Parthia

, a celebrated country of Asia, bounded on the west by Media, south by Carman i a, north by Hyrcania, and east by Aria, . , containing, according to Ptolemy, 25 large cities, the most capital of which was called Hecatompylos , from its hundred gates . Some suppose that the present capital of the country is built on the ruins of Hecatompylos. According to some authors, the Parthians were Scythians by origin, who made an invasion on the more southern provinces of Asia, and at last fixed their residence near Hyrcania. They long remained unknown and unnoticed, and became succe ively tributary to the empire of the A yrians, Medes, and Persians. When Alexander invaded Asia, the Parthians submitted, like the other dependent provinces of Persia, and they were for some time under the power of Eumenes, An tigon us, Seleucus, Nicanor, and Antiochus, till the rapacity and oppre ion of Agathocles, a lieutenant of the latter, roused their spirit, and fomented rebellion. Arsaces, a man of obscure origin, but ble ed with great military powers, placed himself at the head of his countrymen, and laid the foundation of the Part hi an empire, about 250 years before the christian era. The Maced on i ans attempted in vain to recover it; a race of active and vigilant princes, who a umed the surname of Arsacides , from the founder of their kingdom, increased its power, and rendered it so formidable, that, while it po e ed 18 kingdoms between the Caspian and Arabian seas, it even disputed the empire of the world with the Romans, and could never be subdued by that nation, which had seen no people on earth unconquered by their arms. It remained a kingdom till the reign of Art a ban us, who was killed about the year 229 of the christian era, and from that time it became a province of the newly re-established kingdom of Persia, under Artaxerxes. The Parthians were naturally strong and warlike, and were esteemed the most expert horsemen and archers in the world. The peculiar custom of discharging their arrows while they were retiring full speed, has been greatly celebrated by the ancients, particularly by the poets, who all observe that their flight was more formidable than their attacks. This manner of fighting, and the wonderful addre and dexterity with which it was performed, gained them many victories. They were addicted much to drinking, and to every manner of lewdne , and their laws permitted them to raise children even by their mothers and sisters. Strabo , bks. 2, 6, . — Curtius , bk. 6 , ch. 11 .— Florus , bk. 3 , ch. 5 .— Virgil , Georgics , bk. 3 , li. 31 , . ; Æneid bk. 7 , li. 606 .— Ovid , Ars Am at or i a , bk. 1 , . , Fasti , bk. 5 , li. 580 .— Dio Ca ius , bk. 40 .— Ptolemy , bk. 6 , ch. 5 .— Pliny , bk. 6 , ch. 25 .— Polybius , bk. 5 , . — Mar cell in us. — Herodian , bk. 3 , . — Lucan , bk. 1 , li. 230 ; bk. 6 , li. 50 ; bk. 10 , li. 53 .— Justin , bk. 41 , ch. 1 .— Horace , bk. 1 , ode 19, li. 11 ; bk. 2 , ode 13, li. 17 .