The head of Suren family had the privilege to crown the first Parthian king in the 3rd century BC, which founded a tradition that was continued by his descendants.[4][3][a] Following the 3rd century AD defeat of the Arsacids and the subsequent rise of the
Sassanids, the Surenas then switched sides and began to serve the Persians,[5][6] at whose court they were identified as one of the so-called "
Parthian clans." The last attested scion of the family was a military commander active in northern China during the 9th century.[7]
It is probable[5] that the Surenas were landowners in
Sakastan, that is, in the region between
Arachosia and
Drangiana in present-day southeast
Iran and Southern
Afghanistan. The Surenas appear to have governed
Sistan (which derives its name from 'Sakastan' and was once a much larger region than the present day province) as their personal
fiefdom.[5]
Bivar, A. D. H. (1983), "The Political History of Iran under the Arsacids", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 21â100
Bivar, A. D. H. (2003),
"Gondophares", Encyclopaedia Iranica, vol. 11, Costa Mesa: Mazda
Frye, R. N. (1983), "The Political History of Iran under the Sassanians", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 116â181
Herzfeld, Ernst Emil, ed. (1929), "Das Haus SĆ«rÄn von Sakastan-->", ArchĂŠologische Mitteilungen aus Iran, vol. I, Berlin: Dietrich Reimer, pp. 70â80
Justi, Ferdinand (1895), "SĆ«rÄn",
Iranisches Namenbuch, Leipzig/Marburg: Elwert, pp. 316â317.
Lang, David M. (1983), "Iran, Armenia and Georgia", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 505â537
Lendering, Jona (2006),
Surena, Amsterdam: livius.org
Lukonin, V. G. (1983), "Political, Social and Administrative Institutions", in Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.), Cambridge History of Iran, vol. 3, London: Cambridge UP, pp. 681â747
Plutarch, "Marcus Crassus", in Langhorne, John; Langhorne, William, eds. (1934), Plutarch's Lives, London: J. Crissy