Editing Mithridates II of Parthia (section)

==Early expeditions in Mesopotamia and the Caucasus==
[[Image:Fenner, Rest. Persis, Parthia, Armenia. 1835 (A).jpg|thumb|Map depicting the [[Near East]] during the [[Hellenistic era]], by Joseph Thomas (1835)]]
At the time of his succession, the Parthian Empire was reeling from military pressures in the West and East. Several humiliating defeats at the hands of eastern nomads had sapped the strength and prestige of the kingdom.{{sfn|Frye|1984|pp=212-213}} Mithridates II quickly gained the allegiance of the [[Characene]]an ruler [[Hyspaosines]], who had originally fought the Parthians, and briefly seized [[Babylon]] in 127 BC.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=111, 150–151}} Hyspaosines returned the wooden throne of [[Arsaces]]{{clarify|date=July 2022}} to Mithridates II as a gift to the god [[Bel (mythology)|Bel]].{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=117}} Mithridates II now turned his eyes on [[Elymais]], which had been originally under direct Parthian rule, but had been seized by the independent [[Elam]]ite king Pittit after Artabanus I's death.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=117–118}} Mithridates II invaded Elymais and captured [[Susa]].{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=115–116}} Then he confronted Pittit in a final battle, where he defeated him and conquered Elymais.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=116–118}} Around the same time, Hyspaosines died, and the Parthian commander Sindates was appointed as the governor of Characene.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=168}}

It was first under Mithridates II that Parthian rule extended into the [[Caucasus]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} He noticed the strategic position of [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]] between [[Asia Minor]], the Caucasus, and Iran.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} In {{circa|120 BC}}, Mithridates II invaded Armenia and made its king [[Artavasdes I of Armenia|Artavasdes I]] acknowledge Parthian suzerainty.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} Artavasdes I was forced to give the Parthians [[Tigranes the Great|Tigranes]] as a hostage, who was either his son or nephew.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}}{{sfn|Garsoian|2005}} Control over Armenia would remain one of the most essential objectives in Parthian policy till the end of the dynasty.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} Other Caucasian kingdoms such as [[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Iberia]] most likely also became a Parthian vassal state, and possibly also [[Caucasian Albania]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|pp=170–171}} Massive circulation of Parthian coins into Iberia, along with Armenia and Caucasian Albania, indicates that these kingdoms had been swayed by the influence of the Parthians.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=171}} According to Babylonian documents, [[Babylonia]] was constantly suffering from raids by [[Arabs]], which had agitated Mithridates II considerably.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=148}} In the spring of 119 BC, a Parthian force inflicted a defeat on the Arabs, which was heavy enough to make them stop their raids for a period.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=149}} It is unclear whether the force was led by Mithridates II or a Parthian commander.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=149}} The Parthian force most likely left for [[Media (region)|Media]] afterwards, seemingly in order to join the upcoming expedition against the nomads in the east.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=149}}

Parthian interests were also directed towards [[Syria (region)|Syria]], which had first been demanded by the Parthians after [[Phraates II]] ({{reign|132|127|era=BC}}) defeated the [[Seleucid]] king (''[[basileus]]'') [[Antiochus VII Sidetes]] ({{reign|138|129|era=BC}}) in 129 BC.{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} In 114/113 BC, Mithridates II captured the important Seleucid city of [[Dura-Europos]], which was situated on the [[Euphrates]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}} The Seleucid realm was at this time frail and entangled in ceaseless internal strifes and struggles for power against the [[Nabataeans]], various local kings, Jews, and Greek cities in Syria and [[Phoenicia]].{{sfn|Olbrycht|2009|p=165}}