9.46 Second Persian Empire (250 BC-651 AD)

In 245 BC the Greek Satrap ruling Persia revolted, and in the ensuing confusion Parthia (Northern Iran) was overrun by the Parni, a nomadic tribe from Southeast of the Caspian Sea. They became known as the Parthians and their leaders were the Arsacid Dynasty. They expanded their Empire at the cost of the Seleucid Empire, taking Seleucia in 141 BC and making it their Western Capital. The city grew to a population of 600,000, vying with Alexandria and Rome.

Map of Parthian Empire 60 BC - source
Wikipedia via Quadell

Their Empire grew to embrace Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, and parts of Turkey, Georgia and on to Pakistan. For a while they controlled Cyprus and the Levant. The Parthians were the arch enemy of the Romans in the East and there were several battles between them in Anatolia, when the Romans were at the height of their power. In particular there was a battle in 53 BC that conclusively stopped the Roman’s eastward expansion. The strength of the Parthians was due to them having two types of cavalry, one heavily armed and armoured that devastated Roman foot soldiers, and a highly mobile force with extraordinary skills that allowed the riders to fire their bows turning backwards in their saddles at full gallop, which took a deadly toll of the following Roman cavalry.

Glazed Parthian jugs - source parthia.com,
C D Hopkins

Parthian pottery was wheel-made, grey or red unglazed wares together with one of their greatest achievements, a newly introduced dark green or tan coloured alkali glaze on fine white ware. The glaze could be readily applied to this fine white paste body.

After Alexander’s conquest, glazing had reduced in Mesopotamia until it was resurrected by the Parthians. The grey ware was mainly bowls, small cups and large jars, all with convex bases, sometimes polished but not decorated. The more popular red ware was the Late Hellenistic/Early Roman Eastern “Terra Sigillata” ware, which had a pale fine body with bright red slip. It spread throughout the Parthian Empire between the 1^st century BC and the end of the 1^st century AD. It had the same shapes as grey ware but with everted rims. “Clinky” ware was a version of red ware having a red exterior and grey interior and a very thin body that when tapped gives a clinking sound. Zoomorphic rhytons were still popular in both colours, as well as buff, and included camels. The alkali glazed vessels were commonly pilgrim flasks, two-handled vases, one handled pitchers and large bowls with short legs – possibly related to contemporary Chinese bronzes. Amphorae were also made with deep blue, yellow or green glaze. There were also elegant white-glazed bowls and turquoise dishes. The glazed vessels usually had simple incised decoration.

Parthian Turquoise glazed amphora and
rhyton 1/3 centuries AD - courtesy Baraka

Parthian nude reclining on couch, Uruk,
100 BC-100 AD - source National Museum of
Iraq, Baghdad

The Parthians had different beliefs regarding burials, so they used cooking pots to bury small children, and larger pottery jars or glazed pottery coffins for adults. The latter were made from clay slabs joined together and covered with a thin clay skim, stamped or incised with motifs such as soldiers, covered in a green glaze and fired upright. Parthian pottery products were widely distributed and a Parthian slipper coffin and lid was discovered in Uruk dated to around 100 BC.