Elymais
Encyclopedia
Elymais or Elamais was a semi-independent state of the 2nd century BC to the early 3rd century AD, frequently a vassalary under Parthian
control, and located at the head of the Persian Gulf
in the present-day region of Khuzestan, Iran (Susiana). It was reportedly these people were great archers and natives of Susa
, which lies to the east of Elymais territory. Most of the Elymais were probably descendants of the ancient Elamites, who once had control of that area in the past.
The provinces of Elymais were Massabatice (later Masabadhan), Corbiane and Gabiane.
Nothing is known of their language, even though "Elamite" was still used by the Achaemenid Empire
250 years before the Elymais came into existence. A number of Aramaic inscriptions are found in Elymais. The kingdom of Elymais survived until its extinction by Sassanid invasion in early 3rd century AD.
, tricked Antiochus IV Epiphanes
and murdered him by throwing rocks on him and dismembering him (2Macc 1:10–17).
depicted a king; it isn't known whether this was a Parthia
n king or a local ruler as such information hasn't come to light through any means. But these coins were based on Greek
standards, of debased Drachms and Tetradrachm
s.
The royal picture is generally based on "Parthian" coinage, usually with an anchor with star in crescent figure, but the reverse has only horizontal lines (this has led numismatists to believe that the engravers didn't know Greek or copied from coins whose writing was already unintelligible).
Parthian Empire
The Parthian Empire , also known as the Arsacid Empire , was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Persia...
control, and located at the head of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
in the present-day region of Khuzestan, Iran (Susiana). It was reportedly these people were great archers and natives of Susa
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
, which lies to the east of Elymais territory. Most of the Elymais were probably descendants of the ancient Elamites, who once had control of that area in the past.
The provinces of Elymais were Massabatice (later Masabadhan), Corbiane and Gabiane.
Nothing is known of their language, even though "Elamite" was still used by the Achaemenid Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
250 years before the Elymais came into existence. A number of Aramaic inscriptions are found in Elymais. The kingdom of Elymais survived until its extinction by Sassanid invasion in early 3rd century AD.
Elymais in the Apocrypha
It is also reported in 2 Maccabees that the priests of the temple of Nanea, which is located in SusaSusa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
, tricked Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes
Antiochus IV Epiphanes ruled the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. He was a son of King Antiochus III the Great. His original name was Mithridates; he assumed the name Antiochus after he ascended the throne....
and murdered him by throwing rocks on him and dismembering him (2Macc 1:10–17).
Coinage
The coinsCOinS
ContextObjects in Spans, commonly abbreviated COinS, is a method to embed bibliographic metadata in the HTML code of web pages. This allows bibliographic software to publish machine-readable bibliographic items and client reference management software to retrieve bibliographic metadata. The...
depicted a king; it isn't known whether this was a Parthia
Parthia
Parthia is a region of north-eastern Iran, best known for having been the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire....
n king or a local ruler as such information hasn't come to light through any means. But these coins were based on Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
standards, of debased Drachms and Tetradrachm
Tetradrachm
The tetradrachm was an Ancient Greek silver coin equivalent to four drachmae. It was in wide circulation from 510 to 38 BC.-History:Many surviving tetradrachms were minted by the polis of Athens from around the middle of the 5th century BC onwards; the popular coin was widely used in transactions...
s.
The royal picture is generally based on "Parthian" coinage, usually with an anchor with star in crescent figure, but the reverse has only horizontal lines (this has led numismatists to believe that the engravers didn't know Greek or copied from coins whose writing was already unintelligible).
Kings of Elymais c.147 BC–c.224 AD
- Kamnaskires I Megas Soter (c. 147- c.145 BC)
- Kamnaskires II Nikephoros (c 145- C. 139 BC)
- Okkonapses (c. 139/8 BC)
- Tigraios (c. 138/7- c. 133/2 bc)
- Darius (before c. 129 BC)
- Kamnaskires III Megas Nikephorus (c. 85 BC)
- Kamnaskires IVKamnaskires IIIKamnaskires III was a king of the Elymais. The Elymais was a Parthian vassal kingdom in nowadays South-western Iran. Following the dating on his coins he reigned from about 82/81 BC to 75 BC....
(c. 82/1- c. 76/5 BC) with Anzaze (his Queen) - Kamnaskires V (c. 73/2- c. 46 BC)
- Kamnaskires VI (c. 46- c. 28 BC)
- Kamnaskires VII (c. 28 BC- c. 1 AD)
- Kamnaskires VIII (c. 1- c. 15 AD)
- Kamnaskires IX (c. 15- c. 25 AD)
- Orodes I (c. 25- c. 50 AD)
- Orodes II (c. 50- c. 70 AD) son of Orodes I
- Phraates (c. 70- c. 90 AD) son of Orodes (I or II)
- Orodes III (c. 90- c. 100 AD) son of Orodes II
- Kamnaskires-Orodes (c. 100- c. 120 AD) son of Orodes II
- Ariobarzanes (c. 125 AD)
- OsroesOsroes I of ParthiaOsroes I of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire c. 109–129. He succeeded his brother Pacorus II. For the whole of his reign he contended with the rival king Vologases III based in the east of Parthia....
(c. 125-c. 130 AD) - Unknown King I (c. 130- c. 140 AD)
- Orodes IV & Ulpan (c. 140- c. 160 AD)
- Abarbasi (c. 160- c. 170 AD)
- Orodes V (c. 170- c. 180 AD) son of Beldusa
- VologasesVologases IV of ParthiaVologases IV of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire from 147 to 191. The son of Mithridates IV of Parthia , he united the two halves of the empire which had been split between his father and Vologases III of Parthia...
(c. 180- c. 190 AD) - Unknown King II (c. 190- c. 210 AD)
- Unknown King III (c. 210- c. 220 AD)
- Orodes VI (c. 220- 224 AD)
External links
- Elymais coinage
- About Elymais and the type of coinage
- http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/elymais/elymais.html
- http://www.seleukids.org/Elymais.html
- Some history and coin definitions