The Parthians

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Parthian Empire, which existed for almost 500 years from 247 BC to 224 AD. The Parthians were Rome's great opponents in the east, but comparatively little is known about them. The Parthians focuses on the rise, expansion, flowering and decline of the Parthian Empire and covers both the wars with the Romans in the west and the nomads in the east. Sources include the small amount from the Empire itself, as well as those from outside the Parthian world, such as Greek, Roman and Chinese documents. Ellerbrock also explores the Parthian military, social history, religions, art, architecture and numismatics, all supported by a great number of images and maps. The Parthians is an invaluable resource for those studying the Ancient Near East during the period of the Parthian Empire, as well as for more general readers interested in this era.

Uwe Ellerbrock has been studying the Parthian Empire for more than 30 years. His book Die Parther, written with archaeologist Sylvia Winkelmann, was published in 2012 (revised edition 2015).

List of figures; List of tables; Foreword; Glossary of historic place names; I. The Parthian Empire: A First Approach; II. History of the Great Empires in Iran; III. History of the Parthian Empire; IV. The Structure of the Parthian Empire; V. Vassal States and Kingdoms under Parthian Influence; VI. The Parthian Empire and the Peoples of Eurasia; IX. Insights into Social Life in Parthia; X. Parthian Art: Art in the Arsacid Kingdom; XI. The Parthian Empire and its Religions; Bibliography; Recommended websites