a "barbarian." Within little
more than two years of his coronation, Arsaces, who had never been able
to give his kingdom peace, was killed in battle by a spear-thrust in the
side; and was succeeded (B.C. 247) by his brother, having left, it is
probable, no sons, or none of mature age.

Tiridates, the successor of Arsaces, took upon his accession his
brother's name, and is known in history as Arsaces II. The practice
thus begun passed into a custom, each Parthian monarch from henceforth
bearing as king the name of Arsaces in addition to his own real
appellation, whatever that might be. In the native remains the assumed
name almost supersedes the other; but, fortunately, the Greek and Roman
writers who treat of Parthian affairs, have preserved the distinctive
appellations, and thus saved the Parthian history from inextricable
confusion. It is not easy to see from what quarter this practice was
adopted; perhaps we should regard it as one previously existing among
the Dahan Scyths.

If the Parthian monarchy owed its origin to Arsaces I., it owed its
consolidation, and settled establishment to Arsaces II., or Tiridates.
This prince, who had the good fortune to reign for above thirty years,
and who is confused by many writers with the actual founder of the
monarchy, having received Parthia from his brother, in the weak and
unsettled condition above described, left it a united and powerful
kingdom, enlarged in its boundaries, strengthened in its defences, in
alliance with its nearest and most formidable neighbor, and triumphant
over the great power of Syria, which had hoped to bring it once more
into subjection. He ascended the throne, it is probable, early in B.C.
247, and had scarcely been monarch a couple of years when he witnessed
one of those vast but transient revolutions to which Asia is subject,
but which are of rare occurrence in Europe. Ptolemy Euergetes, the son
of Philadelphus, having succeeded to his father's kingdom in the same
year with Tiridates, marched (in B.C. 245) a huge expedition into Asia,
defeated Seleucus II. (Callinicus) in Syria, took Antioch, and then,
having crossed the Euphrates, proceeded to bring the greater part of
Western Asia under his sway. Mesopotamia, Assyria, Babylonia, Susiana,
Persia, Media, submitted to him. He went in person as far as Babylon,
and, according to his own account, was acknowledged as master by all
the Eastern provinces to the very borders of Bactria. The Parthian
and B