Les Perses et l'empire

[Stefan Härtel]

First row (Achaemenian):
Archer, Immortal, Immortal, Persian, Cavalry, Mounted Archer, Camel, Magian, Noble
Second row (Achaemenian):
Syrian, Nubian, Thracian, Egyptian, Elephant, Envoy, Cavalry in dress, Warrior in dress, Noble
Third row:
Sassanian Cataphract
Fourth row (medieval and post-medieval, from "Shaibani"):
Swordsman, Timurid, Swordsman, Archer, Gunman, Persian Cavalry, Timurid Cavalry, Timurid Horse archer, Uzbeks, Shah, Muhammad Shaibani, Uzbek noble

I'm thinking about making some Parthian and Sassanian units.

[MagyarCrusader]

Nice! I think those first four units on the top row look exceptionally well done.

[Stefan Härtel]

Thank you very much! I do consider them as my best to date.

[Prometeus]

A list of sites. These helped me a lot...

http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ugm/

http://www.grifterrec.com/coins/parthia/parthian.html

http://www.artarena.force9.co.uk/part.html

http://parthia.com/parthia_history.htm

http://ali.sdc.uwo.ca/splendor.html

http://www.math.umn.edu/mcim/csc_misc/dbm.sassart0.shtml

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/bashiri/Samanid/Samanid.html

http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/bashiri/CAIran.html

http://www.throneworld.com/oathofempire/en/sassanids.htm

http://knight3.cit.ics.saitama-u.ac.jp/hobbies/iran/history_pre.html

http://www.alekseevmanuscript.com/ChapterVIII.html

I think the first is the best. A lot of pics from Doura Europos...

If you need some, just ask, I got an entire book on Parthian Empire...

[Stefan Härtel]

Well, I already know most of these sites, they are nonetheless good.
What I'm really looking for are examples for Parthian architecture. All I have there are a reconstruction of the temple at Nisa, a palace interieur and a couple of reconstructions of the facade of the palace of Assur-not enough to draw a city style

Here's what I got about the Parthian army:

(I'm leaving out a rough description of the structure of the Parthian army that preceeds this passage) The light cavalrists were dressed with a light tunic and wide trousers, at which ends they had boots; their decisive weapon was the composite bow. The "armored cavalry" (kataphraktoi), already known -although with light armor- in achaemenian times, were in Parthian times covered with scale armor (both horse and rider). These fully armored riders were later called clibanarii by the Romans. Their weapon was the lance, which, according to Plutarch "could, in result of it's power, often bore through two men". The Romans often had to submit to the tactic and power of the parthian army, especially Crassus in 53 BC at that battle of Carrhae (I'm now leaving out an ancient historian's description of the battle).
Infamous also was the "parthian shot", hail of arrows that were shot by the mounted archers backwards during a simulated flight. (...)

(J. Wiesehöfer, "Das antike Persien")
I've got an even more accurate description of the Sassanid army, but that's too long to translate here.

[Masis]

Re: Les Perses et l'empire

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel
First row (Achaemenian):
Archer, Immortal, Immortal, Persian, Cavalry, Mounted Archer, Camel, Magian, Noble
Second row (Achaemenian):
Syrian, Nubian, Thracian, Egyptian, Elephant, Envoy, Cavalry in dress, Warrior in dress, Noble
Third row:
Sassanian Cataphract
Fourth row (medieval and post-medieval, from "Shaibani"):
Swordsman, Timurid, Swordsman, Archer, Gunman, Persian Cavalry, Timurid Cavalry, Timurid Horse archer, Uzbeks, Shah, Muhammad Shaibani, Uzbek noble

I'm thinking about making some Parthian and Sassanian units.

Bear in ming that the Parthians (Parsua=Parthia-not to be confused with Pars=Persia) were Pro-Greek as they ruled the post Greek colonial period of Iranian history so lots of 'Greek style' temples, coins and statues stand out from the plain and conservative style of the Sassanian era-luckily they got some dynamic art styles from the Shu (from China) refugees who fled to Persia during the 3rd century which livened up their art.

Attached are some Sassanian units I had made/used in my scenarios...

1) Armoured Elephant (by Me)
2) Lakhmanid Cavalry (by BeBro)
3) Shah of Shahs (by Me)
4) Magi (by Me)
5) Heavy Cavalry (by BeBro)

Would they be of use to you Stefan?

[Prometeus]

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel

All I have there are a reconstruction of the temple at Nisa, a palace interieur and a couple of reconstructions of the facade of the palace of Assur-not enough to draw a city style

Got all of them, several plants of cities from western Parthia ( but one of them includes Merv ), a wall example ( again from Merv ), a couple of houses, a description of a parthian fortified village and a lot of temples and graves (the most beautiful is a seleucid-parthian temple from Kuh-i-Kharba ; unluckily the pages are a bit ruined ). I'll try to scan and post them to you ASAP.

[Stefan Härtel]

Bear in ming that the Parthians (Parsua=Parthia-not to be confused with Pars=Persia) were Pro-Greek as they ruled the
post Greek colonial period of Iranian history so lots of 'Greek style' temples, coins and statues stand out from the plain
and conservative style of the Sassanian era-luckily they got some dynamic art styles from the Shu (from China)
refugees who fled to Persia during the 3rd century which livened up their art.

Let's clarify this a bit. The Arsacids were philhellenes, which doesen't mean all the Parthians and Greeks were friends; I, for myself, doubt that for the reasons that the Romans were most propably regarded as successors to the Greeks in these areas.
This way, I also doubt that they got all the support they expected from their peoples, as the Parthians were seen as oppressors, just like the Greeks before them.
Furthermore, there is a clear philhellenic course in the royal traditions throughout the Arsacid dynasty, going on into the Sassanian times, but at that time it is nothing but a formality that, for example, trilingual inscriptions had Persian, Parthian and Greek versions.
Further, there is a very clear Iranian course in Arsacid art and politcs. That is propably because the Parthians were of nomad descendance (as a matter of fact, they weren't Parthians at all, but Parnians. After invading and conquering Parthia they were named Parthians), and had no cultural tradition as the Greeks or Persians did. However, they regarded themselves as heirs to the Achaemenid throne (tracing their origin back to Great King Artaxerxes) and tried to pick up Iranian tradition. You can see this on the coins where they wear clearly Persian clothing and hairstyles, however, the coins themselves show something Greek.
Now, I wonder where you read that Parsua was the original name given to Parthia? I know the name "Parsua" as an Assyrian name given to a people of the Zagros mountains, formerly mistaken for the Persians wandering south (most propably, they didn't do that).
Your units are nice, I just don't know where to use them, as no Parthian/Sasanian scenario is planned...

Got all of them, several plants of cities from western Parthia ( but one of them includes Merv ), a wall example (
again from Merv ), a couple of houses, a description of a parthian fortified village and a lot of temples and graves (the
most beautiful is a seleucid-parthian temple from Kuh-i-Kharba ; unluckily the pages are a bit ruined ). I'll try to
scan and post them to you ASAP.

That'd be great... I do have a plan of Dura Europos, but that's about all... For some reason, a book I have that claims to describe the most important Iranian buildings of every architectural epoch has no pictures whatsoever on anything Parthian; as a matter of fact, the section where Parthian stuff is described is filled with pictures from Persepolis (and I DO have enough of those ).

[Prometeus]

That'd be great... I do have a plan of Dura Europos, but that's about all... For some reason, a book I have that claims to describe the most important Iranian buildings of every architectural epoch has no pictures whatsoever on anything Parthian; as a matter of fact, the section where Parthian stuff is described is filled with pictures from Persepolis (and I DO have enough of those ).

that's because of two important facts:

a) Western Parthia was heavy plundered by Romans ( and Hatra, the only city Romans weren't able to take, was plundered by Sassanids ).

b) Eastern Parthia was "purifyied" by Sassanids ( you know, the mazdean prophecy about the end of iranian empire 1000 years after Zarahatushtra...). they simply wiped out all of the Parthian buildings in attempt to make thei empire last as long as possible.

Anyway, the main Parthian improvment in Persian buildings was the iwan.

The Merv plant in Parthian period ( round plant was borrowed from the roun assirian war camp )...

[Prometeus]

... and these are Merv parthian walls. more to come...

[Prometeus]

... the Gareus temple from Uruk, Mesenia Caracene ( southern Irak )...

[Prometeus]

... and seleucid-parthian temple from Khu-i-Karba, 200 bc, south-eastern Media. All of these buildings mantained ancient iranian features ( using bricks instead of stone , i mean )...

[Prometeus]

A clarification... backward walls from Uruk were made of simple bricks, seleucid-parthian temple was surrounded of columns ( the indigenous ionic style still used in Assur ).

[Stefan Härtel]

Thanks, Prom, these are the most accurate depictions of Parthian buildings I have seen aside from that Nisa thingy. I'll try to scan that in later and post it here.
Meanwhile, I have entirely forgotten my amateur historian's work on the history of ancient Iran. Here's an excerpt, describing the Parthian age:

6. The Parthians

6.1 The Parthian Expansion
Soon, the Seleucids also lost Bactria to Diodotus I. and Parthia to Andragoras, the latter soon being killed by the Parnians. These, under the leadership of Arsaces, after whom the dynasty is named the Arsacid, were able to expand their possessions to the Caspian area (Hyrcania). Antiochus III. however, was able to suppress them, and was able to extend his territory to eastern Iran. These successes were temporary. Not long afterwards, Persia and Elam were lost, and after the Romans defeated Antiochus, the Parnians (now called Parthians after their new home) conquered many parts of Iran. Meanwhile, the Bactrians could conquer parts of India, forever ending the hopes of the Seleucids to gain control over that area again.
The greatest conqueror of this time was Mithridates I. who successfully subdued western Iran and Mesopotamia, driving the Seleucids back to Syria, and these were unable to strike back. Phraates II. and Artabanus I. could safely establish themselves, defeating the last Seleucid resistance under Antiochus VII. For a while, however, the Parthians were unsuccessful against some of the Nomad tribes from the north.
After the first interventions in Armenia followed first contacts with the Romans, and these were peaceful. But Crassus, who attacked Parthia in 53 BC, and was defeated and killed by general Surenas at Carrhae, stopped these developments. Further expansions of the Parthians into Syria and Asia Minor however could be halted.

6.2 Parthian Development in the shadow of Rome
The Parthians were still, despite inner troubles, successful in keeping the Romans off their territory; Antonius, although reaching Armenia and Media Atropatene, could be defeated. In 20 BC, negotiations between Rome and Parthia were successful; the credit for this goes to emperor Augustus. The sons of King Phraates IV. were taken to Rome for education. In 12 AD, Vonones I. had to fight, because the aristocracy would not accept a King raised in Rome. The Roman intervention could not calm the disorder, and after the pretender Artabanus II. died, two Kings, Vardanes and Gotarzes II. fought against each other; shortly afterwards, under King Vologeses I. the Roman-Parthian relation grew more tense about the eternal problem of Armenia. And after 72, the empire fell into even larger disorder because of continuous anarchy, foreign invasions of the Alans as well as revolt. When King Osroes invaded Armenia, emperor Trajan decided to campaign against Parthia. With his legions, he reached the Persian Gulf until 117, and could establish three new provinces, Armenia, Mesopotamia and Assyria, and despite a defeat at Hatra, he could even take the Parthian winter residence of Ctesiphon, which was once founded as a counterweight to Seleucia. Hadrianus, who had no interest in these territories, succeeded Trajan, who died during the campaign and the Euphrates was once again declared the official border between the two empires. Only Mesene could keep itself independent from both, until 151.
In 161, yet another war followed after a Parthian attack on Armenia and Syria, and the Romans under Avidius Cassius took Ctesiphon, and made Dura Europus Roman; the Romans had to retreat after their armies were struck by plague. In the civil war in Rome in the 190s, Parthia allied with the Syrian governor Niger, but after Septimius Severus defeated him, he once again started a war against Parthia, establishing the new province of Mesopotamia, and again reaching Ctesiphon; and his successor Caracalla was able to destabilize the situation so much that local Kings, especially in Persia, which had been a vassal of Parthia, grew in power, and Pabag and Ardaxshir extended their area to all of south-western Iran, until in 224, the Persians were able to defeat the Parthian King Artabanus IV, destroying the Arsacid empire.

6.3 The Parthian Civilization
It is obvious that the Parthians did not establish such a unique culture as their Iranian predecessors, the Achaemenid Persians did. Fact is, that the Parthians already entered a civilized world in which elements of the Greek culture and of the Persian culture have lived side by side. It was, however, clearly the Parthians work to unite both cultures. The Parnians, originally nomads, had no cultural history they could speak of, in contrary to the Persians.
One very obvious fact is, that the Parthians, once they had established themselves, took many elements of the Greek culture and did not -as the Persians had done with the conquered cultures- shape them their own way, or introduce them into their own culture. Many proofs of the intact overtake of the Greek culture can be found particularly in the Parthian capitals Nisa and Hecatompylos. Here, aside from smaller objects such as rhytae in shape of Greek gods and goddesses and with Greek mythological carvings on them, and larger ones such as Greek statues, particularly the architecture shows much Greek influence; however, it is also the architecture that shows Iranian elements.
It is, however, wrong to claim that the Parthians had no individual art development. Many pieces of clearly non-Greek style have been found in many parts of the empire, as well as beyond its frontiers. Hatra, for example, shows many Parthian elements of art and architecture (in particular the "Iwans", large rooms, open to one side and with a rounded roof). Another very famous object of Parthian art is the so-called "Prince of Shami", a bronze statue, thought to resemble a prince, which has only lost its arms. The anatomy is not perfect -the head is too small- but the work is brilliant, and it reveals the Parthian clothing and ornaments very well.
Also, Parthian coinage shows the interesting mix of Iranian and Greek elements, and also provides us with a complete chronology of Parthian rulers.

In general, the descriptions are longer than that, the passage about the age of Darius I. alone is longer than the entire quote above.
But I have read only scarce sources on that, the Parthian age is the epoch of ancient Iran I know the least about.

[Prometeus]

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel
Antiochus III. however, was able to suppress them, and was able to extend his territory to eastern Iran.

only in part ...

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel
Not long afterwards, Persia and Elam were lost,

Mithridates I attacked an seized them shortly after as well as Media Atropatene and southern Armenia ( Armenia was splitted into two parts in Seleucid period, Armenia Maior and Armenia Minor... )

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel
and after the Romans defeated Antiochus, the Parnians (now called Parthians after their new home) conquered many parts of Iran.

from 171 to 124 bc or so...

Originally posted by Stefan Härtel
Meanwhile, the Bactrians could conquer parts of India, forever ending the hopes of the Seleucids to gain control over that area again.

but Mithridates II gained Gedrosia from bactrians in 100 bc or so.

from my researchs about hellenistic Parthia.