Tiraios I Explained

Tiraios I was a king from 95/94 BC to 90/89 BC of Characene, a vassal state of the Parthians .^{[1] [2]}

Like most kings of Characene he is known only from numismatic sources,^[3] in his case silver tetradrachms and bronze coins.

His name is probably Persian in origin but his coinage indicates he was hellenised. He was the first ruler of Characene whose coins described him as "Euergetes" (Benefactor)^[4] and he is also unique in that his coins bear on the reverse the goddess Tyche, while the other rulers of Characene depicted Heracles.

The Chinese explorer Gan Ying visited Characene during his reign.

Notes and References

1. Monika Schuol, The Charakene. A Mesopotamian kingdom in Hellenistic-Parthian period. Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, page 303–306. (Also: Kiel University, Ph.D. thesis, 1998.), pp. 221-222, 303-306.
2. E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, Cambridge University Press page 487
3. Richard Nelson Frye, The History of Ancient Iran, Volume 3, Part 7. C.H.Beck Publishers. page 277
4. [Georges Le Rider]