119: The Rise of the Parthian Empire - From Arsaces to Mithridates I

About this episode

This episode chronicles the rise of the Parthian Empire from its foundation to the reign of Mithridates I.

As Rome consolidated the Mediterranean under their hegemony, the Parthians were poised to overrun Iran and Mesopotamia. Leading a small tribe from the steppes during the mid-third century B.C., the Arsacid dynasty established themselves as vassal-rulers in the Seleucid Empire, but the turmoil in Syria during the second century allowed the Arsacids to challenge the Seleucids for mastery over the Hellenistic Middle East. In this episode, we chronicle the origins of the Parthian Empire from its foundation to the reign of Mithridates I, exploring how the Arsacids forged a realm that they would oversee for nearly five hundred years. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2026/04/14/119-the-rise-of-the-parthian-empire-from-arsaces-to-mithridates-i/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/119-the-rise-of-the-parthian-empire-from-arsaces-to-mithridates-i-transcript.pdf) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/hellenisticpod.bsky.social) Show…

People in this episode

Host: The Hellenistic Age Podcast

Topics covered

• Parthian Empire
• Arsacid dynasty
• Hellenistic Middle East
• Seleucid Empire
• ancient history

Keywords

• Parthian Empire
• Arsacid dynasty
• Mithridates I
• Seleucid Empire
• ancient history
• Iran
• Mesopotamia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Parthian Empire, Seleucid Empire

Places: Iran, Mesopotamia, Syria

More episodes of The Hellenistic Age Podcast

• 121: The Seleucid Empire - The Man They Called Sidetes · May 26, 2026 · 43 min
• 120 The Seleucid Empire - Writing on the Wall · May 5, 2026 · 44 min
• 118: Graecia Capta - The Roman Conquest of Greece · March 25, 2026 · 39 min
• 117: Antigonid Macedon - The Vergina Sun Never Sets... · February 23, 2026 · 20 min
• 116: The Third Punic War - Dido's Lament · February 8, 2026 · 37 min
• 115: The Third Punic War - Delenda Est · January 20, 2026 · 34 min