Talk:Pacorus II/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: Amitchell125 (talk · contribs) 21:38, 19 March 2020 (UTC)

Happy to review the article.

Comments

Lead section

• Add the regnal dates for Artabanus II (12-38/41) in the main text, as they are not there and should be.
• Summarize within the lead section (i) something about the Parthian interests in the east (ii) information about the coinage of Pacorus II
• Is the 'House - Arsacid dynasty' line in the infobox needed? Pacorus II is already named near the top as king of the Parthian Empire.

Yes, this is a bit confusing one indeed. The royal family of the rulers is known as the "Arsacids", hence why we have Arsacids of Armenia, Iberia etc. Although Arsacid is also often used a synonym for the Parthian Empire itself. --HistoryofIran (talk) 00:25, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

Understood.

Name

• 'genitive' should be spelt genitive.
• bronze statue of Heracles in Seleucia as Greek Pakhorou - is this the correct link for Greek?.

Think so. --HistoryofIran (talk) 00:40, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

Thanks.

Background

• He was one of Vologases I's younger sons... - I can't find where reference 6 (Holl. pp. 207-8) states this.
• Pacorus was a son of the Parthian king Vologases I (r. 51–78).[5] He was one of Vologases I's younger sons, being born in c. 61/2. - I suggest this is cut down to Pacorus, who was one of the younger sons of the Parthian king Vologases I (r. 51–78), was born in c. 61/2.
• This section would I think benefit from additional text that explains more about the Parthian Empire—e.g. its origins, its enemies, how stable the empire was prior to the rule of Pacorus—and also the lack of information about Pacorus' early years.
• Reference 6 (Holl. pp. 207-8) doesn't appear to verify when Pacorus was born. Is another source needed here?

I've changed that a bit, what do you think? --HistoryofIran (talk) 01:22, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

Yes it's an improvement, but why are there so many citations for this sentence?

Good question, I've reduced it to two citations now lel. --HistoryofIran (talk) 18:22, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

Thanks, HistoryofIran.

Reign

• I did not find information to verify the first sentence in reference 9 (Dab. p. 391).

If I remember correctly I only used that source for the date his reign ended, whilst the other one (which is a bit outdated) states how he met his end. --HistoryofIran (talk) 21:41, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

• I would suggest that reference 10 (Ch.& Sch. pp. 574–580) is moved to the end of 'Pacorus was soon met by a revolt by his brother Vologases II', instead of being where it is.
• Link William Watson (William Watson (sinologist))
• based on oral accounts of his Parthian hosts. - Wood in reference 16 appears to describe the Chinese account of the Romans, not the Parthians.

Eh, dunno. This is the bit I copied and pasted from the FA Parthian Empire article. Removed Wood. --HistoryofIran (talk) 21:58, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

• ...military victories against the Xiongnu... - I would extend the Wikilink Han–Xiongnu War to the whole of this phrase.
• kingdom Osroene - should read kingdom of Osroene.

Coinage

• he was beardless - better as he appeared as beardless? and replace a developing beard is illustrated on his coins. with he is depicted with a beard?
• ...first only later during his late reign... - doesn't make any sense to me.

Changed it a bit, what about now? --HistoryofIran (talk) 00:29, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

Changed it a bit more, it think it now works..

• Reference 24 (Rose 2004) does not appear to mention the goddess Tyche. Can you provide a specific page for this citation?

Looks like I misread. Removed it. --HistoryofIran (talk) 01:32, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

• with a bow - link bow with Bow and arrow.
• replace 'a representation of Anahita' with a representation of the Iranian goddess Anahita.
• The last sentence seems to imply that Ashi is, like Anahita, a diety. Does it need to be made clearer that Ashi is a concept?

I've changed it a little bit since this comment. I think it's fine atm. --HistoryofIran (talk) 21:32, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

• Reference 25 (Rez. 2013) appears to give the wrong page, as i found the information on p. 770, not p. 771.

Offspring

• Besides Vologases II... - Vologases III?
• Link 'kings of Armenia' to List of Armenian kings.

References

• I would split Reference 1 (Rapp 2014 / Marc. 2017) into separate references.
• Reference 3 (Pot. 1991) needs a specific page (or specific pages), and not the range pp. 277-290.
• Reference 5 is actually five different references, each one verifying the statement 'Pacorus was a son of the Parthian king Vologases I (r. 51–78).. Of the five, only Greg. 2017 is needed, so remove the others.
• Reference 7 (Dab. 2007) doesn't appear to have a page 176.
• Reference 15 consists of fours references, each one verifying the statement 'He traveled as far west as the Persian Gulf, where the Parthian authorities convinced him that an arduous sea voyage around the Arabian Peninsula was the only means to reach Rome.. Of the four, only one or two are needed. The statement 'see also Wang 2007, p. 101' could be placed in a separate Notes section.
• I would split Reference 16 (Wood 2002 / Morton & Lewis 2005) into separate references.
• I would remove one of the citations provided in Reference 28 (Curt. 2012 / Olb. 2016 / Curt. 2016), as being superfluous.

Imho it should stay, since this statement of Greek gods being used to portray Iranian ones can appear a bit controversial in the eyes of some readers. --HistoryofIran (talk) 21:39, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

• Reference 29 (Chau. 1986) has a 20 page range cited, but the citation is online. Understanding that the page for the citation is relevant to those accessing a book, can there not simply be a single page provided?

No unfortunately, I have only have access to the online site. --HistoryofIran (talk) 00:53, 25 March 2020 (UTC)

I'd remove the range of pages if you found the reference online.

With all due respect, I think it is fine as it is. The source seems to be meant to be displayed like that, and is displayed like that throughout Wikipedia as well. More or less everyone uses the free, online version. --HistoryofIran (talk) 23:15, 26 March 2020 (UTC)

Understood.

Sources

• Replace the present link for Boyce (Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices) with this link.
• Curtis 2007 ("Religious iconography on ancient Iranian coins") is not used within the text. I would place it in a new section entitled 'Further Reading'.
• Replace the present link for Dabrowa 2012 ("Parthian coins: Kingship and Divine Glory") with this link.
• Provide de Crespigny 2007 (A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms (23–220 AD)) with this link.
• Replace the present link for Gregoratti 2017 ("The Arsacid Empire") with this link.
• Hollis, A. S. - add author-link to Adrian Hollis.
• Provide Kia (The Persian Empire: A Historical Encyclopedia) with this link.
• Possibly replace the present link for Marciak (Sophene, Gordyene, and Adiabene: Three Regna Minora of Northern Mesopotamia Between East and West) with this, as it leads straight to the page.
• Provide Morton & Lewis (China: Its History and Culture) with this link.
• Possibly replace the present link for Rapp (The Sasanian World through Georgian Eyes: ...) with this, as it leads straight to the page.
• Provide Rezakhani ("Arsacid, Elymaean, and Persid Coinage") with this link.
• Watson, William - add author-link to William Watson (sinologist).
• Provide Wang ("Parthia in China: a Re-examination of the Historical Records") with this link.
• Wood, Frances - add author-link to Frances Wood.
• Yü, Ying-shih - add author-link to Yu Ying-shih.
• Provide Yü ("Han Foreign Relations") with this link.
• Reference 3 (Potter 1991) needs to be included in the Sources section, and provided with this link.
• Reference 4 (Gregorati 2013) needs to be included in the Sources section. There should be a specific page included in the citation, instead of the range of pages given.

Template: Rulers of the Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)

• I would hide the full list (personal preference!)

On hold

There may be other comments for me to add, but they should be relatively minor. Please feel fre to query anything I have misunderstood - and keep well! Amitchell125 (talk) 19:30, 24 March 2020 (UTC)

@Amitchell125: What do you think? I've added some comments as well. --HistoryofIran (talk) 22:04, 2 April 2020 (UTC)

@HistoryofIran: Sorry not to get back to you sooner, I'll check the article over tonight before passing it. Amitchell125 (talk) 19:16, 10 April 2020 (UTC)

Passed

Well done! AM