Vologases VI

Coin of Vologases VI.

Vologases VI of Parthia (Parthian: Walagash, Persian: بلاش‎‎, Balāsh), succeeded his father Vologases V of Parthia (191–208) to the throne of the Parthian Empire in 208.

Biography

When Vologases VI ascended the Parthian throne, his brother Artabanus V (216–224), who claimed the throne for himself, rebelled against him, and managed to conquer Media. Vologases apparently soon lost control over the largest part of the Empire, and only managed to retain Babylonia.

Meanwhile Ardashir I (224–241), the founder of the Sasanian Empire, had defeated and killed Artabanus V in 224 and conquered the eastern provinces of Parthia. Over the next few years, Ardashir I further expanded his new empire, and must have driven out or defeated Vologases VI soon after 228. Vologases VI had a son named Vachagan I, who during an unknown date was the ruler of Caucasian Albania.

Sources

• A. D. H. Bivar: The political History of Iran under the Arsacids. In: Ehsan Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran. Bd. 3, Cambridge 1983, p. 94–97.
• Malcolm A.R. Colledge: The Parthians. Thames and Hudson, London 1967, p. 53, 171, 173.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 
• Dio Cassius, lxxvii, 12.

Vologases VI Arsacid dynasty
Preceded by Vologases V	Great King (Shah) of Parthia 208–228	Succeeded by Ardashir I