| Sases (Sasan) | |
|---|---|
| Apracha King (Gāndhārī: Apacaraja) | |
 Rev Kharoshthi inscription: "Great king of kings, divine and saviour, Gondophares Sases". | |
| Reign | 1st century CE |
| Predecessor | Aspavarma |
| Successor | Vima Takto |
| Dynasty | Apracharajas |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Sases, also known as Gondophares IV Sases (Kharosthi: 𐨒𐨂𐨡𐨂𐨥𐨪 𐨯𐨯 Gu-du-pha-ra Sa-sa, Guduphara Sasa[1][2]), sometimes Sasan, was an Indo-Parthian king and Apracharaja[3] who ruled in Gandhara. He is only known from coins and ruled for at least 26 years after succeeding Gondophares.[4] At some point during his reign he assumed the title Gondophares, which was held by the supreme Indo-Parthian rulers.
With the modern datings supplied by Robert Senior, Gondophares IV is a likely candidate for several possible historical references to Indo-Parthian kings of the 1st century AD. Traditionally, these references have been thought to be about Gondophares I, as earlier scholars did not realise that "Gondophares" became a title after the death of this king, just as the name of the first emperor, Augustus, in the Roman Empire, was used by all later emperors as a title.[5]
- ^ Cunningham, Alexander, COINS OF THE INDO-SCYTHIANS. The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society, Third Series, Vol. 8 (1888), pp. 199-248
- ^ Coins of the Sakas, The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Numismatic Society Third Series, Vol. 10 (1890), pp. 103-172.
- ^ Sastri, K. a Nilakanta (1957). Comprehensive History Of India Vol.2 (mauryas And Satavahanas). p. 215.
The interesting additional information we get from these coins is that Sasan, a former associate of Gondophares and afterwards one of his successors in the Taxila region, was the son of Aspa's brother
- ^ See main Indo-Parthian page for references to Robert Senior's modern chronology
- ^ Jan Olbrycht, Marek (2016). "Dynastic Connections in the Arsacid Empire and the Origins of the House of Sāsān". In Curtis, Vesta Sarkhosh; Pendleton, Elizabeth J.; Alram, Michael; Daryaee, Touraj (eds.). The Parthian and early Sasanian empires: adaptation and expansion: proceedings of a conference held in Vienna, 14-16 June 2012. Archaeological Monographs series. Oxford: Oxbow Books. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-78570-207-5.
"Gondophares" passed into the title used by the rulers of Indo-Parthia, just like the honorific Arsaces in Parthia and Augustus in Rome.