Gotarzes II of Parthia

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Gotarzes II of Parthia ruled the Parthian Empire intermittently between about 40 and 51. He was the son of Artabanus II and when his father died in about 38 and his brother Vardanes I succeeded to the throne, Gotarzes rebelled.

He soon made himself detested by his cruelty — among many other murders he even slew his brother Artabanus and his whole family — and Vardanes regained the throne; Gotarzes fled to Hyrcania and gathered an army from the Dahae nomads. The war between the two kings was at last ended by a treaty, as both were afraid of the conspiracies of their nobles. Gotarzes returned to Hyrcania. But when Vardanes was assassinated in about 47, Gotarzes was acknowledged in the whole empire.

Gotarzes then added to his coins the usual Parthian titles, "king of kings Arsaces the benefactor, the just, the illustrious (Epiphanes), the friend of the Greeks (Philhellen)", without mentioning his proper name.

The discontent excited by his cruelty and luxury induced the hostile party to apply to the Roman emperor Claudius to fetch from Rome an Arsacid prince Meherdates, who lived there as hostage. Meherdates crossed the Euphrates in 49, but was beaten and taken prisoner by Gotarzes, who cut off his ears.

Soon afterwards Gotarzes died, according to Tacitus, of an illness; Josephus says that he was murdered. His last coin is dated from June 51. He was succeeded briefly by Vonones II (probably his brother) and then by Vonones' son Vologases I.