Shapur I

Defeated Roman armies three times and captured Emperor Valerian alive.

Life

Prince on campaign

Shapur I was the son of Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire. As a young man he campaigned beside his father, helping consolidate the new dynasty's rule over the Iranian Plateau and Mesopotamia, and after his accession he continued his father's foreign policy of contesting Syria and Armenia with Rome.

Three victories over Rome

He inflicted three crushing defeats on Roman armies: he routed Emperor Gordian III, forced Emperor Philip to pay tribute and sue for peace, and in 260 CE at the Battle of Edessa even captured the Roman emperor Valerian alive, the only time in Roman history that an emperor himself was taken prisoner. He had reliefs carved on the cliffs of Naqsh-e Rostam depicting Valerian kneeling to beg for mercy, proclaiming Persia's victory.

Mystery of the captured emperor

Persian and Roman sources differ greatly on Valerian's fate after his capture. Later Roman historians' stories that he was flayed and his skin stuffed, or that he was used as a footstool for Shapur to mount his horse, mostly carry the flavor of propaganda vilifying a rival; modern scholars think Valerian was more likely held captive until he died of illness, and the details can hardly be reconstructed.

Legacy

Shapur I consolidated the Sasanian Empire founded by his father, making it a great power able to stand as Rome's equal, and styled himself "King of Kings of Iran and non-Iran." His feat of capturing a Roman emperor shook the Mediterranean world and also marked the low point of Rome's Crisis of the Third Century. He tolerated religious figures such as Mani, and employed Roman prisoner-artisans to build cities and dams, fostering technological exchange between East and West. However, the sources on both sides are strongly partisan, and the details of his military achievements often need to be read against one another.

Major works & achievements

• Defeated Gordian III and forced Philip to make peace and pay indemnity
• Captured the Roman emperor Valerian alive at the Battle of Edessa
• Carved the trilingual inscription recording his deeds on the "Ka'ba-ye Zartosht" (Cube of Zoroaster)
• Settled Roman prisoners of war to build cities and hydraulic works

Did you know? Roman prisoners of war are said to have helped build the ancient hydraulic system of Shushtar in Iran, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Key dates

• 215Born in Persia, son of Ardashir I
• 240Co-ruled with his father, then reigned as king in his own right
• 244Defeated Roman emperor Gordian III
• 252Defeated another Roman emperor, Philip
• 260Captured the Roman emperor Valerian at the Battle of Edessa
• 266Expanded the rock reliefs at Naqsh-e Rostam
• 270Died