What is "andragoras"

Not to be mistaken for Andragoras, a satrap of Alexander from 331 BCE, also in the area of Parthia.

Narisanka, better known by his Hellenized name of Andragoras (died 238 BCE) was a Iranian nobleman who served as the Seleucid satrap of the province of Parthia under the Seleucid rulers Antiochus I Soter and Antiochus II Theos.

Andragoras proclaimed independence from the Seleucid Empire in 247–245 BCE, at a time when the Seleucids were embroiled in conflict with Ptolemaic Egypt. He revolted soon after the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom had broken away from the Seleucids, and Andragorus may have been allied with the new Bactrian king, Diodotus I. In defiance, he issued coins in which he wears the royal diadem as well as his name.

Andragoras ruled only for a few years, before being vanquished and killed by the Parni led by Arsaces around 238 BCE, who went on to create the Parthian Empire:

"He (Arsaces) was used to a life of pillage and theft, when he heard about the defeat of Seleucus against the Gauls. Relieved from his fear of the king, he attacked the Parthians with a band of thieves, vanquished their prefect Andragoras, and, after having killed him took the power over the nation" ("Hic solitus latrociniis et rapto uiuere accepta opinione Seleucum a Gallis in Asia uictum, solutus regis metu, cum praedonum manu Parthos ingressus praefectum eorum Andragoran oppressit sublatoque eo imperium gentis inuasit") Justin, xli. 4.

Not to be mistaken for Andragoras, a Seleucid satrap of around 250 BC.

Andragoras the Parthian seems to have been a satrap of Alexander from 331 BC in the area of Parthia (Justin, xii. 4). According to Justin, he was selected among the noble Persians, and is at the origin of the Parthian dynasty:

"Afterwards, the Parthian being submitted, Andragoras, chosen among noble Persians was given to them as a prefect. Later, Parthian kings found in him their origin" (""Parthis deinde domitis praefectus his statuitur ex nobilibus Persarum Andragoras ; inde postea originem Parthorum reges habuere."") Justin, xii. 4

Andragoras is not mentioned in the partition of power of the Treaty of Triparadisus in 321 BC, when instead Philip was named as the ruler of Parthia. This would suggest that Andragoras either fell from favour or died in the meantime.

There is a possibility that this Andragoras never existed and is only mentioned by Justin by mistake, since in other classical sources Phrataphernes is usually mentioned as the satrap of Parthian until the time of Philip.

Category:Satraps of the Alexandrian Empire Category:4th-century BC rulers

Andragoras is the name of two Hellenistic satraps:

• Andragoras (Seleucid satrap) (died 238 BCE), also known as Narisanka
• Andragoras (4th century BC), also known as Andragoras the Persian