Editing Arsaces I of Parthia (section)

=== Accession and wars ===
In c. 250 BC, Arsaces and his Parni followers seized [[Astauene]], which lay near the [[Atrek]] valley.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}} A few years later, probably in c. 247 BC, Arsaces was crowned king in [[Asaak]], a city which he had founded, and which served as the Arsacid royal necropolis.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179-180}} His coronation at Asaak is generally presumed to mark the start of the Arsacid dynasty.{{sfn|Schippmann|1986|pp=525–536}} Around 245 BC, [[Andragoras (Seleucid satrap)|Andragoras]], the governor of the Seleucid province of Parthia, proclaimed his independence from the Seleucid monarch [[Seleucus II Callinicus]] ({{reign|246|225 BC}}), and made his governorate an independent kingdom.{{sfn|Schippmann|1986|pp=525–536}} Following the secession of Parthia from the Seleucid Empire and the resultant loss of Seleucid military support, Andragoras had difficulty in maintaining his borders, and about 238 BC—under the command of Arsaces and his brother [[Tiridates I of Parthia|Tiridates I]]{{sfn|Curtis|2007|p=7}}{{sfn|Bivar|1983|p=29}} the Parni [[Parni conquest of Parthia|invaded Parthia]] and seized control of Astabene (Astawa) from Andragoras, the northern region of that territory, the administrative capital of which was [[Kuchan]].{{sfn|Bickerman|1983|p=19}} 
[[Image:Seleukos II Kallinikos, Tetradrachm, 246-225 BC, HGC 9-303p.jpg|thumb|left|[[Tetradrachm]] of [[Seleucus II Callinicus]], king (''[[basileus]]'') of the [[Seleucid Empire]].{{sfn|Hoover|2009|p=61}}]] 
A short while later, the Parni seized the rest of Parthia from Andragoras, killing him in the process. With the conquest of the province, the Arsacids became known as Parthians in Greek and Roman sources.{{sfn|Kia|2016|p=171}} This term has likewise been in regular use by modern western authors as well, however, according to the modern historian Stefan R. Hauser, it "should be abandoned as it conveys an incorrect idea of an ethnic ruling class within the multiethnic, multilingual population".{{sfn|Hauser|2013|p=730}} The neighbouring province of [[Hyrcania]] was shortly conquered by the Parni as well.<ref name="JUS">Justin, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030902213004/http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/english/trans41.html xli. 5]}}.</ref> A recovery expedition by the Seleucids under Seleucus II was made in 228 BC, which proved problematic for Arsaces, who was at the same time at war with the [[Greco-Bactrian Kingdom|Greco-Bactrian]] ruler [[Diodotus II]] ({{reign|239|220 BC}}). In order to avoid fighting on two fronts, Arsaces quickly concluded a peace treaty with Diodotus II.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}}

Nevertheless, he was unable to stop the Seleucid expedition and was forced to leave Parthia for Central Asia, where he took refuge with the [[Apasiacae]].{{sfn|Schmitt|1986|pp=151-152}} The Seleucid conquest proved to be short-lived; due to issues in the western portions of the Seleucid Empire, Seleucus II was forced to leave Parthia, which gave Arsaces the opportunity to regain his lost territories, and most likely also expand his dominion further south.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=168}} Indeed, Arsaces' withdrawal to the Apasiacae was perhaps a strategic move, since Seleucus II neither possessed the resources to chase him nor the time to conclude a peace treaty.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=5}} Arsaces also made an alliance with the Greco-Bactrians,{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=169}} which confirms that contact between the two powers had most likely been established long ago.{{sfn|Gaslain|2016|p=4}} According to the Roman historian [[Justin (historian)|Justin]], Arsaces "settled the Parthian government, levied soldiers, built fortresses, and strengthened his towns."<ref name="JUS" /> Apart from Asaak, he also founded the city of Dara in Mount Zapaortenon, a place in Parthia.{{sfn|Weiskopf|1993|pp=671-672}} [[Nisa, Turkmenistan|Nisa]], likewise founded by Arsaces, would be then used as the royal residence of the Arsacids till the 1st-century BC.{{sfn|Dąbrowa|2012|p=179-180}}