Army list. My army consists of two Arabo-Aramaic bodies of the Osmani tribe, who ruled the kingdom (list II/22d) and a body of nomadic pre-Islmaic Arabs (List II/23a). I chose to represent the Roman and Parthian period of the kingdom. The generals and heavy infantrymen are of the pure Arabo-Aramaic style as they were found in Hatra or Palmyra. The archers on foot are represented, as well as the light infantry, by veteran troops such as the pre-Islamic Arabs. The camel riders ride on naked dromedaries, less harnessed than the cataphractary dromedaries that could be found in Hatra or in certain armies of the Parthian suzerain.
- 2 Generals 4Kn
- 2 Light cavalry LH
- 2 Light camelmen LCm
- 2 Heavy infantry 4Bd
- 3 Heavy javelinmen 3Ax
- 13 Archers Ps
Nomadic allies
- 1 General Cv
- 1 Light cavalry LH
- 1 Light camelmen LCm
- 4 Camelmen Cm
- 3 Heavy infantry 4Bd
- 2 Archers Ps
The Characene (or Kharacene or Caracene or Charakene or Mesen or Meshun in Judeo-Aramaic: חבל ימא, Hevel Yama "the land of the sea") is a former independent (or semi-independent) Hellenistic kingdom, located in the extreme South of the fertile region which lies at the mouth of the Tigris and the Euphrates, on the Arabian-Persian Gulf. In fact we do not really know its borders. They are different according to classical authors or geographers, but are traditionally associated with the southern region of Babylonia, in present-day Iraq, Iran and Kuwait.
Basically, the kingdom must have as its boundaries to the west, the Arabian desert, to the north, the Chaldean marshes and to the south the Persian Gulf. Several islands in the Persian Gulf, including Bahrain, also belonged to the kingdom of Characena. It was created at the end of the 2nd century BC and was a vassal of the Parthian empire. It is very probable that the official language of the kingdom was the Greek koinè, the language spoken in the Hellenistic or Hellenized countries, but there is no certainty even today on this subject.
Source: Antikforever.com
The kingdom of Characene is founded about 127 BC. BC by Aspasinè, named Hyspaosines by classical authors, an ancient satrap of Antiochos IV Epiphanes. Surviving the dissolution of the Seleucid Empire, the Characene became a vassal of the Parthian Empire until its fall at the beginning of the third century. The Sassanid kings put an end to the local royal dynasty and replaced it with governors.
Although vassal of the Parthians, the kingdom has always had a pro-Roman policy, and welcomed the Roman invasion of Trajan in 116. The emperor himself stays at Spasinou Charax, and personally attends the departure of the ships for India, regretting being too old to undertake the journey, as Alexander of Macedonia had done. Thereafter, the kingdom seems to have escaped long enough for the Parthians to take over Mesopotamia, it is only in 150 that it returns to the zone of direct influence of the empire of the Arsacides after the defeat of the King Meredate (or Meherdate) before Vologese IV. The latter undoubtedly takes an important spoil from Spasinou Charax, including a statuette of Hercules found in Seleucia of the Tiger and bearing the inscription that revealed this episode.
Source: Wikipedia
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| Coins of king Meredathes |
Meredates seems to have been placed on the throne of Characene may be as governor initially, by a successor of his father Pacorus II after the Romans were driven out of the area of Parthians. However, their invasion was at the origin of a civil war in the Parthian empire and Vologese IV was the son of a major rival of Pacorus II for the throne of "Great King." Vologesius IV attempted to re-establish his authority over several provinces of the Parthian empire which had declared independence during the war against Rome.
Meredates is also known by some coins, and by an inscription discovered in Palmyra. He was a son of Pacorus II as indicated by his coins stamped in the most Parthian style arsacide. The mention on the pieces confirms his filiation "Meredates, son of Phokoros, King of Kings, King of Omani"
