Vologases V

Vologases V
Coin of Vologases V
King of Arsacid Armenia
Reign	180 – 191
Predecessor	Sohaemus
Successor	Khosrov I
King of the Parthian Empire
Reign	191 - 208
Predecessor	Vologases IV
Successor	Vologases VI
Died	208
Issue	Rev I Vologases VI Artabanus V Khosrov I
House	Arsacid dynasty
Father	Vologases IV
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Vologases V of Parthia (Parthian: Walagash, Persian: بلاش‎‎, Balāsh), known in Armenian sources as Vologases II (Armenian: Վաղարշ, Vagharsh), was king of Arsacid Armenia from to 180 to 191, and king of the Parthian Empire from 191 to 208. He was the son of Vologases IV (147–191).

Reign

During his early life, he became the ruler of Armenia, succeeding Sohaemus. During his rule in Armenia, he managed in 189 to impose his son Rev I (whose mother was the sister of the Pharnavazid ruler Amazasp) on the Iberian throne. Vologases, after the death of his father, ascended the Parthian throne, and appointed his son Khosrov I as the ruler of Armenia. Vologases' succession, however, was not uncontested; a rival King Osroes II (190) had already set himself up in Media before the death of the previous ruler, but Vologases V appears to have quickly put him down.

Vologases V was attacked by the Roman emperor Septimius Severus (193–211) in 195. Severus advanced into Mesopotamia, occupied Nisibis and plundered the Parthian capital Ctesiphon in 199, capturing many Parthians and selling them into slavery. He attempted in vain to conquer the Arabic fortress at Hatra. In 202, peace was restored with the Roman Empire in effective control the whole of Mesopotamia.

Vologases V later died in 208, and was succeeded by his elder son Vologases VI (208–228), but a younger son Artabanus V (216–224) rebelled and a civil war ensued.

Sources

• (French) Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle (Christian Settipani)|Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs. Les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VIe au IXe siècle, 2006.
• (French) Les dynasties de la Caucasie chrétienne de l’Antiquité jusqu’au XIXe siècle ; Tables généalogiques et chronologiques, Rome, 1990.
• The Third-Century Armenian Arsacids: A chronological and Genealogical Commentary, Revue des Études Arméniennes #6 (1969) pages 233-281.
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

Vologases V Arsacid dynasty
Preceded by Vologases IV	Great King (Shah) of Parthia 191–208	Succeeded by Vologases VI