Orodes was the second born son of King Artabanus II of Parthia by a wife whose name is unknown.
[1][2] As this time the Roman emperor Tiberius, refused to accept the kingship of Orodes and Tiberius appointed the Iberian prince Mithridates as the new Roman client Armenian king with the support of his brother, King Pharasmanes I of Iberia.
Orodes had lost his military campaign against Mithridates in which he may have been injured and returned to Parthia.
In 37, Mithridates was arrested by the Roman emperor Caligula for unknown reasons and Orodes in 37 was restored to his kingship.
In 42, the Roman emperor Claudius replaced Orodes for unknown reasons and installed again Mithridates as the new client king.