Department of HistoryNikolaus Overtoom

Nikolaus Overtoom

  1. Associate Professor
Email Addressnikolaus.overtoom@wsu.edu
LocationWilson-Short Hall 319
Phone509-335-7973

Biography

Education

  • PhD Louisiana State University – Ancient Mediterranean and West Asian History, 2016
  • MA University of Maryland, College Park – Ancient Mediterranean History, 2011
  • BA University of North Texas – History, Classical Studies Minor, 2008

Honors and Affiliations

Research and Teaching Interests

Overtoom has published two books, Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire in the Hellenistic Middle East with Oxford University Press and The Parthians at War: Combat, Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome. He has also published numerous articles and book chapters on the image and interactions of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Parthians. His research and teaching interests include Ancient Greece, Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic world, the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, late antiquity, ancient Parthia, and ancient militarism.

Publications

Monographs

2026 The Parthians at War: Combat, Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Praise for The Parthians at War:
“This thorough and convincing reassessment of Parthian warmaking is sure to have its readers change the way we think about Rome’s peer and rival. Overtoom’s work is especially useful in demolishing stale, old, and frankly lazy assumptions about the Parthians, assumptions which have hitherto hampered greater awareness of Parthia’s eminent place in world history. The Parthians at War is a remarkable achievement, one that will improve the way I conceptualize and teach ancient history. Thanks to Overtoom, a Rome-centric view of Parthia is no longer necessary, or tenable; he offers bold, innovative, and convincing re-interpretations of the early rivalry between the powers, Crassus’ disaster at Carrhae, and the very long shadow of that infamous debacle.” —Christopher Fuhrmann, Associate Professor of Classics Instruction, Hope College, USA.

Cover of Book

2020 Reign of Arrows: The Rise of the Parthian Empire in the Hellenistic Middle East. Oxford University Press. Oxford Studies in Early Empires Series.

Praise for Reign of Arrows:

“Overtoom’s study of the rise of the Parthian Empire brings a new perspective to this important development in the history of the Hellenistic Middle East. By emphasizing the changing international-systems elements that led to the expansion of the Arsacid kings, Overtoom allows scholars to develop a more sophisticated view of how this expansion occurred, with less causal emphasis merely on the warlike nature of Parthian society or the personalities of individual rulers — important though these were.” — Arthur Eckstein, University of Maryland

“A novel, salutary, and stimulating effort to give meaningful order to hitherto confused Parthian political histories. Reign of Arrows restores dynamism to the Parthian Empire, enlivening discussion of its history and enabling its inclusion in the comparative study of ancient empires and the ancient world more generally.” — Richard Payne, University of Chicago

Reviews:

  • Sabine Müller, Philipps University Marburg, 2021. The Journal of Roman Studies 111: 328-330. “This is a highly reflective, very profound, thorough and critical study that offers a lot of important perspectives and thoughts that will enrich scholarship on Arsacid Parthia. It is a most relevant contribution to Arsacid research and recommended to all who are working on Parthia or are interested in its early history.
  • Jonathan Zartman, Air Command and Staff College, 2021. The Journal of Military History 85.3: 780-782. “This book provides a thorough and superbly supported argument explaining the rise of the Parthians… Students of military strategy, history, and the Persian-speaking world will all find this book a valuable addition to their library.”

Reign of Arrows book cover

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

Peer Reviewed Book Contributions

  • 2026 “Extreme Acts of War Violence in the Formation of the Parthians’ Image and Empire.” Brill’s Companion to War Violence in the Ancient Mediterranean. Brill. L. Gilhaus (ed.). 225-57.
  • 2026 “The Parthian Empire in Josephus’s Writings.” The Oxford Handbook of Josephus. Oxford. K. Atkinson (ed.). 281-93.
  • 2026 “Concepts of Courage and Cowardice in the Formation of the Parthian State.” Brill’s Companion to Courage and Cowardice in Ancient Mediterranean Warfare. Brill. J. Finn (ed.). 385-419.
  • 2025 “Patricide, Fratricide, and Betrayal: The Role of Parthia in the First War with Rome.” Brill’s Companion to War in the Ancient Iranian Empires. Brill’s Companions to Classical Studies Series: Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean World. 9. Brill. J. Hyland and K. Rezakhani (eds.). 329-65. ISBN: 9789004710771.
  • 2023 “Logistics and Strategy in the Hellenistic World: Parthians and Seleucids.” Brill’s Companion to Diet and Logistics in Greek and Roman Warfare. Brill’s Companions to Classical Studies Series: Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean World. 8. Brill. J. Donahue and L. Brice (eds.). 258-86. ISBN: 9789004686618.
  • 2016 Conflict in Greece and Rome: The Definitive Political, Social, and Military Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. S. Phang, et al. (eds.). Nine article entries: Polybius; Maniples (Roman Military); Pyrrhus of Epirus and the Pyrrhic War; Battle of Magnesia (Romans vs Seleucids); Arch of Septimius Severus (Rome); Roman Civil War (Pertinax-Septimius Severus); Ammianus Marcellinus; Constantius II; and Julian “The Apostate.”

Selected Awards and Grants

  • 2025-2026 Teaching grant from the History for the 21st Century project to produce a two-week teaching module on “Parthia and the Interconnectivity of Antiquity Across Afro-Eurasia.”
  • 2025 Continuing Research Seed Grant, for project, The Parthians at War: Combat, Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome, funded by the History Department.
  • 2023-2024 CAH Fellowship for project, The Parthians at War: Combat, Logistics, Reputation, and the First War with Rome, funded by the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities.
  • 2022-2023 UCORE Core to Career Faculty Fellowship Program, 2nd Cohort ($1,000).
  • 2022 College of Arts and Sciences Early Career Achievement Award – Career Track.
  • 2021 Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Teaching and Learning Grant ($5,000) for the proposal entitled “Engaging an Equitable Antiquity,” developing new courses at Washington State University to encourage diversity and inclusiveness in the study of antiquity.

Invited Talks

  • 2025 “The Historian’s Craft: Teaching and Research Practices.” The Department of History, Anthropology, Modern Languages & Literatures at Eastern Washington University, Hosted by Dr. Diwan Pietra for History 501: Introduction to Historical Studies, October 27.
  • 2024 “Concepts of Courage and Cowardice in the Formation of the Parthian State.” Brill’s Companions to Classical Studies: Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean World Workshop, hosted by the series editorial board members Jeremy Armstrong and Matthew Sears. The University of Amsterdam, August 28-30.
  • 2024 “Intentionally Shocking and Extreme Acts of War Violence in the Formation of the Parthians Image and Empire.” Brill’s Companions to Classical Studies: Warfare in the Ancient Mediterranean World Workshop. The University of Amsterdam, August 28-30.
  • 2024 “Violence within the Family: The Sudden Instability of the Arsacids in the First Century BCE.” Near Eastern and Classical Conceptions of Dynasty and Rulership Panel. Celtic Conference in Classics. Cardiff University, July 9-12.
  • 2023 “Theory and Historiography in the Study of Ancient Parthia.” The CAS History Department Faculty Roundtable for History 580: Historiography w/ Prof. Ray Sun at WSU, Pullman, WA, December 7.
  • 2023 “Parthia’s First War with Rome.” The Pollart Center’s Faculty Fellowship Award Lecture at WSU, Pullman, WA, November 13.
  • 2023 “The Parthians at War.” The Pollart Center’s Faculty Fellowship Program for Innovative Research in the Arts and Humanities Lecture, Part 2, at WSU, Pullman, WA, October 18.
  • 2023 “Patricide, Fratricide, and Betrayal: The Role of the Parthians in the First War with Rome.” The Modern History Colloquium at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, September 15.
  • 2022 “The Parthian Military in the Formation and Expansion of the Arsacid Empire.” The Payravi Conference on Ancient Iranian History IV “Contextualizing Iranian History: The Arsacids (ca. 250 BC – 224 AD).” The UCI Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture, Irvine, CA, February 28-March 2.
  • 2022 “The Importance of Periclean Athens.” The CAS School of Languages, Cultures, and Race in Humanity 101 w/ Prof. Jamie Flathers at WSU, Pullman, WA, January 20.
  • 2021 “Considering Who Were the Parthians and Why They Were Successful in Forging an Empire,” online series in honor of Dr. Arthur Eckstein on the 15th anniversary of Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome, September 14.
  • 2021 “Understanding Parthian Success and Reconstructing Parthian History in the Hellenistic World: An Introduction to the Challenges of Parthian Scholarship and Sources,” Guest Lecture for the Dallas Archaeological Institute of America Lecture Series hosted by the University of North Texas, Denton, TX, March 3 (postponed and moved online due to Covid-19, originally April 20, 2020).
  • 2021 “Reconsidering the Emergence of the Parthian State: The Crisis of the 240s-230s BCE in the Hellenistic Middle East,” Guest Lecture for the Pourdavoud Center for the Study of the Iranian World at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, February 3 (held online due to Covid-19).
  • 2020 “The Forgotten World Empire: The Parthians in Antiquity and Beyond,” Guest Lecture for the Roots of Contemporary Issues Lecture Series hosted by Washington State University, Pullman, WA (postponed due to Covid-19, originally March 31, 2020).
  • 2019 “The Roman Obsession with Parthia in Classical and Late Antiquity,” Guest Lecture for the Works in Progress Series hosted by the University of New Mexico Institute for Medieval Studies, Albuquerque, NM, April 25.
  • 2018 “The Rise of King Tigranes II of Armenia and his Rivalry with the Parthians from 88-69 BCE,” Guest Lecture for the University of New Mexico History Colloquium Series, Albuquerque, NM, February 16.

Professional Interviews and Media Presentations

Courses Taught

  • History 101 Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Europe
  • History 120 World History to 1500 CE
  • History 337 Women in the Ancient World
  • History 340 Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander the Great
  • History 341 The Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome
  • History 385 Ancient Warfare and Society
  • History 469 The Hellenistic World