Vonones II

Vonones II (died 51 AD) was a Parthian prince who ruled as king of Media Atropatene and briefly as king of the Parthian Empire.

Vonones II
King of Kings
Coin of Vonones II
King of Media Atropatene
Reign	11 – 51
Predecessor	Artabanus II
Successor	Pacorus
King of the Parthian Empire
Reign	51
Predecessor	Gotarzes II
Successor	Vologases I
Died	51 AD
Spouse	“Greek concubine” (paelex Graeca), mother of king Vologases I[1]
Issue	Vologases I Pacorus Tiridates I of Armenia
Dynasty	Arsacid dynasty
Father	Dahae or Atropatid prince
Mother	unnamed daughter of Phraates IV
Religion	Zoroastrianism

Vonones was not from the ruling branch of the Arsacid royal family. His father has been variously identified as being a member of the Atropatid dynasty,^[2] or as a Dahae prince descended from the former Arsacid monarch Mithridates II (r. 124–88 BC).^[3][4] Vonones II's mother was a daughter of the Arsacid King of Kings Phraates IV (r. 37–2 BC).^[4] His brother was the Parthian King Artabanus II.^[3]

From about 11 AD until 51 AD, Vonones II ruled as king of Media Atropatene,^[5][6] a period about which little is known.

After the death of his nephew Gotarzes II, Vonones II became king of the Parthian Empire in 51 AD. However, he died a few months into his reign and was succeeded by his son, Vologases I. Tacitus wrote that Vonones II “knew neither success nor failure which have deserved to be remembered to him. It was a short and inglorious reign”.^[5]

Vonones II had 3 sons who, respectively, held the thrones of Parthia, Media Atropatene and Armenia: Pacorus,^[7] Vologases I,^[5] and Tiridates I.^[8]