Parthian Hegemony

This chapter emphasizes the efforts of Mithridates II to consolidate and expand his power and prestige to establish the Parthians as an unrivaled imperial force. Through a determined war against the Central Asian tribal confederations, Mithridates emerged as the savior of the empire. After restoring the eastern frontier, he turned his attention to expanding Parthian power and influence over the remaining Hellenistic rivals to the west, particularly Armenia and the dwindling Seleucid state. Mithridates utilized diplomacy and military force to dominate these rivals, expanding the network of vassal kings under his authority and taking the title “King of Kings.” The hegemonic campaign he began against the Seleucids eventually culminated in the temporary submission of the Seleucids to Parthian dominance under his immediate successors, ending a century-and-a-half-long rivalry. In the late second and early first centuries, Mithridates established the Parthians for the first time as the undisputed masters of the Hellenistic Middle East.