parthia.com

The Parthian Empire is a fascinating period of Persian history closely connected to Greece and Rome. Ruling from 247 B.C. to A.D. 228 in ancient Persia (Iran), the Parthians defeated Alexander the Great's successors, the Seleucids, conquered most of the Middle East and southwest Asia, controlled the Silk Road and built Parthia into an Eastern superpower. The Parthian empire revived the greatness of the Achaemenid empire and counterbalanced Rome's hegemony in the West. Parthia at one time occupied areas now in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaidzhan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Israel.

Because limited written historical sources have survived, much of what we know about the Parthians and their sub-kingdoms of Characene, Elymais and Persis must be deduced from coins. For that reason, the primary focus is on numismatics. But this site is not just a virtual coin collection; here you can also gain insight into Parthian art, history, archaeology, and geography. You will also find references to the books, articles, maps and other resources necessary for further study.

Enjoy your visit and add this page to your favorites list so you can easily return. I welcome corrections and any suggestions for improvement of content or format of this site. You may post open messages or send a private e-mail message on the feedback page.

Interested in discussing Parthia with others? Join the Parthia-L mail list! It is a lightly moderated mail list created to facilitate discussions about Parthia. It is not limited to numismatics, and discussion of all aspects of Parthia is encouraged. Numerous scholars use the list but popular topics are also welcome. To subscribe, send a blank e-mail or visit the mail list's home page.

Ancient Authors
Annotated Parthia Bibliography
Recent Publications (2007-2009)
Log of Bibliography Additions/Updates
Auction Catalogs of Parthian Coins
Collections of Parthian Coins
Internet Mail Lists & Newsgroups
On-Line Texts
Film & Video
Parthia in the News - Index
Web Links of Interest
Also:
Index of web pages on this web site
Old Nisa Bibliography
Search Engines