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Parthia

Land south-east of the Caspian, held for Darius by his father Hystaspes in 522-521 BCE

Parthia, Old Persian Parthava, lay south-east of the Caspian Sea, in what is now north-eastern Iran and southern Turkmenistan. In 522-521 it rose with Hyrcania for Fravartish of Media, and Darius's father Hystaspes, who held it, beat the rebels twice.

In the game: Parthia is named in the Bagastana and Parsa levels' Chronicle and the King's generals' campaigns, where Hystaspes holds it for his son.

Hystaspes' battles

In the record

Darius says Parthia and Hyrcania rebelled and declared for Fravartish. His father Hystaspes was in Parthia; he fought the rebels at Vishpauzatish on 22 Viyakhna and won. Darius then sent Persian troops from Raga, and Hystaspes won again at Patigrabana on 1 Garmapada.

Behistun inscription §35-36

A satrapy of the King

Ancient account

Herodotus puts the Parthians in his sixteenth division of the tribute with the Chorasmians, Sogdians and Areians, paying 300 talents. In Xerxes' army the Parthians and Chorasmians served under Artabazus son of Pharnaces, armed like the Bactrians.

Herodotus 3.93, 7.66

The river Aces

Ancient account

Herodotus tells of a plain enclosed by mountains on the borders of the Chorasmians, Hyrcanians, Parthians, Sarangians and Thamanaeans, watered by the river Aces through five gorges. He says the King dammed the gorges and sold the water to the peoples for a price.

Herodotus 3.117

Before the Parthian kings

In the record

This Achaemenid Parthia is not yet the Parthian kingdom of the Arsacids, who rose about 247 BCE and later ruled Iran. Its people appear on the Persepolis reliefs bringing a camel and vessels.

Apadana reliefs, Persepolis; P. Briant, From Cyrus to Alexander, 2002