WAHRĀM II., KÖNIG DER KÖNIGE VON ERÄN UND ANERÄN

Abstract

»Wahram II, King of kings of Ērān and Anērān«. After three years of kingship, Wahrām I died and his son Wahram II ascended the throne. He ruled the Sasanian Empire for seventeen years (276-293 AD). Wahram II was the fifth sāhān sāh of the so-called New Persian Empire that had been founded by Ardasīr I in 224 AD. During his long reign, Wahram endeavoured to secure the throne for his family and to fix the succession correctly to his father's mind. Numerous rock reliefs commissioned by him show him within the family and with the highest dignitaries of the empire. Those images were a proven device for displaying his entitlement to the Sasanian throne. As regards domestic policy and foreign affairs, difficulties characterize Wahrām's reign. The most prominent of them were the many years' rebellion of his brother (or cousin?), prince Ormies (Hormezd), and the serious setbacks in the Sasanian fight against Rome. The main reasons for this development were the king's turning away from the tolerant religious policy of his predecessors and the rebellion of Ormies (Hormezd) that lasted for almost ten years. The situation became even worst because of the struggle for the throne after Wahram's death. Four people stand out from the great number of Wahram's relatives and are documented in the sources: his brother Ormies (Hormezd); his wife, the 'Queen of queens', whose name remains unknown; his concubine, the Christian martyr Qandīdā, who originally came from the territories of the Roman empire; and his son and successor Wahram III (293 AD). Like his predecessors, Wahram II was a devout follower and patron of Zoroastrianism. His conviction follows from his titles, his coins and reliefs. His religious policy was decisively shaped by his promotion of the mowbed Kerdir on whom he showered extraordinary honours and powers. By that, Kerdir got decisive space to intensively foster Zoroastrianism and, at the same time, to persecute all other religions, not the least the Christians and the Manichaeans. It was in Wahram II's time that the first persecution of the Christians took place. However, it had not the dimensions of the later ones. During this persecution, Wahrām's concubine Qandīdā died a martyr's death.