Parthian Empire

History

The Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD), also known as the Arsacid Empire, was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran. It was founded by Arsaces I of the Parni tribe after rebelling against the Seleucid Empire - A major Hellenistic state in Western Asia that existed from 312 BC to 63 BC. Founded by Seleucus I Nicator, it controlled vast territories including Anatolia, Persia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, and part....

At its height, the Parthian Empire stretched from the northern reaches of the Euphrates, in what is now central-eastern Turkey, to eastern Iran. The empire, located on the Silk Road trade route between the Roman Empire - The post-Republican period of ancient Rome, characterized by government headed by emperors and large territorial holdings around the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, Africa and Asia. in the Mediterranean Basin and the Han Empire of China, became a center of trade and commerce.

The Parthians were the arch-rivals of the Roman Empire in the East, famously defeating Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae. The empire was decentralized compared to the Achaemenids and Sasanians, relying on a system of vassal kings.

It eventually fell to the Sasanians in 224 AD.