House of Arsaces

Dec 30

Type: Historical, Royal
Most Significant: 2nd C. BCE - 7th C. CE
Patriarch/Eponymous Founder: Arsaces I - Aršak (اَرشَک) - who in turn may have been named after Achaemenid Emperor, Arsaces (Artaxerxes II Reignal Name) whom he claimed lineage from.
Ethno-Linguistic Family: Iranian, Parni, Parthian
Seat: Ctesiphon, Ecbatana, Hecatompylos (Šahr-e Qumis), Susa, Mithradatkirt, Asaak, Rhages

The House of Arsaces, also known as the Arsacid or Parthian dynasty, was the ruling family of the Parthian Empire, which was located in what is now Iran and parts of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Mesopotamia. The dynasty was founded by Arsaces I, who declared himself king of Parthia in the mid-3rd century BC after leading a rebellion against the Seleucid Empire, which had controlled the region since the death of Alexander the Great. The Arsacids, who spoke a form of Middle Iranian known as Parthian, are known for their military prowess and for their cultural achievements, including their art, architecture, and literature.

House of Arsaces was not only significant in Iranian history but also in Armenian and Indian subcontinent history.