My New Ancient Parthian

Thanks, Deacon Ray, I'm honored that you hold my opinion that high! That is a nice drachm of Phraates IV, as dougsmit said from the mint of Rhagae (modern Rayy, formerly a separate city but now incorporated as an outlying district of Tehran). Coins of Phraataces by himself are not all that scarce, but coins portraying his mother/wife are fairly rare and expensive. Here's the only example from my collection:

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

D-Ray ...



... I'm just sayin'

Just jokes => yah, I'm burnin' the coin-candle at both ends too ... see ya in

 

Nice Phraataces/Musa drachm, Parthicus. Here's mine, along with a couple of my nicer Phraates IV's:

 

We need to talk about this Wife/Mother on his coin... You sure this King is not Œdipus?... I mean that is a pretty confusing statement if Phraataces cannot decide wife or mother... or both here...

 

The backstory: Musa was a scheming and incestuous Roman concubine who was given by Augustus to the Parthian King Phraates IV during a period in which the empires weren’t warring. She and her son Phraataces poisoned Phraates, then married each other and took over the Parthian throne as co-rulers from 2 BC until being overthrown by the Parthian nobility in 4 AD. During their joint reign mother/son/husband/wife issued coins that show both of their images.

 

Bob L. gives a good explanation of the whole Phraataces/Musa situation. Unfortunately, it's hard to find reliable modern narrative history for the Parthians in the same way that one can for the Roman emperors or Hellenistic monarchs. Despite its age, and consequently being superseded by more recent scholarship in some places, my favorite book on Parthian and Sasanian history is "The Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World; or, The History, Geography, and Antiquities of Chaldaea, Assyria, Babylon, Media, Persia, Parthia, and Sassanian, or New Persian Empire. By George Rawlinson, M.A., Camden Professor of Ancient History in the University of Oxford." Written c. 1875, it is available for free download through Project Gutenberg, and the Parthian section is available as a reprint from Amazon. Fred Shore's book on Parthian coinage, from 1993, also has a good discussion of the history and culture of the Parthians. There is a good recent book on Sasanian history by Touraj Darayee, "Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire", but I don't know of any similar recent comprehensive history of Parthia.

 

These takes on Musa were what Sellowwd was talking about.

The most pious Caesar Augustus gave Musa to Phraates as a State gift. I suspect she was better looking than the average slave girl. What we call incest was the normal way of doing business in many Eastern cultures and how the king could find a wife worthy of his bloodline without incurring the problems that come with in-laws. For example, the need to find suitable mates of high enough blood resulted in the German Hanovers becoming kings of England. The Egyptians were very much into sister/wife/mother complexes. Before you blame Musa and the kid for killing Phraates, read up on how he managed to be king. It has been truly said of many cultures that the most dangerous thing you can be is brother of the king. Ask Geta. Even the Romans had little problem with such family links. Julia Maesa and Soemias claimed Elagabalus was son of Caracalla. Caligula died while planning to move the capitol to Egypt which was more into his lifestyle (even though his sister Drusilla was dead before that). Writing ancient histories that were palatable to Victorian sensibilities was a problem.

Things got a lot better after Christianity came to the front. Byzantines rarely killed off dad unless he did not react properly to having his tongue split or eyes removed making him too imperfect to be emperor.

That rough Noah is one of the better ones because it shows at least part of the name Noah on the side of the box. Many do not; very few have all three letters. I'd rather have the one with Septimius Severus and better surfaces. What holes?

 

Spectacular!

 

Thank you again, Parthicus!
The Phraataces Tetradrachm has crossed the finish line thus completing my Parthian trifecta. Yes, the more I read about this one the more I was convinced that it belongs in my collection. It should be in the mail by tomorrow. LOL!

Dealer's photo

 

It can. I also have a solonina picked up recently for ten english pounds. That'd be about fifty cents post brexit!

 

Excellent. My master plan to create more Parthian collectors moves closer to completion... [evil laugh]

But seriously, that's a good Phraataces tet, if you're not ready to spring for the version with Musa. Congratulations on your entry into this rewarding sub-specialty!

 

Thanks for your support, Parthicus! I figure that Parthia is not too far afield of Judaea. The coins will fit nicely into my Biblical Contemporary and Parallel Kingdoms Collection! LOL! (I just made that up but it actually has a nice ring to it). Anyway, I promise that you will be the first to know (other than the coin dealer) when I have found and purchased a Parthian gem featuring Queen Musa!

 

Very nice Phraataces tet, Deacon Ray. I’ll add a few coins related to the direction the conversation has taken. First a couple of my own Phraataces tets:



And one of my Vonones I tets below.

Prior to claiming the Parthian throne, Vonones, who was a brother of Phraataces, had been captive in Rome as part of a treaty the Romans made with their father Phraates IV. Around 6 AD Augustus sent Vonones to Parthia to be king. Things did not go well: “...the refined, or effeminate, habits that he had acquired in Rome soon disgusted his subjects (and) he showed a marked distaste for such typically Parthian occupations as hunting and riding.” (Wroth) He ended up battling against another member of the Arsacid clan, Artabanus II, for the rulership. Eventually Artabanus won out and had Vonones murdered.

But while he was claimant to the throne, Vonones issued coins that had his name spelled out in Greek (it was very atypical for Parthian rulers to do this), along with the legend translating as “conqueror of Artabanus” – commemorating a temporary victory over his rival.

Many of Vonones’ tetradrachms are overstruck on the tets that his brother Phraataces struck with his mother/wifeMusa. While this may have been done for expediency given how quickly Vonones became immersed in the political power struggle with Artabanus, it seems to me that overstriking coins of his father’s murderers may have brought some sense of satisfaction. Often you can tell, while looking at a Vonones tet, that it has been overstruck upon another issue of some sort – but the Phraataces/Musa undertype is unclear. On occasion, though, you can see a remnant of the undertype a bit more clearly. On this example, Phraataces’ profile is visible on the reverse.

 

Somehow, I think those 'imaginary' holes make the coin even more attractive---it's a wonderful coin!!

That's such a cool example...I love it!! Hmm I wonder if @stevex6 has one ???

 

A beautiful original coins of an counterfeiter history!!

 

3 parthian coins in 3 days! DANG! i've only picked up one more than you in 5 years! that's awesome! and all are very nice!

here's my last two parthians, a drachm and tetradrachm from the same fellow...




Parthian Kingdom. Vologases IV. A.D. 147-191. Silver Drachm

O: Bust left with long, tapering and square cut beard, wearing double banded diadem with double loop, and tiara with earflaps, decorated with "hooks" on crest, ear and earring visible, spiral torque, dotted border. R: Archer enthroned right, pellet above arm, monogram below bow, single line Aramaic (top) , followed by a six-line stylised "Greek" inscription. Ecbatana .mint. 3.5 g, 19 mm. Sellwood type 84.128, ex. Tom Buggey.



Volgases IV, Tetradrachm. 147-191 AD

O: Diademed bust left, wearing tiara; B behind / Greek legend, Vologases seated left on throne, Tyche standing right before him, presenting a diadem and holding sceptre; year (Seleucid 464, 152 AD), month below (November),Seleucia on the Tigris mint, 26 mm, 13.6 g. Sellwood 84.12-5; Shore 427.

 

While there is something appealing about any overstrike, one that not only allows ID of the undertype but that has a reason that it was overstruck is very special. Coins of Vonones are special to me because of his use of the obverse legend but this one is just about as cool as they come. Of course some of you will say it is uncollectable because it is not MS and has flaws. I'll say the only thing that would make it better would be if the under-profile showing had been that of Musa instead.

 

Thanks, Chrsmat! They are very beautiful coins! The imagery appears to be a blend of Greek and Asian styles coming together. I have to go now and buy more before they close the borders!!! Just kidding!

 

Nice coins, Chris. Excellent strike on that Volo IV.

Totally agree. In the same CNG auction that I won the Vonones I that I posted above, I missed out on the coin below. The undertype is clear and BOTH Phraataces AND Musa are visible. What a coin! Wish I had gotten it...