Tanlis Mardates

Tanlis Mardates, or Tanlis Maidates (ΤΑΝΛΙC ΜΑΙΔΑTΗC, ruled circa 80-40 BC), was the governor of the Arsacid provinces of Sakastan and Arachosia.^[4] He might have been of Parthian, or perhaps of Saka origin.^[4] The Parthian Empire had been ruling the region of Sakastan since the victory of Mithridates II (124–88 BCE) over the Sakas, and these "Satraps" (another one was probably Cheiroukes) governed in the area until the establishment of the dynasty of Gondophares (19-46 CE).^[4]

Tanlis Mardates ΤΑΝΛΙC ΜΑΙΔΑTΗC
Satrap
Coinage of Tanlis Mardates (ΤΑΝΛΙC ΜΑΙΔΑTΗC) with Rangodeme (ΡΑΓΓΟΔΗΜΗ ΚΥΡΙΑ).[1][2][3]
Reign	circa 80-40 BC

Coin of Tanlis Mardates, with a round countermark on the profile of Rangodeme, representing a portrait with (ΤΑΝΛΙC ....) around.

Tanlis Mardates minted coins with portraits of him and a certain Rangodeme, probably his wife.^[4] He was probably the last Arsacid governor of the area before the rise of the dynasty of the Indo-Parthian ruler Gondophares (r. 19–46).^[5]

He ruled west of the territory of Sapadbizes.^[1]

The portrait from his coinage is thought to illustrate the armour and headgear of Parthian cataphracts: his coins show a low, oval helmet, with a neckguard and a plume.^[6]

References

1. Invernizzi, Antonio (1995). In the Land of the Gryphons: Papers on Central Asian Archaeology in Antiquity. Le lettere. p. 187. ISBN 978-88-7166-248-0.
2. Another coin with clear legend: INDO-PARTHIANS, Aria or Margiana. Tanlis Mardates, with Raggodeme. Mid-late 1st century BCE.
3. "Indo-Parthian Silver Drachm of Tanlis Mardates with Rangodeme". 3 May 2014.
4. Rezakhani 2017, p. 32.
5. Rezakhani 2017, p. 32, From the numismatic point of view, the early Indo-Parthians before the rise of Gondophares were little-known authorities who produced coins initially in the style of the Parthians (i.e. Arsacids) and then the Indo-Scythian kings such as Maues.16 They might have been Parthian, or possibly ‘Saka’, satraps of Sakistan/Sistan appointed by the Arsacid ruler. This can be observed from the coins of Cheiroukes, who calls himself a ‘satrap’ of the Marsakes region, matching the eastern provinces of the Arsacid Empire, and later Sistan proper. The coinage of a series of authorities whose names are given as Tanlis, Tanlis Mardates, and probably a queen named Rangodeme are quite likely to be the last series issued by these ‘satraps’ before the establishment of the dynasty of Gondophares in Sistan and Arachosia. The early rulers of Sakistan/Sistan can thus be characterised as Arsacid governors, possibly of Saka origin, who are appointed following the defeat of the Sakas in the region by Mithridates II.
6. Heckel, Waldemar; Naiden, F. S.; Garvin, E. Edward; Vanderspoel, John (8 July 2021). A Companion to Greek Warfare. John Wiley & Sons. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-119-43885-4.

Sources

• Rezakhani, Khodadad (2017). "East Iran in Late Antiquity". ReOrienting the Sasanians: East Iran in Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 1–256. ISBN 9781474400305. JSTOR 10.3366/j.ctt1g04zr8. (registration required)