Editing Ctesiphon (section)

===Parthian period===
Ctesiphon was founded in the late 120s BC. It was built on the site of a military camp established across from Seleucia by [[Mithridates I of Parthia]]. The reign of [[Gotarzes I]] saw Ctesiphon reach a peak as a political and commercial center. The city became the Empire's capital circa 58&nbsp;BC during the reign of [[Orodes II]]. Gradually, the city merged with the old [[Hellenistic]] capital of Seleucia and other nearby settlements to form a cosmopolitan metropolis.<ref name="Farrokh, K. 2007 p. 125">Farrokh, K. (2007). "The rise of Ctesiphon and the Silk Route". In ''Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War'', p. 125.</ref>

The reason for this westward relocation of the capital could have been in part due to the proximity of the previous capitals ([[Nisa, Turkmenistan|Mithradatkirt]], and [[Qumis, Iran|Hecatompylos]] at [[Hyrcania]]) to the [[Scythian]] incursions.<ref name="Farrokh, K. 2007 p. 125"/>

[[Strabo]] abundantly describes the foundation of Ctesiphon:

{{blockquote|In ancient times [[Babylon]] was the metropolis of [[Assyria]]; but now [[Seleucia]] is the metropolis, I mean the [[Seleucia on the Tigris]], as it is called. Nearby is situated a village called Ctesiphon, a large village. This village the kings of the Parthians were wont to make their winter residence, thus sparing the Seleucians, in order that the Seleucians might not be oppressed by having the [[Scythians|Scythian]] folk or soldiery quartered amongst them. Because of the Parthian power, therefore, Ctesiphon is a city rather than a village; its size is such that it lodges a great number of people, and it has been equipped with buildings by the Parthians themselves; and it has been provided by the Parthians with wares for sale and with the arts that are pleasing to the Parthians; for the Parthian kings are accustomed to spend the winter there because of the salubrity of the air, but they summer at [[Ecbatana]] and in [[Hyrcania]] because of the prevalence of their ancient renown.<ref name="uchicago">{{cite web|url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Strabo/16A*.html |title=LacusCurtius • Strabo's Geography — Book XVI Chapter 1, 16 |publisher=penelope.uchicago.edu|access-date=25 November 2015}}</ref>}}

Because of its importance, Ctesiphon was a major military objective for the leaders of the [[Roman Empire]] in their eastern wars. The city was captured by Rome four or five times in its history – three times in the 2nd century alone. The emperor [[Trajan]] [[Trajan's Parthian campaign#Mesopotamia|captured]] Ctesiphon in 116, but his successor, [[Hadrian]], decided to willingly return Ctesiphon in 117 as part of a peace settlement. The Roman general [[Avidius Cassius]] captured Ctesiphon in 164 during [[Roman–Parthian War of 161–166|another Parthian war]], but abandoned it when peace was concluded. In 197, the emperor [[Septimius Severus]] sacked Ctesiphon and carried off thousands of its inhabitants, whom he sold into slavery.