1. Narseh was the seventh King of Kings of Sasanian Iran from 293 to 303.
25 Facts About Narseh
1. 2.
The youngest son of Shapur I, Narseh served as the governor of Sakastan, Hind and Turan under his father.
3.
Narseh then made a settlement with Narseh to give up his entitlement to the throne in return for the governorship of the important frontier province of Armenia, which was a persistent cause for war between the Roman and Sasanian Empires.
4.
Narseh held the title of Vazurg Sah Arminan, which was used by the heir to the throne in the early Sasanian times.
5.
Narseh was the first Sasanian shah to not ascend the throne as a crown prince.
6.
In 296 or 297, Narseh's forces inflicted a defeat on the forces of Galerius at the Battle of Carrhae.
7.
Narseh is notable for returning to the religious tolerance policy of his father.
8.
Narseh's name is listed as nrshy in Middle Persian and nryshw in Parthian on the Paikuli inscription and Naqsh-e Rostam.
9.
Narseh is quoted in an inscription by his father Shapur I as the governor of the eastern Sasanian provinces of Hind, Sakastan and Turan.
10.
Narseh then made a settlement with Narseh to give up his entitlement to the throne in return for the governorship of the important frontier province of Armenia, which was constantly the source of war between the Roman and Sasanian Empires.
11.
Narseh held the title of Vazurg Sah Arminan, which was used by the heir to the throne.
12.
Four months into Bahram III's reign, Narseh was summoned to Mesopotamia at the request of many members of the Iranian nobility.
13.
Narseh met them in the passage of Paikuli in the province of Garmekan, where he was firmly approved and likely declared shah for the first time.
14.
The reasons behind the nobles favour of Narseh might have been due to his jurisdiction as governor, his image as an advocate of the Zoroastrian religion and as an insurer for harmony and prosperity of the empire.
15.
Bahram III abdicated as shah and was probably spared, whilst Wahnam was executed when Narseh entered the Sasanian capital of Ctesiphon.
16.
Narseh then summoned the aristocrats to take part in the royal referendum, a ritual which had been used since the first Sasanian shah, Ardashir I, and which Narseh now made use of in order to gain the approval of the aristocracy as a legitimate ruler instead that of a usurper.
17.
When Narseh ascended the throne, the eastern portion of Mesopotamia and all of Armenia were under Iranian rule.
18.
Galerius, Caesar under Emperor Diocletian, invaded Mesopotamia, which Narseh had occupied hoping to check his advance.
19.
Anxious to make peace with the Romans, Narseh dispatched his envoy Aphraban to Galerius with the following message:.
20.
Narseh sees herein that you bear in mind the changes of fortune and the instability of all human affairs.
21.
Narseh did not survive for long after the conclusion of this humiliating treaty.
22.
Narseh died in 303 and was succeeded by his son, Hormizd II.
23.
The relief depicts an investiture scene, with Narseh, wearing a lamellar crown, surrounded by his family.
24.
Narseh is receiving the ring of kingship from a female figure that is frequently assumed to be the goddess Anahita.
25.
The figure standing behind Narseh is most likely the crown prince Hormizd, due to his cap being the form of that of an animal protome, which was typically worn by Sasanian heirs.