The Parthian Empire (247 BC โ 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. 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 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.