Phraates III's portrait on the obverse of a coin, showing him with a beard and a diadem on his head. Minted at Ecbatana in c. 62
King of the Parthian Empire
Reign
69 – 57 BC
Predecessor
Sinatruces
Successor
Mithridates IV
Died
57 BC
Spouse
Piriustana, Teleuniqe
Issue
Mithridates IV Orodes II unnamed daughter
Dynasty
Arsacid dynasty
Father
Sinatruces
Religion
Zoroastrianism
Phraates III (also spelled Frahad III; Parthian: 𐭐𐭓𐭇𐭕Frahāt), was King of Kings of the Parthian Empire from 69 BC to 57 BC. He was the son and successor of Sinatruces (r. 75–69 BC).
At Phraates III's accession, his empire could no longer be considered the supreme power in the Near East, because of the ascendancy of Armenia under Tigranes the Great (r. 95–55 BC) and Pontus under his ally Mithridates VI Eupator (r. 120–63 BC). Phraates III's reign was thus marked by his efforts to restore his empire to its former position. To the west of his empire, war had engulfed the area. Tigranes and Mithridates VI urged him to join their war against the Roman Republic, while the Romans tried in turn to convince Phraates III to join them. Phraates III seemingly made promises to both parties but remained passive. He awaited the outcome of the war to take advantage of it at the right moment for the Parthians.
In 65 BC, Phraates III and his new son-in-law Tigranes the Younger (who was Tigranes the Elder's son) led an expedition into Armenia. Initially successful, their efforts were halted by a long siege at Artaxata. This led Phraates III to put Tigranes the Younger in charge of the Armenian expedition, reinforcing him with some Parthian soldiers. Tigranes the Younger, however, was ultimately defeated by his father, leading him to desert Phraates III and join the Roman commander Pompey instead. Tigranes the Elder soon submitted to the Romans who kept him as king. They appointed Tigranes the Younger the ruler of Sophene. However, he quickly fell out with Pompey and was sent as a prisoner to Rome. This was contested by Phraates III but to no avail.
Around the same time—in late 65 BC—Phraates III reconquered Adiabene, Gordyene and northern Mesopotamia from Tigranes. However, a Roman attack under the generals Aulus Gabinius and Lucius Afranius as far as the Tigris resulted in Phraates III losing Gordyene, which was restored to Tigranes by the Romans. At the start of 64 BC, while Pompey was focusing on his expedition against Mithridates VI, Phraates III invaded Armenia, and ultimately reached an accord with Pompey and Tigranes; Mesopotamia and Adiabene were confirmed as Parthian territory, while Gordyene was confirmed as Armenian. Furthermore, a peace treaty was concluded between Phraates III and Tigranes.
In c. 57 BC Phraates III was murdered by his two sons, Orodes II and Mithridates IV, with the latter ascending the throne. A civil war between the two brothers soon erupted and Orodes II emerged victorious.
Mithridates VI had asked PhraatesIII's father Sinatruces to join him; he declined, preferring to remain neutral. At the same time, PhraatesIII was in correspondence...
BC to 4 AD. He was the younger son of Phraates IV (r. 37 BC – 2 BC) and Musa, who ruled with him. Under Phraates V, a war threatened to break out between...
Persian: Farhad (فرهاد) Phraates I c. 176–171 BC Phraates II c. 132–127 BC PhraatesIII c. 69–57 BC Phraates IV c. 38–2 BC Phraates V (Phraataces) c. 2 BC–AD...
younger brother of Mithridates I. Sinatruces was succeeded by his son PhraatesIII. The Parthian Empire had since the death of Mithridates II (r. 124–88 BC)...
a Parthian king from to 57 to 54 BC. He was the son and successor of PhraatesIII (r. 69–57 BC). Mithridates IV's reign was marked by a dynastic struggle...
of Kings of the Parthian Empire from 57 BC to 37 BC. He was a son of PhraatesIII, whom he murdered in 57 BC, assisted by his elder brother Mithridates...
Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty. Officially...
his mother, kings'. Name incompletely preserved (middle sign missing). Phraates II's rule in Babylon is last attested on 17 May 128 BC. Hyspaosines is...
and fled to the court of the Parthian monarch PhraatesIII (r. 69–57 BC). He agreed to help PhraatesIII take the Armenian throne in return for marrying...
a nascent empire. The Third Dynasty of Ur is commonly abbreviated as Ur III by historians studying the period. It is numbered in reference to previous...
period to 90 hectares in the Early Dynastic period and then peaking in the Ur III period at 108 hectares and the Isin-Larsa period at 140 hectares, extending...
Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. Some scholars date his reign from 26 March 1186 to...
recognise Assar's Artabanus III, he numbers the three later kings by this name as Artabanus II (r. AD 10–38), Artabanus III (r. AD 80–82) and Artabanus...
death of the previous co-rulers, Phraates V and Musa (r. 2 BC – 4 AD). Information regarding the brief reign of Orodes III is lacking. He was killed after...
Naqada III is the last phase of the Naqada culture of ancient Egyptian prehistory, dating from approximately 3200 to 3000 BC. It is the period during...
Phraates I of Parthia c. 176–171 BC Farhad II Phraates II of Parthia c. 138–127 BC Farhad IIIPhraatesIII of Parthia c. 70–57 BC Farhad IV Phraates IV...
this period are Sinatruces and his son Phraates (III), Mithridates (III/IV), Orodes (II), the sons of PhraatesIII, and a certain Darius (I), ruler of Media...
dynasty Adab dynasty Mari dynasty Kish III dynasty Akshak dynasty Kish IV dynasty Uruk III dynasty Early Bronze Age III: c. 2700 – c. 2200 BC Akkadian period:...
and Phraates I (r. c. 176 – 171 BC) eventually ascended the Parthian throne. Phraates I ruled Parthia without further Seleucid interference. Phraates I...
Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek: Ἀλέξανδρος, romanized: Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the...
monarch Phraates IV (r. 37 BC – 2 BC) by the Roman Emperor Augustus (r. 27 BC – 14 AD). She quickly became queen and a favourite of Phraates IV, giving...
Unknown king (probably the same Phraates I) c. 170–168 BC Phraates I c. 170–167 BC Mithridates I c. 167–132 BC Phraates II c. 132–127 BC Artabanus I c...
between the Seleucids led by Antiochus VII Sidetes and the Parthians led by Phraates II, and marked the final attempt on the part of the Seleucids to regain...
Gotarzes Mithridates III Orodes I Sinatruces PhraatesIII Mithridates IV Orodes II Phraates IV Tiridates II Musa Phraates V Orodes III Vonones I Artabanus...
founded. Boduognatus, leader of the Nervii Cleopatra VI, queen of Egypt PhraatesIII, king of Parthia Nic Fields (2014). Alesia 52 BC: The Final struggle...
have finished the war against Spartacus. Pompey agreed an alliance with PhraatesIII, king of Parthia, whom he persuaded to invade Armenia. When Mithridates...
Neo-Babylonian Empire, a feat which the Assyrians under Tiglath-Pileser III (r. 745–727 BC) only accomplished after five years of protracted military...
in Parthia, a war of succession had broken out in 57 BC after King PhraatesIII had been killed by his sons Orodes II and Mithridates IV, who then began...
and bullae from the Early Dynastic, Sargonic, Ur III, and Old Babylonian periods as well as an Ur III period temple and Old Babylonian residences. The...
Global Information