Parthian Empire

The Parthian Empire was an Iranian state that ruled much of the ancient Near East from 247 BC to 224 AD, founded by Arsaces I of the Parni tribe, who seized the satrapy of Parthia from the Seleucid Empire and established the Arsacid dynasty. Under Mithridates I and Mithridates II the empire expanded to control territory from the Euphrates to the Indus, governed from a series of capitals including Ctesiphon on the Tigris, and grew wealthy from its position astride the Silk Road trade routes connecting Rome and China. Parthia fought a long series of wars against Rome, most famously destroying a Roman army under Crassus at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC, and its heavily armored cataphract cavalry and mounted horse archers became influential models of ancient warfare. The dynasty was weakened by internal succession disputes and was finally overthrown in 224 AD when Ardashir I, a vassal king from Persis, defeated the last Parthian king, Artabanus IV, founding the Sasanian Empire in its place.