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Shapur II 𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩
King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran[a]
Bust of Shapur II
Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire
Reign
309 – 379
Predecessor
Adur Narseh
Successor
Ardashir II
Regent
Ifra Hormizd (309–325)
Born
309
Died
379 (aged 70)
Issue
Shapur III Zurvandukht Zruanduxt
House
House of Sasan
Father
Hormizd II
Mother
Ifra Hormizd
Religion
Zoroastrianism (possibly Zurvanism)
Shapur II (Middle Persian: 𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩Šābuhr, 309–379), also known as Shapur the Great, was the tenth Sasanian King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Iran. He took the title at birth and held it until his death at age 70, making him the longest-reigning monarch in Iranian history. He was the son of Hormizd II (r. 302–309).
His reign saw the military resurgence of the country, and the expansion of its territory, which marked the start of the first Sasanian golden era. He is thus along with Shapur I, Kavad I and Khosrow I, regarded as one of the most illustrious Sasanian kings. His three direct successors, on the other hand, were less successful. At the age of 16, he launched enormously successful military campaigns against Arab insurrections and tribes who knew him as 'Dhū'l-Aktāf (Arabic: ذو الأكتاف; 'he who pierces shoulders').
Shapur II pursued a harsh religious policy. Under his reign, the collection of the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, was completed, heresy and apostasy were punished, and Christians were persecuted. The latter was a reaction against the Christianization of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. Shapur II, like Shapur I, was amicable towards Jews, who lived in relative freedom and gained many advantages in his period (see also Rava). At the time of Shapur's death, the Sasanian Empire was stronger than ever, with its enemies to the east pacified and Armenia under Sasanian control.
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embassies to ShapurII. ShapurII nevertheless launched another invasion of Roman Mesopotamia. In 360, when news reached Constantius that ShapurII had destroyed...
was also killed by the nobility. They instead installed Hormizd II's infant son ShapurII on the throne. The name of Hormizd (also spelled Ōhrmazd, Hormozd)...
provinces east of the Tigris to Rome. 309–379: Reign of ShapurII "the Great": 325: ShapurII defeats many Arab tribes and makes the Lakhmid kingdom his...
ShapurII (r. 309–379), under whom he had served as vassal king of Adiabene, where he fought alongside his brother against the Romans. Ardashir II was...
Persian: فرایه هرمز) was a Sassanid noblewoman, spouse of Hormizd II and mother of ShapurII. She was the regent during the minority of her son between 309...
accompanied ShapurII in the war against the Romans. Grumbates thus participated in the Siege of Amida in 359 CE as an ally of ShapurII. His participation...
Nebuchadnezzar II (/nɛbjʊkədˈnɛzər/; Babylonian cuneiform: Nabû-kudurri-uṣur, meaning "Nabu, watch over my heir"; Biblical Hebrew: נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר Nəḇūḵaḏneʾṣṣar)...
calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. King ShapurII the Great of the Persian Empire invades southern Armenia. The Romans implement...
The Martyrs of Persia under ShapurII were Assyrian Christian martyrs who were put to death by ShapurII of Persia (r. 309–379) for failing to renounce...
ShapurII with the nomadic hordes from Central Asia called the "Chionites" were described by Ammianus Marcellinus: he reports that in 356 CE, Shapur II...
the Sasanian King of Kings (shahanshah) of Iran from 399 to 420. A son of Shapur III (r. 383–388), he succeeded his brother Bahram IV (r. 388–399) after...
he was ousted by the Sassanid king ShapurII who installed Aspacures II (Varaz-Bakur) in his place. Aspacures II was Saurmag's paternal uncle. The Sassanid...
Aitillaha of Bet-Nuhadra, who was then 66 years old, were arrested by ShapurII for refusing to worship according to the Zoroastrian faith. Acepsimas...
East, until his death. He was bishop during the persecutions of King ShapurII of the Sasanian Empire of Iran, and was executed along with many of his...
Although Armenia had been conquered and devastated by the Sassanid king ShapurII in 367/368, Pap was restored to the throne at a young age with Roman assistance...
tradition, Shapur I is said to have spent his twilight years in the city, although this tradition is uncertain and perhaps refers more to ShapurII. Under...
about a hundred other Christians, was killed under the Persian ruler ShapurII on Good Friday, 345. One of these others was also named Abdecalas. Simeon...
accused of witchcraft and causing the illness of the Persian queen, wife of ShapurII. Her feast day is 4 April. Tarbula was born in what is now modern-day...
the Sasanian and Roman empires turned Shapur's mistrust into hostility. After the death of Constantine, ShapurII, who had been preparing for a war against...
another brother (Hormizd) to flee. He was succeeded by his infant brother ShapurII. Adur Narseh is only mentioned in some Greek sources, while oriental sources...
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