Artabanos und die Meder

Abstract

Artabanos II, before becoming the Parthian Great King, served as regent or king of Greater Media, a key Parthian territory. This post was typically occupied by brothers or sons of the reigning Parthian king, suggesting that Artabanos was likely the brother or son of King Orodes III. The article challenges the frequent assumption in scholarship that Artabanos or Orodes belonged to a secondary branch of the Arsacid family, finding no substantive evidence for this view. It also disputes theories of Artabanos’ origins from Media Atropatene or eastern nomadic groups, arguing that he was undoubtedly an Arsacid on his father’s side. The article contextualizes the royal office in Greater Media as a customary position for prominent Arsacid princes and not as the basis for a lasting secondary dynasty. Ultimately, the author concludes that Artabanos’ right to the throne stemmed from his close kinship with the ruling dynasty and not from any external or secondary lineage, thereby calling into question models of Parthian aristocratic factionalism based on local or regional affiliations found in some modern interpretations.