Elymais
Elymais is the Greek name for a landscape and a people in the southwest of Iran.
General
The name Elymais probably goes back to Elam, although this etymology is questionable. In cuneiform texts, the region is still called Elam. Capital of Elymais were often Susa, but that does not really belong directly to this landscape and Seleucia on Hedyphon. The exact boundaries of the Elymais are not sure. Strabo ( XVI.1.17 ) reported that Elymais was divided into three provinces: Gabiane, Massa Båtene and Korbiane. The meaning of the term province is disputed in this case. Other ancient authors report, however, that even the Susiana belonged to Elymais.
Seleucid
The term Elymais first appeared in the time of Alexander the Great on ( in the report of Nearchus, which is narrated by Strabo ). In the following years became part of the Seleucid Empire Elymais. In the army of Antiochus III. Archers should have found out the Elymais. As these rulers suffered from financial difficulties, he is plundered a temple of Bel in the Elymais have ( Diodorus Siculus, 28.3, 29, 15). This company eventually cost him his life. The location of the temple is controversial in research. Antiochus IV undertook a similar company and tried a temple of Artemis in this province to plunder, but was repulsed and was on the way back killed.
Independence movements and the Parthian
Being in the middle of the second century BC the Seleucid Empire was falling apart, there were to withdraw from the kingdom in the Elymais aspirations. It rose local kings. The following history of the region, however, is little known. The rulers of the Elymais are almost occupied only on these coins. Mentioned in classical texts are rare. The number and order of the ruler is controversial in research. Only the coins of the pre-Christian rulers are provided with annual data, the later are undated.
The rulers of Elymais can be divided into different groups. Kamnaskires I. seems to have sold 147 BC the Seleucid satrap of Susa and established himself king. The following year, but was able to take back the Seleucid ruler Demetrius II Susa. At least 145 were marked BC coins with his name there. Shortly after, here Kamnaskires appears Nikephoros II with its own coins, which suggests that the city and province was no longer under Seleucid rule. This ruler is also known from Babylonian sources to show that he tried to tear 141 BC parts of the disintegrating Seleucid Empire itself. He invaded Babylonia, but was not successful in the end. Here are some other rulers, but shortly thereafter the Elymais was probably / 139 BC occupied 140 of the Parthian king Mithridates I.
Nothing is known from the following years, but appears 82/81 BC, a certain Kamnaskires III. on coins, which occurred again in Babylonia and apparently free from the Parthian dominion was looking for. This Unabhängigskeitsbestrebungen lasted for a number of years. In the year 65 BC, sent a king of Elymais gifts to the Roman general Pompey ( Plutarch, Pompey 36). For chronological reasons, it may have been in this king to Kamnaskires traded IV.
Other rulers are busy in the following years on coins. Another group of rulers eventually coined in the second century AD coins. Especially the order and identifying the ruler of the second century presents great difficulties because they wore almost all the names Orodes. Perhaps it is for them to family members of the Arsacid because the name Orodes is well documented in this dynasty. With the invasion of the Sassanids Elymais disappeared as an independent political entity.
Swell
Apart from the coins, there are few sources for the history of Elymais. The information in classical authors:
- Lucian of Samosata ( Macrobi, XVI ): Also, the Parthian king Mnaskires lived ninety-six years.
Inscription from Palmyra ( n in the year 138 AD dated):
- Yarhibol, son of Lischamschu ... went voluntarily as an envoy to Orodes king of Elymais,