Parthia

Sources from old books

1638. The merchants mappe of commerce wherein by Lewes Roberts.

The next Country subject to the Crowne of Persia is Parthia, bounded on the East with Aria, on the West with Media, on the South with Caramania, and on the North with Hircania, and is now in the Persian tongue called Erache. The chiefe Cities that are found in this tract are Guerde, Irsdie, and last Hispahan, formerly Hecatompyle, the residence of the present Sophie, and accounted of that bignesse, that the Persians hyperbolly call it, Halfe the world; under which I will comprehend the generall trade of Persia, so farre forth as I have found it observed.

1652. Cosmographie in four bookes by Peter Heylyn.

PARTHIA is bounded on the East, with Aria; on the West, with Media; on the North, with Hyrcania; and on the South, with that part of Carmania, which by Ptolomy and others of the Antients was called Deserta. The reason of the name we shall see anon. But that name being laid aside it is now called Arach.

The Countrey walled as it were round with Mountains, and in most parts overgrown with woods; by which defended from those heats to which otherwise it would be subject, it produceth many things of necessary use for the life of the people; but nothing for riot and excess. In other places where the shade of the wood is wanting, the whole Countrey is in a manner but a sandy Desart, dangerous to Travellers, and impassable even with the help of Guides, the sands continually driven from one place to another, taking away all tracts of a beaten way. For which cause there be certain Castles at each three miles end, built at the Kings charge, as well for the direction as the reception of Passengers; and Cawseys of many miles in length, in some other places, for their better travelling; the sands on each side of them so loose and light, that if a man should fall aside, he were lost remediless.

The people antiently were very couragious and stout, as commonly they are in all barren Countries, and were withall of a Scythian extract and originall. Exceeding spare of diet, and good reason for it, the Countrey not affording any superfluities; but otherwise much given to pleasures, allowing themselves plurality of wives and Concubines. Good horsemen, and to that so used, that they consulted of all business both private and publique, when they were on horse-back. Such lovers of the warres, that they accompted no man happy after his decease but who died in battell; esteeming of all others but as fooles or Cowards. Their Souldiers for the most part Slaves, whom they trained up unto their weapons, and to manage horses: insomuch as of 50000 horse which the Parthian King had in the field against Marcus Antonius, there were not above 800. Free-men. But their greatest same consisted in the handling of their Bow and Arrows, esteemed the best Archers in the world, and not underservedly; having the Art of shooting backwards, and making their Retreat or flight more terrible, than their charge or onset. Whence that of Senoca.

Terga conversi metuenda Parthi.

The Parthians flight

Doth most affright.

Which, with the manner of their fight, more copiously described by Lucan thus.

Pugna levis, bellum{que} fugax, turmae{que} fugaces,

Et melior cessisse loco quam pellere miles.

Illita terra dolis, nec Martem cominus unquam

Ausa pati virtus, sed longe tendere nervos.

Which I find thus Englished to my hand.

Light skirmish, fleeing warre, and scattered bands,

And better Souldiers when they run away,

Than to cut off an enemy that stands.

Their crafty Gall-thraps on the ground they lay,

Nor dares their courage come to down-right blows,

But fight best furthest off, most trusting to their bows.

From hence it was that M. Crassus, in his expedition against them, being told by an Astrologer, that his enterprise would prove unprosperous, by reason of some ill aspect which he had found in Scorpio; Tush (said he) I fear not Scorpio, but Sagittarius. And to these warlike exercises of horse and Archery, the temper of the Air and Soyl, gave no smal advantages, the dry Air seasoning their Bow-strings, and their large fields affording them sufficient room to train their horses. Coelum enim quod siccum est, nervos intentos facti; Regio tota plana est, et ob eam rem equis accomodata, as it is in Dion. But this is to be understood not of Parthia onely, but the whole Countrey of Persia; subject at that time to the power of the Parthian Kings. Next to these Parthians, the English have been looked on formerly, as the ablest Bow-men, having gotten by their bow and arrows as many notable victories over the French, as the Partians ever did obtain upon the Romans. But at this time Archery both here, and elsewhere, is quite laid aside, the Gun silencing all offensive weapons: how justly I determine not. The point hath been long since debated betwix: Sir John Smith, and Sir Roger Williams; many great wits appeared upon either side; and the summe of their severall Arguments drawn up together by Sir Clement Edmunds in his judicious observations upon Casirs Commentaries, to which the Reader may repair for his satisfaction. All I shall say is only this, that victories as great as any in those elder daies have been obtained with farre less bloodshed, since the Gun came up, than in any of the times before it.

The Religion of this People hath suffered under the same changes with the rest of Persia, but they have a language of their own, mixt of Mede and Scythian. For which besides the testimony of humane Authors, we have the Authority of Scriptures; where the Parthians, Elamites, and Medes, are named as Nations of a severall language, or a different Dialect at the least, Acts 2.

Rivers of note I find not any, nor any Mountains proper and peculiar to them: Coronus, part of the great Mountain Taurus, lying in common betwixt them and Hyrcania; as Masdoranus doth betwixt them and Aria, and the hills called Parchoatras, betwixt them and the Desarts of Carmania. So that for want of such known Landmarks, the finding out of their antient Cities would be very difficult, if any learned Antiquary should undertake it.

The Countrey antiently more populous, the towns and villages thicker set, than they be at the present: many Cities, and 2000 villages having, been overthrown with Earth-quakes. In Ptolomy we find the names of 25. of their Cities distributed into the 4 Provinces or Tetrarchies of Camisene towards Hyrcania; Par•hiens, bordering on Media; Paracanticene, confining on Aria; Tabiene, neighbouring Carmanta. The principall of which, and of those that are now in being, 1. Genonia. 2. Charax. 3. Ar〈◊〉. 4. Apama, which by the name seems to have been of the foundation of Seleucus. 5. Dardamana. 6. Syndaga. 7. Pasacarta. 8. Hecatompyle, the Royall City, so called from the number of an hundred Gates in the walls thereof, by which we may conjecture at the antient greatness: the Parthians, which had seen no greater, calling it by the glorious name of Half the world. 9. Hispaan, commonly called Spahan, or Spawhawn, raised out of the ruins of Hecatompyle, and as that was, the Regal City for these parts. In compass about nine miles, of figure round, and seated in the middest of a large and capacious Plain, beautified with many pleasant Gardens, goodly Bathes, and handsome Mosques. But the greatest glory of it lieth in the market-place or Midan, quadrangular in form, but the sides unequal; cloistred about, and well stored with merchandise of all sorts, but drugs especially: the Court or Quadrangle, serving for horse-races, and other warlike exercises which are done on horse-back. On the west-side a magnificent Mosque, built of white Marble five yards high, and the rest above that of brick; curiously interwoven with Araback Poesies. In the middest a fait Conduit, wherewith they purifie themselves when they go to their prayers. On another side the Royall Palace, wronght in the Front with Antique works; the Floors on the inside covered with rich Persian Carpets; and the Roofs chargeably embossed with Gold and Azure, 10. Jelphea, on the other side of the River on which Spawhawn is seated, as the Burgh of Southwark is to London; wholly inhabited (at this time) by Armenian Christians, from hence called Jelphelines, who live here in great freedome, both for person, and conscience, but that their spoll-money is taxed at an higher rate. 11. Groom, a right pleasant and healthy City, well built, of large streets, and seated on the banks of a small but delightfull River, issuing out of the Coronian Mountains, neer to which it standeth. Consisting at the present of 2000 Families, but antiently, as may be gathered from some ruins, of farre greater compass. Much honoured by the Persians for the Sepulchre of Fatima, the daughter of Mahomer, from whom the Sophian Sect and Princes do derive their Pedegree. 12. C•him, a rich and pleasant City, about 60 miles from Spawhawn, well-built, and peopled by a number of 〈◊〉 who for the making of Silks, Sattens, and cloth of Gold, are in great esteem. Beautified amongst other things with a stately and magnificent Caravanus-Raw, built by Sultan Abas, for the reception of Strangers, whether Merchants or other Travellers, but fit to entertian any Prince of Asia. The City of no great age, the work either of Vssan-Cassanes, the Armenian, who got the Crown of Persia, in the year 1470. or at the highest of Cassam, the sonne of Axan and Grand-sonne of Tangrolipix, the first Turk here reigning; from one of which it had this name. 13. Tawgehawt, where the Persian Kings have a house of pleasure, of no great receipt, but for the cost and ofnaments of it, and the delectableness of the Gardens adjoyning to it, not yielding to any in this large Empire: and for Grots, Ecchos, Labyrin hs, and the other excellencies of Art, perhaps not fellowed in the world, especially considering that it standeth in the midle of a sandy Desart.

The Parthians were originally a Scythian Nation, banished their own Countrey, and glad to plant themselves in this barren Region, calling themselves by the name of Parthians, which in their language signifieth as much as Exiles. A People so obscure and poor, either not knowing or not caring for the use of money, that none of Alexanders great Captains would vouchasafe to be their Governour; but let it lie as an Appendix of Media, to the Kings whereof it had originally been subject, till one Philip, a man of small regard, took the place upon him. Falling at last, with the rest of Alexanders Asian purchases, into the hands of Seleucus, it was governed by the Lieutenants of the Syrian Kings, till the time of Seleucus Calinicus, the fourth of that house. During whose reign, Arsaces a noble Parthian, provoked by some indignities, slew the Governour, and took the estate upon himself, perswading all the rest of the Provinces to do the like: and thrived so well in his design, that he not onely gained the Kingdome of Parthia, but united to it all the Provinces lying on the East of Euphrates. Of whom and his Successors more, in the story of Persia. After this nothing singular which concerns this Province, but that as this Arsaces did recover the Persian liberty from the power of the Greeks; so Gempsas, one of the Sultans of this Province also, redeemed (though but for a little time) this Parthia and the parts adjoyning, from the yoak of the Tartars; as shall be shewn in prosecution of the Persian History.

1693. A geographical dictionary representing the present and ancient names by Edmund Bohun.

Parthia, a Kingdom of the Ancient Persia: established about the year of Rome, 508; of the World, 3808; two hundred and fifty years before Christ; in the person of Arsaces, from whom all the succeding Kings were called Arsacides; and ended with the Death of Artabanus, King of Parthia, slain by Artaxerxes King of Persia, about two hundred twenty seven years after Christ; when it had enjoyed a Duration of above four hundred years. It rendered it self sometime so puissant, as to dispute the Empire of the East with the Romans. Situated betwixt Hircania, Media, Aria, Carmania, and the Modern Province of Fars, i. e. Persia, properly so called. A Country not at all fruitful; yet nevertheless then inhabited by a fierce, warlike, indefatigable People; particularly famous for a Dexterity in shooting one way, (behind them,) as they fled another. Ptolemy reckons, in his time, in this Kingdom, twenty five Cities; whereof the Capital was Hecatompolis, which is understood to be the Modern Haspaam in the Province of Hierach, Arach, or Erak-Atzem in Persia; as that Province, together with Khoemus and a part of Corasan, are understood to comprehend now the ancient Parthia.

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Parthia, the Country of the Parthians, a Province of Persia, that formerly gave name to a great Empire. It lies in Asia between Media, Hyrcania, Aria, Carmania, and the Province of Pharsi; and is now called Arak, or Er•k and Yerak, and Arak Atzen, when distinguished from Arak Arabi the Country of Bagdat: Others say, That the Parthia that now is, comprehends the Province of Khaemus, and part of that called Chorasan. The Parts of this Country were Comisena, Parthiena, Coraena, Paratanticena and Tabiena. Ptolomy reckoned in his time five and twenty Cities in Parthia, the Capital whereof was Hecatompolis which some take to be Ispahan. It was a desart and barren Country; and Strabo says, The Macedonians slighted it, and made no stay there, for that they could find nothing wherewith to support their Army: However, it grew at length so powerful, that the Parthians disputed for the Empire of the East with the Romans. Arsaces was the Founder of it, and his Successors took the Name of Arsacides untill the time of Artaban, who was kill'd by Artaxerxes the Persian. This Empire lasted four hundred Years, having been established about 250 before Christ, and ended about the 227 or 28 Year of our Redemption. The Parthians were very cruel and debauched both as to Wine and Women, but otherwise good Warriours, and indefatigable in Labour. They were particularly noted for their dexterity in shooting behind 'em as they fled. They had such a superstitious Veneration for their Kings, that they kiss'd his Feet, and never approached him but in an humble manner, touching the very ground with their Mouths. Zenophon. Justin. lib. 41. Herodian lib. 6. Agathias l. 1. Strabo l. 13. Pliny. Appian.