The Politics of Parthian Coinage in Media

Abstract

The Parthians (174 BCE-224 CE) succeeded in establishing the longest lasting empire in the ancient Near East. At its height, Parthian rule extended from Anatolia to the Indus Valley and from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf. Consummate horsemen indigenous to Central Asia, the Parthians achieved fame for having routed the remnants of Alexander's Empire from Persia. After defeating the Seleucid emperor on the Iranian Plateau, the first Parthian ruler, Arsaces, established the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia. The satrapy of Media, in the Iranian heartland, had been the main center of resistance against the Seleucids, according to historical documents, and would not succumb fully to Parthian domination until over one hundred years later. It was Arsaces' illustrious descendant, Mithradates I, who conquered Media and its important and legendary capital of Ecbatana. In anticipation of the eventual unification of Media with Parthia, Mithradates immediately began issuing coins in the region-even before his conquest ofEcbatana. For years, specimens of these Parthian coins from Media have sat relatively unnoticed in museums in Tabriz and Lorestan. With insufficient archaeological information from this region, these coins may be our best hope for understanding the nature of the Parthian presence in Media.