Meaning & History
Gotarz is the Parthian form of Gotarzes, an ancient name of Old Iranian origin. The root name derives from a lost *Gautarza meaning "ox crusher," formed from elements related to "cattle" and "to crush." The phonetic shift from Gotarz to Gotarzes occurred when the name was transcribed into Greek during the Hellenistic period.
Historically, Gotarz corresponds directly to the Parthian spelling 𐭂𐭅𐭕𐭓𐭆. In Parthian, the terminal -[r]z clusters often reflect the original Iranian *-rza > -rz, while the Greek ending -es was added for declension. Thus Gotarz is philologically closer to the native form than its Hellenized counterpart.
The name is most famously associated with two Parthian kings. Gotarzes I ruled in the late 2nd century BCE during a period of conflict with the Seleucids and internal rivals. Gotarzes II (c. 40–51 CE) is known from Roman sources and coinage; Tacitus records his violent struggle for the throne. The administrative records from Nisa (the Parthian capital) also mention at least one Gotarz in a non-royal context.