by defeating the Huns (Ellerbrock, Winkelmann 2012: 59). The already prevailing contacts with the Chinese were now followed by a direct border between the two empires. Parthia thus became a direct neighbor of Han China. This historical event was accompanied by mutual interest for each other. The Chinese emperor Han Wudi sent a delegation to the Parthians around 115 BC to establish trade relations (Jacobs 2010: 55). Parthian envoys in turn visited the Chinese court (ibid.).
These relationships marked the birth of the Silk Road. With trade routes now stretching from China to Syria, an unprecedented exchange of goods and culture was made possible. The Parthians ensured the safety of the road from Sogdia, through the heartland, to Syria, making the Parthian Empire the main axis of the greatest trade traffic in the ancient world. Indeed, the Silk Road is considered an achievement of mankind, to which the Parthians, under the leadership of Mihrdāt the Great (Junianus Justinus 1853: XLII, 2), made a relevant and great contribution.
Fig. 1: Portrait head, bearded and in tiara, Mihrdat II. Reverse: Arsaces seated, holding bow. Minted during the reign of Mihrdat II. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum.
List of References
Ellerbrock, U., Winkelmann, S. 2012. Die Parther – Die vergessene Grossmacht. Philipp von Zabern Verlag, Darmstadt.
Jacobs, B. 2010. Quellen zur Geschichte des Partherreiches – Textsammlung mit Übersetzungen und Kommentaren I, Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus, in Studien zur Umwelt des Neuen Testaments 83. Göttingen, Oakville.
Junianus Justinus, Marcus. 1853. Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus, English translation, London: Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Convent Garden. http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/english/trans42.htmlTarn, W.W. 1930. Seleucid-Parthian Studies, in Journal of Hellenic Studies.
