Axidares or Ashkhadar also known as Exedares or Exedates (flourished second half of the 1st century & first half of the 2nd century, died 113) was a
Parthian Prince who served as a Roman Client King of
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''O ...
.
Axidares was one of the three sons born to the King
Pacorus II of Parthia
Pacorus II (also spelled Pakoros II; ) was the King of Kings of the Parthian Empire from 78 to 110. He was the son and successor of Vologases I ().
During the latter part of his father's reign, Pacorus ruled the Parthian Empire along with him. ...
by an unnamed mother. Through his father he was a member of the House of Parthia thus a relation of the
Arsacid dynasty of Armenia. Little is known of his life prior to becoming Armenian King.
Axidares succeeded his relative Sanatruces (
Sanatruk
Sanatruk ( hy, Սանատրուկ, Latinized as ''Sanatruces'') was a member of the Arsacid dynasty of Armenia who succeeded Tiridates I of Armenia as King of Armenia at the end of the 1st century. He was also King of Osroene (reigned 91–109 ...
) as Armenian King when he died in 110. He was put on the Armenian throne by his paternal uncle, the King
Osroes I of Parthia
Osroes I (also spelled Chosroes I or Khosrow I; xpr, 𐭇𐭅𐭎𐭓𐭅 ''Husrōw'') was a Parthian contender, who ruled the western portion of the Parthian Empire from 109 to 129, with a one-year interruption. For the whole of his reign he co ...
without
Roman consultation. Axidares was King of Armenia from 110 until 113.
Although the Romans supported Axidares' Kingship over Armenia, Trajan viewed the action by his uncle as an invitation to war with Parthia. Osroes I considered Axidares as incapable of governing. To avoid to going to war with the
Roman emperor Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
and keep peace with him, Osroes I deposed Axidares from his Armenian throne and replaced him with his other brother Parthamasiris for the Armenian Kingship.
[Yarshater, ''The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3'', p.87]
References
Sources
* D.T. Potts, Araby the Blest: Studies in Arabian Archaeology, Museum Tusculanum Press, 1988
* Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 3, Cambridge University Press, 1993
* M. Bunson, A Dictionary of the Roman Empire, Oxford University Press, 1995
* T. Mommsen, W. Purdie Dickson & F. Haverfield, The provinces of the Roman Empire: from Caesar to Domitian, Gorgias Press LLC, 2004
* K. Farrokh, Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War, Osprey Publishing, 2007
{{Arsacid dynasty of Armenia
2nd-century kings of Armenia
Arsacid kings of Armenia
Roman client kings of Armenia
2nd-century Iranian people