Parthia
 Parthian Empire at its greatest extent, c. 60 BCE. | |
| Languages | Parthian language |
|---|---|
| Religions | Zoroastrianism |
| Capitals | Ctesiphon, Hecatompylus |
| Area | Middle East |
| Existed | 238 BCE–228 CE |
Parthia was an ancient Parthian empire in Asia. It included what is now Iran, part of Armenia, Iraq, Georgia, eastern Turkey, eastern Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Parthians were excellent horsemen and archers. In battle, mounted Parthians often discharged their arrows back towards the enemy and pretended to flee.
In 250 BC, the Parthians succeeded in founding an independent kingdom, which in the 1st century BC grew into an empire extending from the Euphrates to the Indus and from the Amu Darya to the Indian Ocean. They expanded by successfully expelling the Seleucids from Persia and establishing the second freat Persian Empire.
- See Crassus for an account of their defeat of a Roman army.
Other websites
[change | change source]
- Parthia.com - with an extensive bibliography
- History of Parthia
- The Establishment and Development of Christianity in the Parthian Empire in Transoxiana 6.
- Parthia (Old Persian Parthava) Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
