Vonones II
Vonones II | |
---|---|
King of Kings | |
Coin of Vonones II | |
King of Media Atropatene | |
Reign | 11 – 51 |
Predecessor | Artabanus II |
Successor | Pacorus |
King of the Parthian Empire | |
Reign | 51 |
Predecessor | Gotarzes II |
Successor | Vologases I |
Died | 51 AD |
Spouse | “Greek concubine” (paelex Graeca), mother of king Vologeses I[1] |
Issue | Vologases I Pacorus Tiridates I of Armenia |
Dynasty | Arsacid dynasty |
Father | unnamed Dahae prince |
Mother | unnamed daughter of Phraates IV |
Religion | Zoroastrianism |
Vonones II (died 51 AD) was a Parthian prince who ruled as king of Media Atropatene and briefly as king of the Parthian Empire.
Vonones was not from the ruling branch of the Arsacid royal family. His father was a Dahae prince, who was most likely descended from the former Arsacid monarch Mithridates II (r. 124–88 BC),[2][3] whilst his mother was a daughter of the Arsacid King of Kings Phraates IV (r. 37–2 BC).[3] Vonones II's brother was the Parthian King Artabanus II.[2]
From about 11 AD until 51 AD, Vonones II ruled as king of Media Atropatene,[4][5] a period about which little is known.
After the death of his nephew Gotarzes II, Vonones II became king of the Parthian Empire in 51 AD. However, he died a few months into his reign and was succeeded by his son, Vologases I. Tacitus wrote that Vonones II “knew neither success nor failure which have deserved to be remembered to him. It was a short and inglorious reign”.[4]
Vonones II had 3 sons who, respectively, held the thrones of Parthia, Media Atropatene and Armenia: Pacorus,[6] Vologases I,[4] and Tiridates I.[7]
References
- ^ Tacitus (Ann. 12.44.2)
- ^ a b Olbrycht 2016, p. 24.
- ^ a b Olbrycht 2014, pp. 94–96.
- ^ a b c Tacitus, Annals, 12.14
- ^ Bunson, A Dictionary of the Roman Empire, p.454
- ^ Schippmann 1987, p. 221–224.
- ^ Tacitus, Annals, 13.7
Sources
- Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, xx, 3, 4.
- Tacitus, Annals
- Meyer, Eduard (1911). "Vonones s.v. Vonones II." . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 211.
- M. Bunson, A Dictionary of the Roman Empire, Oxford University Press, 1995
- W. Woodthorpe Tarn, The Greeks in Bactria and India, Cambridge University Press, 2010
- Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2014). "The Genealogy of Artabanos II (AD 8/9–39/40), King of Parthia". Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica. 15 (3): 92–97. doi:10.5604/20842937.1134333 (inactive 2024-05-08).
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of May 2024 (link) - Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2016). "Dynastic Connections in the Arsacid Empire and the Origins of the House of Sāsān". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth J.; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Oxbow Books. ISBN 9781785702082.
- Schippmann, K. (1987). "Azerbaijan iii. Pre-Islamic History". Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. III, Fasc. 2. pp. 221–224.
Vonones II Died: 51 | ||
Preceded by | King of the Parthian Empire 51 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Arsaces I (247–217 BC)
- Arsaces II (217–191 BC)
- Priapatius (191–170 BC)
- Phraates I (170–165/64 BC)
- Mithridates I (165/4–132 BC)
- Phraates II (132–127 BC)
- Artabanus I (127–124 BC)
- Mithridates II (124–91 BC)
- Gotarzes I (91–87/80 BC)
- Mithridates III§ (87–80 BC)
- Orodes I (80–75 BC)
- Sinatruces (75–69 BC)
- Phraates III (69–57 BC)
- Mithridates IV (57–54 BC)
- Orodes II (57–38 BC)
- Pacorus I (39 BC)
- Phraates IV (37–2 BC)
- Tiridates II§ (32 BC)
- Musa (2 BC–4 AD)
- Phraates V (2 BC–4 AD)
- Orodes III (4–6 AD)
- Vonones I (6–12 AD)
- Artabanus II (12–35 AD)
- Tiridates III (35–36 AD)
- Artabanus II (36–38/41 AD)
- Vardanes I (40–46 AD)
- Gotarzes II (40–51 AD)
- Meherdates§ (49–51 AD)
- Vonones II (51 AD)
- Vologases I (51–78 AD)
- Vardanes II§ (55–58 AD)
- Pacorus II (78–110 AD)
- Vologases II§ (78–80 AD)
- Artabanus III§ (79–81 AD)
- Osroes I§ (109–129 AD)
- Vologases III (110–147 AD)
- Parthamaspates§ (116–117 AD)
- Sinatruces II§ (116 AD)
- Mithridates V§ (129–140 AD)
- Vologases IV (147–191 AD)
- Osroes II§ (191 AD)
- Vologases V (191–208 AD)
- Vologases VI (208–228 AD)
- Artabanus IV (213–224 AD)