Shapur III, Emperor of Sasanian Persia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapour_III

Shapur III (also spelled Šahpur III) was the eleventh Sassanid King of Persia from 383 to 388. Shapur III succeeded his brother Ardashir II in the year 383.

Negotiations between the Romans and the Persians which had begun in the reign of Ardashir II culminated in a treaty of mutual friendship in the year 384. According to this treaty, Armenia was partitioned between the Romans and the Persians. Therefore two kingdoms were formed, one a vassal of Rome and the other, of Persia. The smaller of these, which comprised the more western districts, which was assigned to Rome was committed to the charge of the Arshak III who had been made king by Manuel Mamikonian, the son of the unfortunate Pap of Armenia, and the grandson of the Arshak II contemporary with Julian. The larger portion, which consisted of the regions lying toward the east, passed under the suzerainty of Persia, and was handed over to an Arshakuni, named Khosrov III, a Christian. Thus friendly relations were established between Rome and Persia which survived for 36 years.

Shapur III left behind him a sculptured memorial, which is still to be seen in the vicinity of Kermanshah. It consists of two very similar figures, looking towards each other, and standing in an arched frame. On either side of the figures are inscriptions in the Old Pahlavi character, whereby we are enabled to identify the individuals represented with the second and the third Shapur. They are identical in form, with the exception that the names in the right-hand inscription are "Shapur, Hormizd, Narses," while those in the left-hand one are "Shapur, Shapur, Hormizd." It has been supposed that the right-hand figure was erected by Shapur II and the other afterwards added by Shapur III; but the unity of the whole sculpture, and its inclusion under a single arch, seem to indicate that it was set up by a single sovereign, and was the fruit of a single conception. If this be so, we must necessarily ascribe it to the later of the two monarchs commemorated, i.e. to Shapur III, who must be supposed to have possessed more than usual filial piety, since the commemoration of their predecessors upon the throne is very rare among the Sassanians.

Shapur III died in 388, after reigning a little more than five years. He was a man of simple tastes, and was fond of spending his time outdoors in his tent. One version says that, on one such occasion, when he was thus enjoying himself, there was a violent hurricane which blew the tent under which he was sitting. The falling tent-pole struck him fatally on his head resulting in his death a few days later. However, though most of his subjects believed in the authencity of this story there were whispers that he could have been the victim of a conspiracy hatched by his courtiers.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapur_III_of_Persia for more information, including a picture of sculptured memorial.

Contents [hide]

1 Treaty with Rome

2 Memorials of Shapur's Reign

3 Death

4 References

[edit]Treaty with Rome

Negotiations between the Romans and the Persians which had begun in the reign of Ardashir II culminated in a treaty of mutual friendship in the year 384.

According to this treaty, Armenia was partitioned between the Romans and the Persians. Therefore two kingdoms were formed, one a vassal of Rome and the other, of Persia. The smaller of these, which comprised the more western districts, which was assigned to Rome was committed to the charge of the Arshak III who had been made king by Manuel Mamikonian, the son of the unfortunate Pap of Armenia, and the grandson of the Arshak II contemporary with Julian. The larger portion, which consisted of the regions lying towards the east, passed under the suzerainty of Persia, and was handed over to an Arshakuni, named Khosrov III, a Christian. Thus friendly relations were established between Rome and Persia which survived for thirty-six years.

[edit]Memorials of Shapur's Reign

Shapur III left behind him a sculptured memorial, which is still to be seen in the vicinity of Kermanshah. It consists of two very similar figures, looking towards each other, and standing in an arched frame. On either side of the figures are inscriptions in the Old Pahlavi character, whereby we are enabled to identify the individuals represented with the second and the third Shapur. They are identical in form, with the exception that the names in the right-hand inscription are "Shapur, Hormizd, Narses," while those in the left-hand one are "Shapur, Shapur, Hormizd." It has been supposed that the right-hand figure was erected by Shapur II and the other afterwards added by Shapur III; but the unity of the whole sculpture, and its inclusion under a single arch, seem to indicate that it was set up by a single sovereign, and was the fruit of a single conception. If this be so, we must necessarily ascribe it to the later of the two monarchs commemorated, i.e. to Shapur III, who must be supposed to have possessed more than usual filial piety, since the commemoration of their predecessors upon the throne is very rare among the Sassanians.

[edit]Death

Shapur III died in 388, after reigning a little more than five years. He was a man of simple tastes, and was fond of spending his time outdoors in his tent. One version says that, on one such occasion, when he was thus enjoying himself, there was a violent hurricane which blew the tent under which he was sitting. The falling tent-pole struck him fatally on his head resulting in his death a few days later. However, though most of his subjects believed in the authencity of this story there were whispers that he could have been the victim of a conspiracy hatched by his courtiers.

Shapur III

Sassanid dynasty

Preceded by

Ardashir II Great King (Shah) of Persia

383 –388 Succeeded by

Bahram IV

Treaty with Rome Negotiations between the Romans and the Sasanians which had begun in the reign of Ardashir II culminated in a treaty of mutual friendship in the year 384. The Persian diplomat who was part of this negotiation was a certain Yazdan-Friy-Shabuhr According to this treaty, Armenia was partitioned between the Romans and the Persians. Therefore two kingdoms were formed, one a vassal of Rome and the other, of Persia. The smaller of these, which comprised the more western districts, which was assigned to Rome was committed to the charge of the Arsaces III (Arshak III) who had been made king by Manuel Mamikonian, the son of the unfortunate Papas (Pap), and the grandson of Arsaces II (Arshak II) contemporary with Julian the Apostate. The larger portion, which consisted of the regions lying towards the east, passed under the suzerainty of Persia, and was handed over to an Arshakuni, named Khosrov IV, a Christian. Thus friendly relations were established between Rome and Persia which survived for thirty-six years.

Shapur III died in 388, after reigning a little more than five years. He was a man of simple tastes, and was fond of spending his time outdoors in his tents. He died when some nobles cut the ropes of a large tent that he had erected in one of his palace courts, so that the tent fell on top of him. [Shapur III, knowing about the murder of many Sasanian kings by the nobles, declared to them in his accession speech, that he would not allow deceit, greed or self-righteousness at his court. However, in the opinion of the nobility, this was unacceptable]

He was shortly succeeded by his son Bahram IV.

ساسانیان : پادشاهی شاپور سوم ساسانی • شاپور سوم پسر شاپور دوم ( ذوالاکتاف) بود که در زمان درگذشت پدرش، به علت کمی سن نتوانست به قدرت برسد و از این رو بود که اردشیر دوم عموی او به شاهی رسید. لیکن پس از برکناری اردشیر دوم، شاپور سوم قدرت را در دست گرفت.

شاپور سوم نیز به مانند پدرش با اقوام عرب جنگها داشت و از اینرو اعراب به او لقب شاپور الجنود دادند. همچنين در سال ۳۸۴ كه شاپور سوم شاه بود، ایران و روم، ارمنستان را بین خود تقسیم کردند که بخش شرقی آن سهم ایران شد و بخش غربی که کوچکتر بود، نصیب روم گشت اما در هر دو بخش شاهزادگان اشکانی همچنان فرمانروایان دست نشانده بودند. کشمکشها در باب ارمنستان بین ایران و بیزانس از این پس هم، بارها پدید آمد اما این تقسیم بندی تا پایان عهد ساسانیان، بیش و کم، همچنان معتبر باقی ماند.

در باب سرانجام شاپور سوم برخی روایت کرده اند که روزی وی با همراهانش به شکار رفته بود. شب هنگام سراپرده‌ای در اثر باد شدید بر سرش افتاد و بدین‌گونه کشته شد. مدت حکومت شاپور سوم حدود 5 سال یعنی از سال 383 تا 387 میلادی بود.