Editing Mithridates II of Parthia (section)

== Rock relief ==
[[Image:Behistun I by Grelot (3947923635).jpg|thumb|Sketch of the rock relief portraying Mithridates II and four grandees at [[Mount Behistun]]]]
At [[Mount Behistun]] in western Iran, there is a [[rock relief]] which depicts four figures paying respect to a fifth figure.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=197}} The relief, along with its Greek inscription, heavily damaged, was partly reconstructed by the German archaeologist [[Ernst Herzfeld]] (d. 1948), and reads the following:{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=197–198}}

{{blockquote|"Kophasates, Mithrates, [...] Gotarzes the satrap of satraps, and the great king Mithradates."}}

Rahim M. Shayegan (2011), has suggested, contrary to other scholars, that the rock relief was not constructed during the reign of Mithridates II, but during that of his son and successor Gotarzes, perhaps as an attempt to stress the legitimacy of his sovereignty by portraying the prestigious status of himself and his officers during Mithridates II's kingship.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=226}} He identifies the first figure with the Parthian satrap Kofzad;{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=198}} the second figure with the Parthian commander Mitratu, who first rose to a distinguished position under Gotarzes;{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=198–200, 226}} the third figure with Gotarzes' son and heir [[Orodes I|Orodes]];{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|p=226}} and the fourth with Gotarzes himself, who served as "satrap of satraps" under his father.{{sfn|Shayegan|2011|pp=198, 225}}