THE PISSURIAN CONFLICT & THE PATH TO PARTHIAN CITIZENSHIP
By March of 299 BCE, Eurylokos had assembled his army to the south of the Gates of Parthia, whereupon he gathered mercenaries to him until he was satisfied by the might of the forces at his command, and commenced with the invasion. Hyakinthos of Zadrakarta was Commander of the Parthian forces during the conflict, and we rely on his first-hand account for description of the events:
"It was a great fortune that the Pissuri had quit the Kopedagh, for the pass is at parts so narrow that not more than five men will span the breadth of it, but the reconnaissance proved accurate and we made quick work of the crossing, emerging from the northernmost reaches before the blooming of the alpine broadleaves. Descending onto the plain, we marched for three days, holding to the shadow of the ranges, maintaining the vigil by night, lest our enemy gain advantage through ambush. However, we came upon Gathar entirely unmolested, nor did we perceive that our approach had been anticipated, for the walls were in disrepair and the ramparts unmanned. Surrounding the fortress, we set to the defense of our encampment. [...].
On the twelfth day, those scouts that had been dispatched westward returned to us, at speed, with tidings that a Pissurian army had diverted from the Zanthian front to lift the Siege of Gathar. The King, after taking counsel with his captains, stationed a contingent of pikemen at the main gate, to prevent any sally from the besieged. The main force was positioned at the midpoint of the slope upon which sits the fortress and organized thus: the first line was composed of mercenary infantry, having a central phalanx of pikemen flanked on either side by peltasts and Amardi slingers; the second line was composed of Parthian infantry, similarly organized, excepting that, in the stead of slingers, a company of light cavalry comprised the outermost flanks.
The enemy force was composed entirely of steppe cavalry that, without any discernible formation, charged headlong into our front and were soundly beaten, at which they withdrew to regroup before attempting the left flank. In this, too, they were repulsed and, lacking organizational discipline, they dispersed onto the plain. Eurylokos forbade pursuit and the siege was resumed. [...]."[23]
After 354 days, the besieged surrendered the fortress. In exchange for ceding unto Eurylokos all claims to the Gates of Parthia, they were permitted to join their kinsfolk to the north. In this circuitous method was Eurylokos able to effect, by his own authority, the expansion of Parthian domains (
FIG. 2.5).
FIG 2.5: Expanded Domains of Eurylokos I, c. 298 BCE
If, as has been suggested, the impetus for this territorial acquisition was to quell popular unrest, it can be said that Eurylokos succeeded in his aim. His accomplishment, though geopolitically insignificant, nevertheless instigated a wave of Hellenic migrants into Parthava and Traxiane, opening isolated local
economies to foreign markets. Indeed, the quality of the saffron of Parthava was thereafter known throughout the Hellenistic world:
"The flower is very beautiful in appearance, so that they make garlands of it, and the Patigrabanan varietal has medicinal properties wherefore physicians gather it jealously."
[24]
Unrest persisted within the Agathoklid court, however, as the closest advisers to the
Basileus conspired against each other for his favor. After a brazen and public attempt on the life of Nikephoros, Sosthenes was banished from court and the capital, and the historical record does not mention him further. Despite that the first attempt had failed, it was not long before Nikephoros was again assailed, and finally so, for he died of “a great violence to the skull”
[25] in 293 BCE. Though the killer was not discovered, it is notable that, in the aftermath of the assassination, Eurylokos dispossessed Arrhidaios of his stewardship, replacing him with Euandros of the Alkimids. To the vacated office of chief diplomat he appointed Xenares, an ascendant Alkimid orator who would continue in that role for the next three decades. Such discord among the Macedonians allowed Parthian influence to thrive.
In the summer of 292 BCE, a child of an extramarital affair with a Parthian woman was born to Eurylokos. The boy, named Eupolemos, was not accepted into the royal household - an act that would profoundly affect the disposition of young Nikokreon. Word of the scandal quickly spread, and Eurylokos was criticized by Macedonians for his preference of mistress, as well as by Parthians for his repudiation of the child. Rather having forced the decision on himself, Eurylokos soon granted the right to intermarriage, by which he was able to mitigate Parthian outrage, and publicly committed himself to an inclusive trajectory. It was not long before Parthians were granted the right to inheritance and the right to enter legal contracts. In 285 BCE, they were granted citizenship and so became an overwhelming political majority.
[23] Hyakinthos of Zadrakarta, Parthian History, Book V.I, c. 270 BCE.
[24] Theophrastos, History of Plants, Book IX.16, c. 310 BCE.
[25] Hyakinthos of Zadrakarta, Parthian History, Book V.II, c. 270 BCE.
