Vologases IV of Parthia

Vologaeses IV ( * before 147, † 191 or 192 ) was from 147 or 148 until his death King of the Parthians. In older (and still in some newer ) representations is for this time often referred to as King III Vologaeses. specified, but this is incorrect and is due to the partly problematic chronology of Arsacid.

Life

Vologaeses was the son of Mithridates IV After the Roman emperor Trajan had conquered parts of the Parthian Empire ( 114-117 ), but which had to be largely abandoned by his successor Hadrian, it was mainly Vologaeses IV, who restored the empire. He united the Parthian Empire, the. Between his father and Vologaeses III was divided, and conquered smaller provinces, such as the Charakene who had previously apparently possessed a certain independence.

From 155 conflicts are attested with the Romans, and it as so often went to Armenia. 161 used the Parthians the opportunity and attacked Roman territory directly. After initial successes, with Armenia and occupied a Roman army was destroyed in Elegeia on the Euphrates, the Romans, however, were co-emperor Lucius Verus in the under the counter-offensive. The Roman army conquered Armenia and eventually penetrated as far as Ctesiphon, which was 165 also stormed. Vologaeses IV was then forced to leave parts of the disputed border zone to the Romans ( including Carrhae and Nisibis ). From Babylonia at that time spread the Antonine Plague, which was soon spread through the Empire of the returning Roman Roman troops.

From the sources it is not clear whether then a formal peace treaty was signed, but it remained quiet for the rest of Vologaeses ' reign, in which it apparently came to no notable internal unrest, the Roman- Parthian border.