Vardanes II was the son of Vologases I[1] or Vardanes I[2] and briefly ruler of parts of the Parthian Empire. In ancient records he only appears in Tacitus.[1] Otherwise he is only known from coins that are dated between 55 and 58 CE.[3] He rebelled against Vologases I at Seleucia from about 55 to 58 CE and must have occupied Ecbatana, since he issued coins from the mint there, bearing the likeness of a young beardless king wearing a diadem with five pendants. The lack of facial lesions on his coins sets him apart from other Parthian rulers, many of whom were depicted with nodules resembling trichoepithelioma. [4] Other than that nothing more about him is known.[5]
| Vardanes II | |
|---|---|
 Tetradrachm of Vardanes II, Seleucia mint | |
| King of the Parthian Empire | |
| Reign | 55 – 58 |
| Predecessor | Vologases I |
| Successor | Vologases I |
| Died | 58 |
| Dynasty | Arsacid dynasty |
| Father | Vologases I or Vardanes I |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
References
edit- ^ a b Tacitus, Annals 13,7
- ^ Ellerbrock 2021, p. 57.
- ^ Sellwood 1983, 295
- ^ Hart, Gerald D. (1996). "Trichoepithelioma and the Kings of Ancient Parthia". Can. Med. Assoc. J. 94 (11): 547–549. PMC 1936547. PMID 5324106.
- ^ One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Vardanes s.v. Vardanes II.". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 905.
Sources
edit- Chaumont, M. L.; Schippmann, K. (1988). "Balāš". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 6. pp. 574–580.
- Dąbrowa, Edward (2010). "The Arsacids and their State". XI: 21–52.
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- Dąbrowa, Edward (2017). "Tacitus on the Parthians". Electrum. 24: 171–189. doi:10.4467/20800909EL.17.026.7508.
- Ellerbrock, Uwe (2021). The Parthians: The Forgotten Empire. Oxford: Routledge. ISBN 978-0367481902.
- Sellwood, David (1983). "Parthian Coins". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3(1): The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Periods. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 279–298. ISBN 0-521-20092-X.
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