Persians

[Ahuramazda]

I am mainly interested in the Persian Empire from Cyrus to its takeover by Alexander. I don't know much about Roman period. I was wondering if there were any Persians or Medians in the Roman Army and, if any, what role did they play and how were they viewed by the Romans. Thanks.
Lane

[Paullus]

The Parthians broke off from the Seleucid Empire in 247 BC and eventually conquered a large part of the former Persian empire. They were not true Persians, but were in the rough geographical area. Obviously there most famous victory was the Battle of Carrhae. The Romans had continuing conflict with the Parthians for many years, usually over Syria IIRC. They used mostly light horse archers, cataphracts, and some infantry. What role they played in the Roman army as auxila, I can't tell you.

Sometime in the 3rd or 4th century AD (can't remember which) the Parthians were replaced by the Sassanian Persians. These guys were quite successful against the Romans in many battles of the Late Empire, although it went both ways. Their signature unit was the cataphract/clibinari.

Medes and Persians as defined in the Hellenic sense didn't exist after the Successors. I know I certainly haven't heard the names used after the Successors.

[Robert Vermaat]

They were not true Persians

They weren't Persians at all.
The Parthians were a coalition of tribes from the region to the east of the Kaspian Sea, orgininally belonging to a bigger conferation known as the Parni.
The were more related to the Scythians than the persians, although I think one could reason the shared a similar linguistical background. The Parthians however were nomadic invaders, while the Persians a settled people.

The Parthians eventually settled and created an Empire on the basis of the Seleusid or persian states before them, but unlike their predesessors, always maintained an army based on a very strong cavalry.

[Gregg]

Though the Parthians weren't Persians, both were an Iranian people. So while the Parthians were originally rough steppe nomads, the Persians may have felt more in common with them than they did their alien Greek overlords.

The post-Achaemenid kingdom of Persis maintained its Persian heritage, gaining its independence from the Seleucids and existing as a dependent state under the Parthians, under whom they enjoyed a relatively high level of autonomy, even minting their own coins. Like other Parthian sub-kingdoms there was a king and royal family, as well as a military aristocracy, probably modeled on the Parthians, that would have responded when the Parthian King of Kings requested troops for war.

There have been one or two scholarly articles that discuss the role of exiled Parathians in the Roman army, probably members of the aristocracy that fled or were exiled. I suppose it’s possible that some members of the military aristocracy of Persis fled to the Romans, though I don’t know if the Romans would have made such a distinction. Anyone coming from the Parthian empire, which was referred to by the Romans as the “Kingdom of the Parthians,â€Â

[J Eaton]

Hi

First time poster.
Can recommend a brilliant book on achaemenid persian history- From Cyrus to Alexander by Pierre Briant. Quite a thick volume but worth the read!

J Eaton

[Johnny Shumate]

I think Jasper has a Parthian horsearcher tombstone on his site. It seems he was a Roman auxillary.
Johnny

Try this:
[url:3ttglrxc]http://www.romanarmy.nl/content/imagebase/imagebase-show.asp?ID=12[/url]

EDIT: that link should work now. -Dan

[Robert Vermaat]

Though the Parthians weren't Persians, both were an Iranian people. So while the Parthians were originally rough steppe nomads, the Persians may have felt more in common with them than they did their alien Greek overlords.

I doubt it, really. Whilst it is true that both Parthians and Persians were Iranian peoples, this just meant their languages had similar elements. So did Celtic and Italic languages.
What would be much more significant was that the Parthians were barbaric raiders on horseback, while the Hellenistic Greeks were city-based conquerors. I think the ease whith which Alexander took over the Achaemenid state is telling in that respect.

[quote]Anyone coming from the Parthian empire, which was referred to by the Romans as the “Kingdom of the Parthians,â€Â