VOLOGAESES (Vologaesus, Vologases; on the coins Ologases; Armen. Valarsk; Mod. Pers.

See also:

• BALASH (in the Greek authors, Balas; the later form of the name Vologaeses)

Balash)  , the name of five Parthian kings . (1) VOLOGAESES I., son of Vonones II. by a Greek concubine (Tac . Ann. xii . 44), succeeded his father in A.D . 51 (Tac . Ann. xii . 14; cf . Joseph . Ant. xx . 3, 4) . He gave the kingdom of Media Atropatene to his brother Pacorus, and occupied Armenia for another brother, Tiridates (Tac . Ann .

)(ii . 50, xv . 2; Joseph . Ant. xx . 3, 4) . This led to a

long war with Rome (54-63), which was ably conducted by the Roman general Corbulo . The power of Vologaeses was weakened by an attack of the Dahan and Sacan nomads, a rebellion of the Hyrcanians, and the usurpation of Vardanes II . (Tac . Ann. xiii . 7, 37; xiv . 25; xv . ,; cf .

Joseph . Ant. xx . 4, 2, where he is prevented from attacking the

vassal king of Adiabene by an invasion of the eastern nomads) . At last a peace was concluded, by which Tiridates was acknowledged as king of Armenia, but had to become a vassal of the Romans; he went to Rome, where Nero gave him back the diadem (Tac . Ann. xv. r ff.; Dio Cass. lxii . 19 if., lxiii . , ff.) ; from that time an Arsacid dynasty ruled in Armenia under Roman supremacy . Vologaeses was satisfied with thisresult, and honoured the memory of Nero (Suet . Nero, 57), though he stood in good relations with Vespasian also, to whom he offered an army of 40,000 archers in the war against Vitellius (Tac . Hist. iv . 51; Suet, Vespas . 6; cf .

Joseph . Ant. vii . 5, 2 . 7, 3; Dio Cass. lxvi . I) . Soon afterwards the

Alani, a great nomadic tribe beyond the Caucasus, invaded Media and Armenia (Joseph . Bell. vii . 7, 4); Vologaeses applied in vain for help to Vespasian (Dio Cass. lxvi. il; Suet . Domitian, 2) . It appears that the Persian losses in the east also could not be repaired; Hyrcania remained an independent kingdom (Joseph . Bell. vii . 7, 4; Aurel .

Viet . Epit . 15, 4) . Vologaeses I. died about A.D . 77 . His reign is marked by a decided reaction against

Hellenism; he built Vologesocerta (Balashkert) in the neighbourhood of Ctesiphon with the intention of drawing to this new town the inhabitants. of the Greek city Seleucia (Plin . Vi . 122) . Another town founded by him is Vologesias on a canal of the Euphrates, south of Babylon (near Hira; cf . Noldeke in Zeitschrsft der deuischen-morgenl . Gesellschaft, xxviii . 93 ff.) .

On some of his coins the

initials of his name appear in Aramaic letters . (2) VOLOGAESES II., probably the son of Vologaeses appears on coins, which bear his proper name, in 77-79, and again 121-47 . During this time the Parthian kingdom was torn by civil wars between different pretenders, which reached their height during the war of Trajan, 114-17 . Besides Vologaeses II. we find on coins and in the authors Pacorus (78-c. x05), Artabanus IIL(8o-81), Osroes (106-29), Mithradates V . (c . 129-47) and some others; thus the Parthian empire seems during this whole time to have been divided into two or three different kingdoms . By classic authors Vologaeses II. is mentioned in the time of Hadrian (c.131), when Cappadocia, Armenia and Media were invaded by the Alani (Dio Cass. lxix . 15) . (3) VOLOGAESES III., 147-91 . Under him, the unity of the empire was restored . But he was attacked by the Romans under Marcus Aurelius and Verus (162-65) . In this war Seleucia was destroyed and the palace of Ctesiphon burnt down by Avidius Cassius (164); the Romans even advanced into Media .

In the peace, western

Mesopotamia was ceded to the Romans (Dio Cass. lxxi . 1 ff.; Capitolin . Marc . Aur . 8 f.; Verus 8, &c.) . Vologaeses III. is probably the king Volgash of the Parsee tradition, preserved in the Dinkart, who began the gathering of the writings of Zoroaster . (4) VOLOGAESES IV., 191-209 . He was attacked by Septimius Severus in 195, who advanced into Mesopotamia, occupied Nisibis and plundered Ctesiphon (199), but attempted in vain to conquer the Arabic fortress Atra; in 202 peace was restored . (5) VOLOGAESES V., 209-C . 222, son of Vologaeses IV . Soon after his accession his brother Artabanus IV., the last Arsacid king, rebelled against him, and became master of the greater part of the empire (Dio Cass. lxxvii . 12) .

But Vologaeses V. maintained himself in a part of Babylonia; his dated coins reach down to A.D . 222 . (ED .