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VOLOGAESES (Vologaesus, Vologases; on...

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 196 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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VOLOGAESES (Vologaesus, Vologases; on the coins Ologases; Armen. Valarsk; Mod. Pers. See also:Balash) , the name of five See also:Parthian See also:kings. (1) VOLOGAESES I., son of See also:Vonones II. by a See also:Greek concubine (Tac. See also:Ann. xii. 44), succeeded his See also:father in A.D. 51 (Tac. Ann. xii. 14; cf. See also:Joseph. See also:Ant. xx.

3, 4). He gave the See also:

kingdom of See also:Media Atropatene to his See also:brother See also:Pacorus, and occupied See also:Armenia for another brother, See also:Tiridates (Tac. Ann. )(ii. 50, xv. 2; Joseph. Ant. xx. 3, 4). This led to a See also:long See also:war with See also:Rome (54-63), which was ably conducted by the See also:Roman See also:general See also:Corbulo. The See also:power of Vologaeses was weakened by an attack of the Dahan and Sacan nomads, a See also:rebellion of the Hyrcanians, and the usurpation of See also:Vardanes II. (Tac. Ann. xiii.

7, 37; xiv. 25; xv. ,; cf. Joseph. Ant. xx. 4, 2, where he is prevented from attacking the See also:

vassal See also:king of Adiabene by an invasion of the eastern nomads). At last a See also:peace was concluded, by which Tiridates was acknowledged as king of Armenia, but had to become a vassal of the See also:Romans; he went to Rome, where See also:Nero gave him back the diadem (Tac. Ann. xv. r ff.; Dio See also:Cass. lxii. 19 if., lxiii. , ff.) ; from that See also:time an Arsacid See also:dynasty ruled in Armenia under Roman supremacy. Vologaeses was satisfied with thisresult, and honoured the memory of Nero (See also:Suet. Nero, 57), though he stood in See also:good relations with See also:Vespasian also, to whom he offered an See also:army of 40,000 archers in the war against See also:Vitellius (Tac.

Hist. iv. 51; Suet, Vespas. 6; cf. Joseph. Ant. vii. 5, 2. 7, 3; Dio Cass. lxvi. I). Soon afterwards the See also:

Alani, a See also:great nomadic tribe beyond the See also:Caucasus, invaded Media and Armenia (Joseph. See also:Bell. vii. 7, 4); Vologaeses applied in vain for help to Vespasian (Dio Cass. lxvi. il; Suet. See also:Domitian, 2).

It appears that the See also:

Persian losses in the See also:east also could not be repaired; See also:Hyrcania remained an See also:independent kingdom (Joseph. Bell. vii. 7, 4; Aurel. Viet. Epit. 15, 4). Vologaeses I. died about A.D. 77. His reign is marked by a decided reaction against See also:Hellenism; he built Vologesocerta (Balashkert) in the neighbourhood of See also:Ctesiphon with the intention of See also:drawing to this new See also:town the inhabitants. of the Greek See also:city See also:Seleucia (Plin. Vi. 122). Another town founded by him is Vologesias on a See also:canal of the See also:Euphrates, See also:south of See also:Babylon (near See also:Hira; cf.

See also:

Noldeke in Zeitschrsft der deuischen-morgenl. Gesellschaft, See also:xxviii. 93 ff.). On some of his coins the See also:initials of his name appear in Aramaic letters. (2) VOLOGAESES II., probably the son of Vologaeses appears on coins, which See also:bear his proper name, in 77-79, and again 121-47. During this time the Parthian kingdom was torn by See also:civil See also:wars between different pretenders, which reached their height during the war of See also:Trajan, 114-17. Besides Vologaeses II. we find on coins and in the authors Pacorus (78-c. x05), See also:Artabanus See also:IIL(8o-81), See also:Osroes (106-29), See also:Mithradates V. (c. 129-47) and some others; thus the Parthian See also:empire seems during this whole time to have been divided into two or three different kingdoms. By classic authors Vologaeses II. is mentioned in the time of See also:Hadrian (c.131), when See also:Cappadocia, Armenia and Media were invaded by the Alani (Dio Cass. lxix. 15). (3) VOLOGAESES III., 147-91.

Under him, the unity of the empire was restored. But he was attacked by the Romans under See also:

Marcus Aurelius and Verus (162-65). In this war Seleucia was destroyed and the See also:palace of Ctesiphon burnt down by Avidius See also:Cassius (164); the Romans even advanced into Media. In the peace, western See also:Mesopotamia was ceded to the Romans (Dio Cass. lxxi. 1 ff.; Capitolin. Marc. Aur. 8 f.; Verus 8, &c.). Vologaeses III. is probably the king Volgash of the Parsee tradition, preserved in the Dinkart, who began the gathering of the writings of Zoroaster. (4) VOLOGAESES IV., 191-209. He was attacked by Septimius See also:Severus in 195, who advanced into Mesopotamia, occupied See also:Nisibis and plundered Ctesiphon (199), but attempted in vain to conquer the Arabic fortress Atra; in 202 peace was restored. (5) VOLOGAESES V., 209-C.

222, son of Vologaeses IV. Soon after his See also:

accession his brother Artabanus IV., the last Arsacid king, rebelled against him, and became See also:master of the greater See also:part of the empire (Dio Cass. lxxvii. 12). But Vologaeses V. maintained himself in a part of Babylonia; his dated coins reach down to A.D. 222. (ED.

End of Article: VOLOGAESES (Vologaesus, Vologases; on the coins Ologases; Armen. Valarsk; Mod. Pers. Balash)

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