State

Parthian Empire

Also known as Parthians, Parthian

The Parthian Empire, ruled by the Arsacid dynasty, was an Iranian state that emerged around 247 BCE and came to rule Iran and Mesopotamia. It replaced the Seleucid Empire in the east and became Rome's main rival, while controlling trade along the Silk Road. It was overthrown in 224 CE by Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire.

Parthian Empire
Image: Original file by Ro4444, edited by me · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 12 profiles

Achaemenid EmpireImpactHan DynastySocioeconomyParthian EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, SummaryRoman EmpireSocioeconomySasanian EmpireFoundationSeleucid EmpireDeclineSakaMilitaryKushan EmpireMilitary, DeclineKingdom of IberiaMilitaryManichaeismOriginsPersianSpeakersZoroastrianismTexts, Spread

See also

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻