Charax
Charax, historically known as Spasinou Charax, was a significant port city located at the confluence of the Tigris and Choaspes rivers, near the modern border of Iraq and Iran. Founded during the Hellenistic period, it was initially established by Alexander the Great, although evidence for this foundation is limited. The city was later rebuilt by Hyspaosines, who became its first king and is recognized for founding the kingdom of Characene. Charax served as a crucial hub for trade, connecting caravans from the interior to maritime routes until the Gulf's recession diminished its commercial role.
The city was home to a succession of local rulers who minted coins from the late second century BC to the third century AD, reflecting both local and Parthian influences. Charax's prominence waned around AD 224–28 with the rise of the Sassanian Empire, marking the end of Characene's political significance. Notably, one of its citizens, Isidorus, contributed to geographical scholarship with his writings on the Parthian territories, showcasing the city's historical importance in ancient geography and trade. Overall, Charax stands as a fascinating example of Hellenistic urban development and cultural exchange in the ancient Near East.
Subject Terms
Charax
Spasinou Charax
Situated on an artificial elevation between the rivers Tigris and Choaspes (perhaps Kerhah, Kharkeh: see alsoSusa) at the point where they meet, near the Persian Gulf (and the modern frontier between Iraq and Iran). Pliny the Elder describes its foundation by Alexander the Great, who was said to have brought settlers from the royal city of Durine (and some invalid soldiers), but the evidence for this Alexandria is uncertain. A colony, however, was founded by the Seleucid Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175–164 BC) under the name of Antiochia, but after this settlement had been destroyed (not for the first time) by flooding, it was restored by Hyspaosines (c 127–124)—son of a local Arab ruler Sagdodonacus—after whom it took the name of Spasinou. Charax, serving as a port for caravans from the interior until the recession of the Gulf, put an end to this activity.
Kings of Characene, whose capital was Spasinou Charax issued coins from the later second century BC to the third century AD; the later issues bear the head not only of the local monarch but of his Arsacid (Parthian) patron. The kingdom of Characene came to an end cAD 224–28, when the Parthians were superseded by the Sassanian Persians. The most famous citizen of Spasinou Charax was Isidorus, who wrote an important geographical work, with special reference to Parthian territories, c 25.