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MarekJanOlbrycht
StraboinformsthatTigranesobtained“theprivilegeofreturninghome,”
astatementemphasizinghisvassalstatus.Onthisoccasion,theArsacidking
exactedthecessionoftheareacalled“SeventyValleys”toParthia1itwas
apeculiarrewardorpledge(Strab.11.14.15;cf.Iust.43.3.1).Thecessionof
thatareaandStrabon’sphrasementionedaboveimplythatTigraneswasto
befullycontrolledbytheParthianKingofKings.TheSeventyValleyswere
aboneofcontentionbetweenArmeniaandParthiaforalongtime;theywere
probablylocatedintheborderwithAtropateneandmayhavebeenpartofthe
areatakenfromAtropatenebyArtaxias.17
ItiscommonthatthescholarsoverestimateTigranes’spositionatthebe-
ginningofhisrule.18TheArsacidempirewasatthattimeattheapexofits
poweranditisimpossibletoseeinTigranesanindependentrulerfromthe
verybeginning.Obviously,atleasttwostagesinTigranes’scareershouldbe
distinguished.Duringthefirstone,encompassingtheperiodfrom96untilabout
80b.C.,heremainedafaithfullvassalofParthia.In83b.C.Tigraneswas
stillviewedasaParthianvassal.19Thereisnoevidenceforanyanti-Parthian
actionofTigranesbefore80b.C.Thesecondstage,inthe70sand60sb.C.,
sawTigranes’sindependentpolicyandestablishinganempire,partiallyatthe
expenseofParthia.
ThereisevidencecomingfromIranforacloseconnectionbetweenPar-
thiaandTigranesin88b.C.AccordingtotheparchmentfromAvromanin
IranianKurdistan,datedtheyear88b.C.,thesecondwifeofMithradatesII
AryazatesurnamedAutoma,wasadaughterofthe“GreatKingTigranes.”20
AstheParthianrulerisnamedinthetextGreatKingofKings,thehierarchy
ismaintainedandTigranesappearsasavassal.Histitle,however,pointsto
thefactthathewasrespectedbyhissovereign,apparentlyduetohisexploits
achievedinfullaccordancewithParthianpolicies,otherwisetheParthianking
wouldrejectAryazate.
WhilementioningTigranes’senthronement,Iustinus38.3.1saysthatEupa-
tor“waseagertoenticethisman(sc.Tigranes)tojoinhiminthewaragainst
Romewhichhehadlonghadinmind.”ThesubsequentmoveswereTigranes’s
invasionofSopheneandinterventioninCappadokiaagainstAriobarzanes,aRo-
mannominee.Moreover,EupatorgavehisdaugtherCleopatratoTigranesas
17SeeJ.Marquart:EranšahrnachderGeographie...,pp.109,173;M.Schottky:
Media...,p.222.
18Forexample,R.D.Sullivan:NearEasternRoyaltyandRome,100133B.C.Toronto
1990,p.116.
19M.J.Olbrycht:“MithradatesVI.EupatorandIran...,”p.177.
20Thedocumentisdatedtotheyear225,monthApellaiosbytheSeleukidera,whichgives
usNovemberof88b.C.,seeE.H.Minns:“ParchmentsoftheParthianPeriodfromAvroman
inKurdistan.”JHS,vol.35,1915,pp.38.AryazatemighthavebeenMithradatesII’swifepriorto
95,cf.M.Schottky:“GibtesMünzenatropatenischerKönige?”AMI,bd.23,1990,p.214.
