AR Drachm 57-38 BC v. Chr. KINGDOM OF PARTHIA - ORODES II, 57-38 BC - Nisa/Mithradatkert (citadel of Nisa) vf

Orodes II of Parthia (also called Hyrodes Anaridius) was the king of the Parthian Empire from 57 BC to 38 BC. Orodes was a son of Phraates III, whom he murdered in 57 BC, assisted by his brother Mithridates. He married a Greek Princess from the Kingdom of Commagene, called Laodice who was a daughter of King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene and Queen Isias Philostorgos of Commagene. Orodes′ brother Mithridates was made king of Media but, soon afterwards, Mithridates was disposed by Orodes and forced to flee to Syria. Mithridates then returned to invade Parthia, restoring his reign as king briefly in 55 BC. However, king Mithridates was besieged by Orodes′ general, Surena, in Seleucia on the Tigris: after a prolonged resistance, Mithridates was captured and slain. Meanwhile, the Roman general and triumvir Marcus Licinius Crassus had made an attempt to extend his share of Roman territory by eastward conquest, and in the event had been decisively defeated and killed in 53 BC, in the Battle of Carrhae, along with his son and with the loss of most of his army, by Orodes′ general Surena. During the Roman Republican civil wars the Parthians sided first with Pompey and then with Brutus and Cassius, but took no action until 40 BC, when Pacorus, assisted by the Roman deserter Quintus Labienus, conquered a great part of Syria and Asia Minor. In Judea, the Parthian commander Barzapharnes deposed king Hyrcanus II and appointed the latter′s nephew Antigonus as king in his place.

During this period, the Parthians restored their territory to nearly the limits of the old Achaemenid Empire and controlled all of Asia Minor except for a few cities, but the Parthian successes were not long-lasting. In 39 BC, a Roman counterattack under Ventidius in Asia Minor defeated Labienus, who was subsequently captured and executed. Orodes′ son Pacorus was himself later killed by Ventidius in 38 BC. Orodes, who was deeply afflicted by the death of his gallant son, appointed his son Phraates IV successor, but was soon afterwards killed by him. Plutarch relates that Orodes understood Greek very well. After the death of Crassus the Bacchae of Euripides was presented at Artavasdes′ court, with the head of Crassus himself allegedly being used as an accessory for a scene actually including a severed head, on the order of the king. This form of reverse inscription was adopted as the norm by nearly all the successors of Orodes II right down to the end on the dynasty. However, mechanical copying and ignorance of Greek on the part of the later die engravers led to the deterioration of the legend almost unrecognizable form. Nisa was an ancient settlement of the Parthians, located near the Bagyr neighborhood of Ashgabat, in modern Turkmenistan. Nisa is described by some as the first seat of the Arsacid Empire. It is traditionally assumed to have been founded by Arsaces I (reigned c. 250 BC–211 BC) and was reputedly the royal residence of the Parthian kings, although it has not been established that the fortress at Nisa was either a royal residence or a mausoleum. The Parthian Empire was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations of the ancient world, and a brilliant rival of Rome which prevented the expansion of the Roman Empire to the east. Nisa, the capital of the Parthian Empire, is the outstanding symbol of the significance of this imperial power. It was later renamed Mithradatkert (′fortress of Mithradates′) by Mithridates I of Parthia (reigned c. 171 BC–138 BC). The region was famous for the beauty, agility and strength of its horses. Nisa was totally destroyed by an earthquake during the 1st decade BC. Excavations at Nisa have revealed substantial buildings, mausoleums and shrines, many inscribed documents, and a looted treasury. Many Hellenistic art works have been uncovered, as well as a large number of ivory rhytons and coins.

BMC p.84, no. 138-141 (Orodes I) | Sellwood 47/24
SNG.Copenhagen 100 | Michiner 643b | Sear 7444var.
Mitchiner ACW.572-573 R
Attractive toning. A rare historical coin.
vf

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