Vologeses I

Vologeses I (died c. ad 80) was the king of Parthia (reigned c. ad 51–80), the son of the previous king, Vonones II, by a Greek concubine.

Vologeses gave the kingdom of Media Atropatene to his brother Pacorus and occupied Armenia for another brother, Tiridates. Parthian control of Armenia, however, led to a long war with the Romans (ad 54–63). A peace was finally concluded by which Tiridates was acknowledged as a Roman client king in Armenia. The power of Vologeses was further weakened by an attack by the nomadic Dahae and Śakas, a rebellion of the Hyrcanians, an invasion by Alani tribesmen in Media and Armenia, and the usurpation of his son Vardanes II. Vologeses’ reign was also marked by a decided reaction against Hellenism; he built Vologesias near Ctesiphon with the intention of drawing to the new town the inhabitants and trade of the Greek city Seleucia on the Tigris.