12. Parthia forced to its knees


Map of Theodoros' eastern campaign.

Theodoros remained in Apameia for the rest of the year, allowing his troops some rest and himself to gather more information about the Parthian defenses further up north. He would go back the way he came, into Hyrkania and thence invade Parthia proper from the north, avoiding the large stretch of desert that separated Apameia and Hekatompylos. The overall campaign would take longer than he had hoped, though, and he already started out with a delay, late in the summer of 240 BC.

Almost exactly one year later, the Hyrkanian capital fell before his forces, the Parthians again fleeing without offering any real chance of confrontation. Theodoros continued north and on the border of Astauene, he met one of the last Parthian forces willing to withstand him, even though that didn't mean much. He scored victory after victory, and in late 238 BC, broke through the gates of the Parthian capital Hekatompylos and conclusively terminated their imperial dreams. Parthia was on its knees, its foremost nobles had been slain, its armies wrecked and dispersed. Theodoros, not wanting to continue hunting nomads on the steppes, agreed to a peace treaty by which Astauene was returned to the Arche Seleukeia, and Alexandros Syriakos returned from captivity.

Upon entering Hekatompylos, Theodoros adopted the name of Antiochos, in honour of his father, setting a tradition in the Seleukid dynasty.

Some shots from the campaign:


Khoarene, 241 BC


Hyrkania, 240 BC


Hyrkania, 239 BC


Parthia, 238 BC


Parthia, 238 BC


Parthia, 238 BC


Peace treaty, 238 BC





Last of the Parthians. All other FMs slain.


Credit to the Lonchophoroi Hippeis.


The world in 237 BC. Never mind Roman expansion, I may interfere later on.

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Next: Theodoros/Antiochos goes east.