Person

Papak

died c. 210 · 3rd century · Also known as Pabag, Babak

Papak, or Pabag, was a local ruler in Persis in south-western Iran in the early 3rd century CE and father of Ardashir I, the founder of the Sasanian Empire. According to tradition he was a priest at the temple of Anahita in Istakhr who seized power in the city around 205, overthrowing the local king. The Sasanian kings honoured him as the founder of their house.

Papak
Image: Classical Numismatic Group; [1] · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Persis

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Papak. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/papak
MLA
“Papak.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/papak. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Papak.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/papak.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Papak’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/papak (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻