Sanatruces II of Parthia, was a pretender to the throne of theParthian Empire during the disputed reign of his uncleOsroes I. He is only known from the writings of the Byzantine historianJohn Malalas (Chronographia),[1] who is often not very reliable.[2] The person of this ruler and the related events remain therefore enigmatic.
When Osroes was deposed by the invadingEmperorTrajan in 116 in favor of the puppet rulerParthamaspates, Sanatruces and his father, Osroes' brother Mithridates, together claimed the diadem and continued the struggle against the Romans inMesopotamia.[3] Trajan then marched southward to thePersian Gulf, defeated them, and declared Mesopotamia a province of theRoman Empire.[4] After the Romans withdrew, Osroes drove out Parthamaspates and reclaimed the Parthian throne.
Mithridates V eventually succeeded Osroes about 129 and reigned to about 140, when he died in an attack on RomanCommagene. Sanatruces, whom he had appointed his successor, predeceased him, also falling in a battle with the Romans. Thus the pair's earlier "reign" during the abortive campaign of 116 proved Sanatruces' sole taste of kingship.
His father's longtime rivalVologases III took over Mithridates' realm, but another son of Mithridates,Vologases IV, eventually came to the throne after the death of Vologases III in 147.
Sinatruces II of Parthia | ||
| Preceded by | King of the Parthian Empire 116 | Succeeded by |