Vonones II

Vonones II was a Parthian prince who served as a King of Media Atropatene and briefly as King of the Parthian Empire.

Vonones II
Coin of Vonones II
King of Media Atropatene
Reign11 – 51
PredecessorArtabanus II
SuccessorPacorus
King of the Parthian Empire
Reign51
PredecessorGotarzes II
SuccessorVologases I
Died51 AD
IssueVologases I
Pacorus
Tiridates I of Armenia
DynastyArsacid dynasty
Fatherunnamed Dahae prince
Motherunnamed daughter of Phraates IV
ReligionZoroastrianism

Vonones was not from the ruling branch of the Arsacid royal family; his father was a Dahae prince, who was most likely descended from the former Arsacid monarch Mithridates II (r. 124–88 BC),[1][2] whilst his mother was a daughter of the incumbent Arsacid King of Kings Phraates IV (r. 37–2 BC).[2] Vonones II's brother was the Parthian King Artabanus II.[1] Vonones II was the namesake of his maternal relative Vonones I (r. 8–12), as he was born and raised in the Parthian Empire.

From about 11 until 51, Vonones II served as a King of Media Atropatene,[3][4] a period about which little is known.

After the death of his nephew Gotarzes II, Vonones II was raised to the Parthian Kingship in 51. However, he died a few months into his reign and was succeeded by his son, Vologases I. Tacitus wrote that Vonones II “knew neither success nor failure which have deserved to be remembered to him. It was a short and inglorious reign”.[5]

Vonones II had 3 sons who held the thrones of Parthia, Media Atropatene and Armenia: Pacorus, Vologases I, and Tiridates I. His sons were born and raised during his Kingship of Media Atropatene.

References
  1. Olbrycht 2016, p. 24.
  2. Olbrycht 2014, pp. 94–96.
  3. Tacitus, Annals, 12.14
  4. Bunson, A Dictionary of the Roman Empire, p.454
  5. Annals, 12.14

Sources
  • Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, xx, 3, 4.
  • Tacitus, Annals
  • Meyer, Eduard (1911). "Vonones s.v. Vonones II." . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 211.
  • M. Bunson, A Dictionary of the Roman Empire, Oxford University Press, 1995
  • S. Baldwin, Comments on "Iberian route" DFA line, web, 1996
  • W. Woodthorpe Tarn, The Greeks in Bactria and India, Cambridge University Press, 2010
  • Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2014). "The Genealogy of Artabanos II (AD 8/9–39/40), King of Parthia": 92–97. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Olbrycht, Marek Jan (2016). "Dynastic Connections in the Arsacid Empire and the Origins of the House of Sāsān". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth J.; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and Early Sasanian Empires: Adaptation and Expansion. Oxbow Books. ISBN 9781785702082.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Vonones II
Preceded by
Gotarzes II		 Great King (Shah) of Parthia
51		 Succeeded by
Vologases I
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