Šābuhr
Shapur IV
Short-lived son of Yazdegerd I
Biography
Shapur IV was a son of Yazdegerd I and was appointed by his father as king of Sasanian Armenia, where he governed from about 415 until 420. When Yazdegerd I was assassinated in 420 he went to Ctesiphon to claim the throne, but nobles and clergy hostile to Yazdegerd's sons had him killed within the year. His known coins come from his Armenian kingship and show a ram-horn headdress with a legend calling him great king of the Armenians.
Key Achievements
- Ruled Sasanian Armenia for about five years as a royal appointee of Yazdegerd I
- Issued unusual coins with a ram-horn headdress and no fire altar
- Claimed the imperial throne in 420 but was murdered within the year