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Parthia

Parthia

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Parthia , ancient country of Asia, SE of the Caspian Sea. In its narrowest limits it consisted of a mountainous region intersected with fertile valleys, lying S of Hyrcania and corresponding roughly to the modern Iranian province of Khorasan. It was included in the Assyrian and Persian empires, the Macedonian empire of Alexander the Great, and the Syrian empire. The Parthians were famous horsemen and archers and may have been of Scythian stock.

In 250 BC, led by Arsaces , they freed themselves from the rule of the Seleucids and founded the Parthian empire. At its height, in the 1st cent. BC, this empire extended from the Euphrates across Afghanistan to the Indus and from the Oxus (Amu Darya) to the Indian Ocean. Defeating Marcus Licinius Crassus in 53 BC, the Parthians threatened Syria and Asia Minor, but they were turned back by Ventidius in 39–38 BC

Under Trajan the Romans advanced (AD 114–16) as far as the Persian Gulf, but they withdrew in the reign of Hadrian and were never again so successful against the Parthians. Then began the decline of the empire, which in AD 226 was conquered by Ardashir I (Artaxerxes), the founder of the Persian dynasty of the Sassanids. The chief Parthian cities were Ecbatana , Seleucia , Ctesiphon , and Hecatompylos. Such expressions as "a Parthian shot" were suggested by the Parthian ruse in which mounted men used their arrows effectively while in simulated flight.

Bibliography: See N. C. Debevoise, A Political History of Parthia (1938, repr. 1970); P. B. Lozinski, The Original Homeland of the Parthians (1959); M. A. R. Colledge, The Parthians (1967).

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Parthia

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

Parthia an ancient kingdom which lay SE of the Caspian Sea in present-day Iran. From c.250 bc to c.230 ad the Parthians ruled an empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Indus. Established by the Parthians' rebellion against the Seleucids, the empire reached the peak of its power around the 2nd century bc. It was eventually eclipsed by the Sassanians. The Parthians were skilled horsemen, with a culture that contained a mixture of Greek and Persian elements.
Parthian shot a parting shot, so named because of the trick used by Parthians of shooting arrows backwards while in real or pretended flight.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Parthia." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Parthia

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Parthia Region in ancient Persia, corresponding approximately to the modern Iranian province of Khurasan, with part of s Turkmenistan. It was the seat of the Parthian Empire, founded after a successful revolt against the Seleucids (238 bc). Under the Arsacid dynasty, the Parthian Empire extended, at its peak, from Armenia to Afghanistan. In ad 224, the Parthians were defeated by the rising power of the Sassanids and the Empire rapidly crumbled.
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Parthia

A Dictionary of World History | 2000 | Copyright

Parthia An ancient Asian kingdom to the south-east of the Caspian Sea, which from c.250BC to c.230AD ruled an empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Indus, with Ecbatana as its capital. The Parthian culture contained a mixture of Greek and Iranian elements and the Parthians were superb horsemen, original and competent in warfare.
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Parthia

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Parthia, Iran An ancient territory roughly corresponding to the modern province of Khorāsān. Considered by some authorities to be of Scythian origin, the Parthians' name, possibly meaning ‘banished’, may have resulted from their flight westwards from Central Asia during the 3rd century bc.
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JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Parthia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Parthia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Parthia.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Parthia." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-Parthia.html

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Parthia

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

Parthia •astrantia • Bastia •Dei gratia, hamartia •poinsettia •in absentia, Parmentier •Izvestia •meteor, wheatear •Whittier • cottier • Ostia •consortia, courtier •protea • Yakutia • frontier • Althea •Anthea • Parthia •Pythia, stichomythia •Carinthia, Cynthia •forsythia • Scythia • clothier • salvia •Latvia • Yugoslavia • envier •Flavia, Moldavia, Moravia, Octavia, paviour (US pavior), Scandinavia, Xavier •Bolivia, Livia, Olivia, trivia •Sylvia • Guinevere • Elzevir •Monrovia, Segovia •Retrovir • effluvia • colloquia •Goodyear • yesteryear • brassiere •Abkhazia •Anastasia, aphasia, brazier, dysphasia, dysplasia, euthanasia, fantasia, Frazier, glazier, grazier, gymnasia, Malaysia •amnesia, anaesthesia (US anesthesia), analgesia, freesia, Indonesia, Silesia, synaesthesia •artemisia, Kirghizia, Tunisia •ambrosia, crozier, hosier, osier, symposia

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