Himalayan Dream Treks: put up some pg first draft...

2025-05-04T20:35:44Z

put up some pg first draft...

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{{Infobox royalty
| name = Spalahores
| title =
| image = Vonones Indo-Scythian.jpg
| caption = Silver [[tetradrachm]] minted under [[Vonones of Sakastan|Vonones]], with the legend of his name and Spalahores
| succession = King of [[Sakastan]]
| reign = 57 BC–???
| coronation =
| full name =
| predecessor = [[Vonones of Sakastan|Vonones]]
| successor = [[Spalagadames]]
| spouse =
| issue = [[Spalagadames]]
| royal house =
| dynasty =
| father =
| mother =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date = Unknown
| death_place =
| religion =
}}
'''Spalahores''', also spelled '''Spalohres''' or '''Spalahora''', ([[Greek alphabet|Greek]]: {{lang|grc|[[wiktionary:Σπαλαχόρης|Σπαλαχόρης]]}} {{Transliteration|grc|Spalakhórēs}}; {{lang|grc|[[wiktionary:Σπαλύρις|Σπαλύρις]]}} {{Transliteration|grc|Spalýris}},<ref name="Head">{{cite book |author=[[Barclay V. Head]] |date=1898 |title=Ιστορια Των Νομισματων ητοι Εγχειριδιον Ελληνικης Νομισματικησ |url=https://archive.org/details/historiatnnomism02headuoft |page=[https://archive.org/details/historiatnnomism02headuoft/page/454/mode/2up 454] |publisher=En Athnais Typois P.D. Sakellariou, Bibliopleion K. Mpek }}</ref> {{lang|grc|ϹΠΑΛΥΡΙΟϹ}} {{Transliteration|grc|Spalyrios}} (epigraphic); [[Kharosthi]]: '''{{lang|pgd|[[wiktionary:𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨫𐨱𐨆𐨪|𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨫𐨱𐨆𐨪]]}}''' {{lang|pgd|Śpa-la-ho-ra}}, {{lang|pgd|Śpalahora}};<ref name="Gardner">{{cite book |last=Gardner |first=Percy |author-link=Percy Gardner |date=1929 |title=The Coins of the Greek and Scythic Kings of Bactria and India in the British Museum |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924022932382 |location=London |publisher=Gilbert & Rivington Ltd. |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924022932382/page/n177/mode/2up 98], [https://archive.org/details/cu31924022932382/page/n179/mode/2up 100] |isbn=978-0-900-83452-3 }}</ref> ruled circa 57-35 BCE), was an [[Iranian peoples|Iranian]] king who ruled [[Sakastan]] in the 1st-century BC.

==Name==
Spalahores's name is attested on his coins in the [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] forms {{Transliteration|grc|Spalakhórēs}} ({{lang|grc|[[wiktionary:Σπαλαχόρης|Σπαλαχόρης]]}}) and {{Transliteration|grc|Spalýris}} ({{lang|grc|[[wiktionary:Σπαλύρις|Σπαλύρις]]}}),<ref name="Head"/> and in the [[Kharosthi]] form {{lang|pgd|Śpalahora}} ({{lang|pgd|[[wiktionary:𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨫𐨱𐨆𐨪|𐨭𐨿𐨤𐨫𐨱𐨆𐨪]]}}),<ref name="Gardner"/> which are derived from the [[Saka language|Saka]] name {{lang|xsc|*Spalahaura}}, meaning "commander of the army".<ref>{{cite book |last=Harmatta |first=János |author-link=János Harmatta |editor-last1=Harmatta |editor-first1=János |editor-link1=János Harmatta |editor-last2=Puri |editor-first2=B. N. |editor-link2=Baij Nath Puri |editor-last3=Etemadi |editor-first3=G. F. |date=1999 |chapter=Languages and scripts in Graeco-Bactria and the Saka Kingdoms |title=History of civilizations of Central Asia |volume=2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DguGWP0vGY8C |location=Delhi |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass|Motilal Banarsidass Publishing House]] |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=9U6RlVVjpakC&pg=PA410 410] |isbn=978-8-120-81408-0}}</ref>

==Career==
Before his rise to kingship, he served as a commander of his predecessor, [[Vonones of Sakastan|Vonones]], who had minted coins with his name and that of another commander, [[Spalirisos]], who are both referred to as "brother of the king".{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=15}} Scholars such as R.C. Senior and [[Khodadad Rezakhani]] consider Spalahores and Spalirisos to indeed be Vonones' brothers,{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|pp=15–16}}{{sfn|Rezakhani|2017|p=34 (see also note 20)}} while others such as K.W. Dobbins argue that it was an honorific title given to them, whom he considered to be [[Saka]] [[satrap]]s.{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=16 (see also note 18)}}{{efn|Rezakhani has additionally suggested that Spalahores may simply have been a military title used by Vonones.{{sfn|Rezakhani|2017|p=34 (note 20)}}}}

A major argument against the proposal of a blood relationship between Vonones and the two commanders was due to both of them having [[Saka language|Saka]] names, contrary to Vonones' [[Parthian language|Parthian]] name.{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=16}} Saghi Gazerani has suggested that after the [[Parthian Empire|Arsacid]] re-conquest of Sakastan (sometime between 124–115 BC), which was given as a fiefdom to the [[House of Suren|Suren]]id general that led the expedition, the Surenids (who became independent after 88 BC) and Sakas became closely connected, presumably through alliances and intermarriages.{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=16–17}} Indeed, Parthians and Sakas are often mixed up in [[Indian literature]].{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=17}} The mythological Iranian hero [[Rostam]] (who was from Sakastan), is mentioned in Iranian traditions as both Parthian and Saka, thus supporting this dual-identity.{{sfn|Gazerani|2015|p=17}}

Spalahores' son and successor, [[Spalagadames]], has been suggested by Rezakhani to be the same figure as the first [[Indo-Parthian]] king [[Gondophares]] ({{reign|19|46|era=CE}}).{{sfn|Rezakhani|2017|pp=34, 37}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

== Sources ==
* {{cite book | title = The Sistani Cycle of Epics and Iran's National History: On the Margins of Historiography | year = 2015 | publisher = BRILL | last = Gazerani| first = Saghi | pages = 1–250 | isbn = 9789004282964 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=92zsCgAAQBAJ&q=false}}
* {{cite book | title = ReOrienting the Sasanians: East Iran in Late Antiquity | year = 2017 | publisher = Edinburgh University Press | last = Rezakhani | first = Khodadad | author-link = Khodadad Rezakhani | chapter = East Iran in Late Antiquity| pages = 1–256 | isbn = 9781474400305 | jstor = 10.3366/j.ctt1g04zr8 }} {{registration required}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Vonones of Sakastan|Vonones]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=King of [[Sakastan]]|years= 57 BC–???}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Spalagadames]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Indo-Scythian kings]]
[[Category:1st-century BC Iranian monarchs]]
[[Category:1st-century BC Iranian people]]

Spalahores - Revision history

Himalayan Dream Treks: put up some pg first draft...