Shapur III
Shapur III was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 383 to 388. He was the son of Shapur II and took the throne after his uncle Ardashir II. His five-year reign was mostly calm.
In the west, Shapur III and Rome settled their dispute over Armenia through diplomacy. The two empires agreed to divide influence in the region, with most of Armenia staying under Sasanian control and Iranian sway in Iberia and nearby areas. In the east, Kabul was lost to the Alchon Huns before 388, reducing Sasanian power there.
Shapur III is remembered for a rock relief at Taq-e Bostan showing him with his father; it was the last Sasanian royal relief carved for many years. He died in 388 when a large tent collapsed after conspirators cut its ropes, ending his short reign. His son Bahram IV succeeded him, and another son, Yazdegerd I, would rule later.
On coins, Shapur III sometimes wore only a diadem (not a crown), and his royal title on coins emphasized his role as King of Kings of Iran and non-Iranian peoples. He also ordered a rock relief at Taq-e Bostan and left a mark on the era’s royal imagery. One wife, Yazdan-Friy Shapur, is known from an onyx seal.
Images linked to Shapur III, such as the Klimova Plate showing a king slaying a leopard, have crowns that resemble his own, highlighting the era’s distinctive royal crowns.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:58 (CET).