Vologases IV
147 – 191 AD
Walagash | Walākhsh | Wardākhsh | بَلاش چهارم | وَلَگش | 𐭅𐭋𐭂𐭔
Ver.1.0 - Last updated: Sep 18th 2021, by Mo. Rasoulipour
By clicking the links below you can see the discussions around this figure on Instagram (Mostly in Persian)
Brief Biography
“During the first part of Balāš IV’s reign, Roman-Parthian relations remained peaceful. Balāš IV, however, was probably waiting for a chance to settle the Armenian problem on terms more favorable to Parthia. When the imperial throne passed to Marcus Aurelius in 161, Balāš saw the time as ripe. For the first (and last) time, the Parthians declared war on the Romans”…
- Excerpt from Encyclopedia Iranica
Insignia
Name
“The Parthian form of the name, the oldest, is Walagaš. In Middle Persian it is Wardāxš, in Pahlavi Walāxš. The forms Walāš, Balāš, and even Golāš, attested especially in New Persian and in Arabic, are later. Armenian has Vałarš, which seems to be a borrowing from Middle Persian. The Syriac forms Walgāš, Walgēš, and Wologēš are borrowings from Parthian.” - Via Encyclopedia Iranica
References
Likely Accuracy of the Creative Recreation
Weak Guess:
Due to the availability of a face carved in stone, the portrait of Vologases becomes one the stronger guesses among the late Parthian kings. Yet the lack of realism in coins minted in this period of the Parthian Empire makes it very hard to make out the details of not only the face but also the crown. There are points where the coins and stone carving agree in facial features. So with a certain level of relative confidence we can guess that the nose was wide and curved inwards, beard trimmed almost square at the bottom, long handlebar mustache, and cheeks were prominent and full. Clothing and crown colors are also a wild guess, taken from Dura Europos synagogue wall paintings depicting Parthian aristocracy in green and red.
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