Wahbarz (also spelled Vahbarz), known in
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
sources as Oborzos, was a dynast (''
frataraka
Frataraka (Aramaic: ''Prtkr’'', "governor", or more specifically "sub-satrapal governor") is an ancient Persian title, interpreted variously as “leader, governor, forerunner”. It is an epithet or title of a series of rulers in Persis fro ...
'') of
Persis
Persis ( grc-gre, , ''Persís''), better known in English as Persia (Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿, ''Parsa''; fa, پارس, ''Pârs''), or Persia proper, is the Fars region, located to the southwest of modern-day Iran, now a province. T ...
in the 1st half of the 2nd century BC, ruling from possibly to 164 BC. His reign was marked by his efforts to establish Persis as a kingdom independent from
Seleucid
The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the M ...
authority. He was able to reign independently for three decades, and even expanded to the west, seizing the Seleucid province of
Characene
Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou ( ...
. In 164 BC, the Seleucids repelled Wahbarz's forces from Characene, forcing him to re-submit as a Seleucid vassal. He was succeeded by
Baydad
Baydad (also spelled Bagdates), was a dynast ('' frataraka'') of Persis from 164 to 146 BC.
Background
Since the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, Persis had been ruled by local dynasts subject to the Seleucid Empire. Th ...
.
Background
Since the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, Persis had been ruled by local dynasts subject to the
Seleucid Empire. They held the ancient Persian title of ''
frataraka
Frataraka (Aramaic: ''Prtkr’'', "governor", or more specifically "sub-satrapal governor") is an ancient Persian title, interpreted variously as “leader, governor, forerunner”. It is an epithet or title of a series of rulers in Persis fro ...
'' ("leader, governor, forerunner"), which is also attested in the
Achaemenid
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Based in Western Asia, it was contemporarily the largest emp ...
-era. The Achaemenid Empire, which had a century earlier ruled most of the
Near East, originated from the region. The ''frataraka'' themselves emphasized their close affiliation with the prominent Achaemenid
king of kings, and their court was probably at the former Achaemenid capital of
Persepolis
, native_name_lang =
, alternate_name =
, image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.
, map =
, map_type ...
, where they financed construction projects on and near the Achaemenid plateau. The ''frataraka'' had traditionally been regarded as priestly dynasts or advocates of religious (and political) opposition to
Hellenism, however, this is no longer considered the case.
Chronology of the ''frataraka''
The traditional view of the chronology of the frataraka dynasts was originally;
Baydad
Baydad (also spelled Bagdates), was a dynast ('' frataraka'') of Persis from 164 to 146 BC.
Background
Since the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, Persis had been ruled by local dynasts subject to the Seleucid Empire. Th ...
,
Ardakhshir I
Ardakhshir I (also spelled Artaxerxes I; Aramaic: ''rtḥštry'') was a dynast ('' frataraka'') of Persis in the late 3rd-century BC, ruling sometime after 220 to .
Name
''Ardakhshir'' (''Ardashir'') is the Middle Persian form of the Old Pers ...
, Wahbarz,
Wadfradad I
Wadfradad I (also spelled Autophradates I) was a dynast ('' frataraka'') of Persis in the late 2nd-century BC, ruling from 146 to 138 BC. He was succeeded by Wadfradad II
Wadfradad II (also spelled Autophradates II) was a dynast (''frataraka'') ...
and
Wadfradad II. However, recent findings of Persis coins have led to more a likely chronology; Ardakhshir I, Wahbarz, Wadfradad I, Baydad and Wadfradad II.
Reign
Wahbarz became the king of Persis sometime in the 1st half of 2nd century BC, possibly in . He is generally identified as the same person as Oborzos, who, according to the contemporary Macedonian author
Polyaenus
Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; grc-gre, Πoλύαινoς, Polyainos, "much-praised") was a 2nd-century CE Greek author, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' ( grc-gre, Στρατηγήματα, Strategemata), which has been pr ...
, was in charge of 3,000
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
military settlers (''katoikoi''), whom he had executed in a place called
Komastos due to suspecting them of organizing a rebellion against him. This is considered the first attempt by a ''frataraka'' to secede from Seleucid rule. Coins were minted celebrating his killing of the ''katoikoi'', with Wahbarz being depicted in Achaemenid clothing killing a Greek enemy. The inscription of the coin was "Wahbarz was/may be victorious, (he) who (is) the commander
he ''karanos (κἀρανος)''. This most likely took place between 205 and 190/189 BC, presumably after the Seleucid defeat to the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingd ...
at the
battle of Thermopylae
The Battle of Thermopylae ( ; grc, Μάχη τῶν Θερμοπυλῶν, label= Greek, ) was fought in 480 BC between the Achaemenid Persian Empire under Xerxes I and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under Leonidas I. Las ...
in 191 BC. Before this defeat, the Seleucid Empire had under its king
Antiochus III the Great
Antiochus III the Great (; grc-gre, Ἀντίoχoς Μέγας ; c. 2413 July 187 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king and the 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 222 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the r ...
() gained several military victories and substantially expanded the empire's territory in both the east and west, thus providing Wahbarz few favorable circumstances to take advantage of brief Seleucid weakness and the risk of losing his realm.
After the death of Antiochus III the Great in 187 BC, however, Seleucid rule weakened in its southern provinces, which allowed Persis under Wahbarz to not only declare independence, but also expand over the region of
Characene
Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou ( ...
, appointing
Sagdodonacus as its governor. The precise date of the Persis conquest of Characene and Sagdodonacus' appointment is unknown. It may have been in the summer 184 BC, when Seleucid authority over its southern provinces seem to have been further weakened. It was presumably during this period that Wahbarz adopted the title of ''kāren'' (the Greek equivalent being ''
autokrator
''Autokrator'' or ''Autocrator'' ( grc-gre, αὐτοκράτωρ, autokrátōr, , self-ruler," "one who rules by himself," whence English "autocrat, from grc, αὐτός, autós, self, label=none + grc, κράτος, krátos, dominion, power ...
''), which was a title carried by prominent Achaemenid military leaders, such as
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger ( peo, 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 ''Kūruš''; grc-gre, Κῦρος ; died 401 BC) was an Achaemenid prince and general. He ruled as satrap of Lydia and Ionia from 408 to 401 BC. Son of Darius II and Parysatis, he died in 401 ...
.
In 164 BC, during the reign of
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes (; grc, Ἀντίοχος ὁ Ἐπιφανής, ''Antíochos ho Epiphanḗs'', "God Manifest"; c. 215 BC – November/December 164 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic king who ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his dea ...
(), Seleucid authority was re-established over Persis and Characene. The expedition was led by the Seleucid general
Noumenios, who replaced Sagdodonacus as the governor of Characene. This indicates that Wahbarz had ruled three decades as an independent ruler, which makes the chronology of the Persid rulers suggested by Wiesehofer less valid. The fate of Wahbarz after the Seleucid reconquest is disputed; he may have re-submitted to the Seleucids before they continued their expedition into Persis, and was thus allowed to continue to rule as a Seleucid vassal once again. Regardless, Wahbarz was seemingly succeeded by
Baydad
Baydad (also spelled Bagdates), was a dynast ('' frataraka'') of Persis from 164 to 146 BC.
Background
Since the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 2nd century BCE, Persis had been ruled by local dynasts subject to the Seleucid Empire. Th ...
in the same year.
References
Bibliography
Ancient works
*
Polyaenus
Polyaenus or Polyenus ( ; see ae (æ) vs. e; grc-gre, Πoλύαινoς, Polyainos, "much-praised") was a 2nd-century CE Greek author, known best for his ''Stratagems in War'' ( grc-gre, Στρατηγήματα, Strategemata), which has been pr ...
, ''Stratagems in War''.
Modern works
* .
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{Fratarakas of Persis
3rd-century BC Iranian people
History of Fars Province
3rd-century BC rulers in Asia
2nd-century BC Iranian people
2nd-century BC rulers in Asia
164 BC deaths
3rd-century BC births
Seleucid Empire
Zoroastrian rulers
Frataraka rulers of Persis