Musa of Parthia

Musa was Queen of the Parthian Empire from ca. 2 BC to 4 AD. She is called as Thermusa by Josephus and is also known as Thea Urania (Astarte). She was a concubine given by the Roman Emperor Augustus (27 BC – 14) to King Phraates IV of Parthia (37–2 BC). Around the same time, Augustus recovered the eagle standards (Aquilae) lost by Marcus Licinius Crassus in the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC.

Phraates IV made her his favored wife; her son Phraates V (2 BC – 4), commonly called Phraataces (a diminutive form), he appointed successor. She persuaded Phraates IV to send his other sons to Rome as hostages. With all rivals out of the way, she and Phraataces poisoned the king and assumed the throne in 2 BC. They appear together on their coins, and were apparently co-rulers.

Josephus alleges that Musa then married Phraates V, and, this being unacceptable to the Parthians, they rose up and overthrew them, offering the crown to Orodes III (who ruled briefly in 6).

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

Parthia

Parthia (Old Persian: 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺, Parθava, Parthian: 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅, Parθaw, Middle Persian: 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥, Pahlaw) is a historical region located in north-eastern Iran. It was the political and cultural base of the Arsacid dynasty, rulers of the Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)

The name "Parthia" is a continuation from Latin Parthia, from Old Persian Parthava, which was the Parthian language self-designator signifying "of the Parthians" who were an Iranian people. In context to its Hellenistic period Parthia also appears as Parthyaea.

Geography

Parthia roughly corresponds to a region in northeastern Iran. It was bordered by the Karakum desert in the north, included Kopet Dag mountain range and the Dasht-e-Kavir desert in the south. It bordered Media on the west, Hyrcania on the north west, Margiana on the north east, and Aria on the south east.

During Arsacid times, Parthia was united with Hyrcania as one administrative unit, and that region is therefore often (subject to context) considered a part of Parthia proper.

Parthia (horse)

Parthia (1956–1982) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a career that lasted from October 1958 to July 1960 he ran twelve times, winning six races, four of which are now Group races. His most notable success came in the 1959 Epsom Derby. He went on to have a successful stud career in Great Britain and Japan.

Background

Parthia was a bay horse bred in England by his owner Sir Humphrey de Trafford. He was trained throughout his career by the veteran Captain (later Sir) Cecil Boyd-Rochfort at his Freemason Lodge Stable at Newmarket, Suffolk.

Parthia’s sire Persian Gulf won the Coronation Cup in 1944 and went on to be a successful sire. Apart from Parthia, his most notable offspring was the 1000 Guineas winner Zabara. His dam, Lightning won one race and was a half sister of Alcide. Alcide, who ran for the same owner and trainer as Parthia, had been the ante-post favourite for the 1958 Derby but was withdrawn from the race after being “got at” (deliberately injured) in his stable.

Parthia (disambiguation)

Parthia can refer to:

See also