| Gotarzes I 𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆 | |
|---|---|
| Great King,Arsaces | |
%2c_Ectbatana_mint.jpg) Coin of Gotarzes I,Ecbatana mint | |
| King of theParthian Empire | |
| Reign | 91 – 87/80 BC |
| Predecessor | Mithridates II (predecessor) |
| Successor | Orodes I (successor) Mithridates III (?) (contender) |
| Died | 87 or 80 BC |
| Spouse | Asi'abatar Ariazate Siake Azate |
| Issue | Orodes I |
| Dynasty | Arsacid dynasty |
| Father | Mithridates II |
| Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Gotarzes I (Parthian:𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆Gōdarz) was king of theParthian Empire from 91 BC to 87 or 80 BC. He was the son and successor ofMithridates II (r. 124–91 BC), and was succeeded by his sonOrodes I.
"Gotarzes" is fromMiddle IranianGōdarz (𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆), itself from theOld Iranian*Gau-tarza- (literally "Ox-crusher").[1]
Coins, reliefs andBabylonian astronomical diaries label Gotarzes as the son and heir ofMithridates II (r. 124–91 BC).[2][3] According to a heavily damaged relief atBehistun, Gotarzes had served as "satrap of satraps" under his father.[2][3] After the death of his father, Gotarzes was proclaimed king atBabylon.[4] At his accession, Gotarzes appointed Mitratu as the general ofBabylonia.[5] Gotarzes continued his father's policy by using their vassal, theArtaxiad king ofArmenia,Tigranes the Great (r. 95–55 BC), as their representative in their efforts to extend their influence toSyria andCappadocia.[6] In 87/6 or 83 BC, Tigranes had seized Syria andCilicia.[7] Gotarzes' had several wives, one of them, Asi'abatar (also spelled Ashiabatar), is known from tablets.[8][9] The other one,Ariazate, a daughter of Tigranes, was also Gotarzes' wife, and was probably the mother of Gotarzes' sonOrodes I.[10] Gotarzes had two sister-wives, Siake and Azate.[9]
Gotarzes used the title ofGreat King.[8] Furthermore, like the rest of the Parthian kings, he used the title ofArsaces on his coinage, which was the name of the first Parthian rulerArsaces I (r. 247 – 217 BC), which had become a royal honorific among the Parthian monarchs out of admiration for his achievements.[11] There is not enough evidence that indicate Gotarzes used the title ofKing of Kings.[12] Under Gotarzes I and Orodes I, Babylonian scholars notably followed wrotecuneiform records in the same method that had been done in era of the IranianAchaemenid Empire.[13] According to Shayegan, this was done to emphasize the association of the Parthians with their Achaemenid predecessors.[14]
Several hypotheses have been proposed regarding the end of Gotarzes' rule: According to Gholamreza F. Assar, Gotarzes' died in 87 BC and was succeeded by Orodes I, whose throne was shortly usurped by a brother of Gotarzes, namedMithridates III.[4] According toM. Rahim Shayegan and Alberto M. Simonetta, Gotarzes died in 80 BC and was succeeded by Orodes I.[15][16] Simonetta suggests that Mithridates III was not a contender of the throne during the reign of Orodes I, but that of Gotarzes, who eventually defeated Mithridates III in 87 BC.[16] Shayegan, to the contrary of Assar and Simonetta, does not support the existence of Mithridates III,[8] and has suggested that it was Gotarzes, and not Mithridates III, who defeated and captured theSeleucid kingDemetrius III Eucaerus (r. 96–87 BC) in 87 BC.[17]
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AtMount Behistun in western Iran, there is arock relief which depicts four figures paying respect to a fifth figure.[18] The relief, along with its Greek inscription, heavily damaged, was partly reconstructed by the German archaeologistErnst Herzfeld (d. 1948), and reads the following:[19]
"Kophasates, Mithrates, [...] Gotarzes the satrap of satraps, and the great king Mithradates."
Rahim M. Shayegan (2011), has suggested, contrary to other scholars, that the rock relief was not constructed during the reign of Mithridates II, but during that of his son and successor Gotarzes, perhaps as an attempt to stress the legitimacy of his sovereignty by portraying the prestigious status of himself and his officers during Mithridates II's kingship.[20] He identifies the first figure with the Parthian satrap Kofzad;[21] the second figure with the Parthian commander Mitratu, who first rose to a distinguished position under Gotarzes;[22] the third figure with Gotarzes' son and heirOrodes;[20] and the fourth with Gotarzes himself, who served as "satrap of satraps" under his father.[23]
Gotarzes I Died: 87 or 80 BC | ||
| Preceded by | King of the Parthian Empire 91–87 or 80 BC | Succeeded by |