Cotys III (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

: Κότυς, flourished second half of 1st century BC and first half of 1st century, died 18 AD) was the

Sapaean Sapaeans, Sapaei or Sapaioi (Ancient Greek, "Σαπαίοι") were a Thracian tribe close to the Greek city of Abdera. One of their kings was named Abrupolis and had allied himself with the Romans. They ruled Thrace after the Odrysians until its ...

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

client king of eastern

Thrace Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...

from 12 to 18 AD.

Family and origins

Cotys was the son and heir of loyal Roman client rulers

Rhoemetalces I Rhoemetalces I (Sapaean) ( grc, Ῥοιμητάλκης) was king of the Sapaean kingdom of Thrace from 15 BC to 12 AD. He was king of Odrysian kingdom of Thrace in succession to his nephew Rhescuporis II (Astaean). Rhoemetalces I was a loya ...

and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Cotys’ mother is only known through surviving numismatic evidence, which bears her image and her Royal title of Queen Pythodoris. Cotys’ father

was an ally of the first Roman Emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

. Rhoemetalces I was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I. Rhoemetalces I was the son of a previous Thracian King, whose name was Cotys II and his mother is unknown. Rhoemetalces I was the middle son, who had an elder brother who was called Cotys and his younger brother was

Rhescuporis II Rhescuporis II was king of the Sapaean kingdom of Thrace from 12 to 19 AD. He ruled half of the kingdom in succession to his brother Rhoemetalces I, and briefly ruler of the entire realm thereafter, usurping the other half from nephew Cotys VIII ...

. Rhoemetalces I's eldest brother Cotys who was Thracian King and an ally to Roman General

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

, had sent Pompey a force of auxiliaries under his son Rhescuporis I in 48 BC, during the Roman civil war between Pompey and Gaius

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

. When Rhoemetalces I's brother died, his nephew Rhescuporis I became Thracian King. Rhoemetalces I became the guardian to the young son of his brother, Cotys. Rhescuporis I died in 13 BC when he was defeated and slain in a battle by Vologaeses, chief of the Thracian Bessi, who was a leader in the revolt against the Romans in that year. During this revolt Rhoemetalces I and his family had fled Thrace and only returned when the revolt had ended. Augustus then returned Thrace to him and his family. When Rhescuporis I died, he left no heir so Rhoemetalces I became King of Thrace in 12 BC. Rhoemetalces I ruled Thrace until his death in 12 AD. The Roman historian,

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historiography, Roman historians by modern scholars. The surviving portions of his t ...

, describes Rhoemetalces I as ‘attractive and civilized’.

King of Thrace

When Rhoemetalces I died, Augustus had divided the kingdom into two separate kingdoms: one part for his son Cotys to rule and other half for Rhoemetalces I's remaining brother

to rule. Tacitus states that Cotys received the cultivated parts, most towns and most Greek cities of Thrace, while Rhescuporis received the wild and savage portion with enemies on its frontier. Not much is known on the early life of Cotys. Cotys had married the

Antonia Tryphaena Antonia Tryphaena also known as Tryphaena of Thrace or Tryphaena (her name in Ancient Greek, Greek: ἡ Ἀντωνία Τρύφαινα or Τρυφαίνη, 10 BC – 55 AD) was a Kingdom of Pontus, Pontian Princess and a Ancient Rome, Roman Clie ...

, a Pontian princess who was the daughter of Roman client rulers, Polemon Pythodoros and

Pythodorida of Pontus Pythodorida or Pythodoris of Pontus ( el, Πυθοδωρίδα or Πυθοδωρίς, 30 BC or 29 BC – 38) was a Roman client queen of Pontus, the Bosporan Kingdom, Cilicia, and Cappadocia. Origins and early life Pythodorida is also known as ...

. She was of

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

n Greek and Roman heritage. Tryphaena's mother was the first grandchild of Roman Triumvir,

Mark Antony Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the autoc ...

. However the relationship between Tryphaena and Cotys is unknown. Tacitus describes Cotys as a man of ‘gentle disposition, good natured and mannered’. The Roman poet

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...

, wrote an

epistle An epistle (; el, ἐπιστολή, ''epistolē,'' "letter") is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as par ...

addressed to him. Ovid praises Cotys for his cultivated taste for literature, and claimed his favour and protection as a brother-poet. Rhescuporis II always wanted to annex Cotys’ kingdom for himself to rule. However, he was unable to do this out of his fear of Augustus. However, when Augustus died in 14 AD, Rhescuporis II decided to take action. Tacitus describes his character as ‘treacherous’. Rhescuporis II was at first peaceful in seeking to annex his nephew's kingdom, but when Cotys resisted, Rhescuporis II plotted to kill his nephew. Rhescuporis II invited his nephew to a banquet to ratify a treaty between them. Cotys had not expected trouble and was arrested and imprisoned by his uncle. With Cotys imprisoned, Rhescuporis II seized his kingdom. In 18 AD Cotys was murdered by order of Rhescuporis II who falsely represented his death as self-inflicted. Cotys’ wife and children fled Thrace to

Cyzicus Cyzicus (; grc, Κύζικος ''Kúzikos''; ota, آیدینجق, ''Aydıncıḳ'') was an ancient Greek town in Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peni ...

. In 19 AD Roman Emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

opened a murder investigation into Cotys’ death. Tiberius put Rhescuporis II on trial in the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate ( la, Senātus Rōmānus) was a governing and advisory assembly in ancient Rome. It was one of the most enduring institutions in Roman history, being established in the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in ...

and invited Tryphaena to attend the trial. During the trial Tryphaena accused Rhescuporis II of killing her husband. Tiberius found Rhescuporis II guilty and sent him to live in exile in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. On his way to Egypt Rhescuporis II tried to escape and was killed by Roman soldiers. Tiberius returned the whole Thracian Kingdom to Tryphaena and Tiberius appointed Cotys and Tryphaena's first child, Rhoemetalces II, to rule with his mother. The son of Rhescuporis II, Rhoemetalces III was spared by Tiberius and the emperor allowed him to return to Thrace.

Marriage and children

Cotys had four children by Tryphaena and they were: * A son,

Rhoemetalces II Rhoemetalces II was a Client Ruler in association with his mother Antonia Tryphaena of the Sapaean kingdom of Thrace under the Romans. He ruled from 19 until 38 AD.Mladjov, Thracian Kings, University of Michigan
Werner 1961: 118-120, 239, 242; Sullivan 1990: 25-30, 145-151, stemma 1. * A daughter,

Gepaepyris Gepaepyris ( el, Γηπαίπυρις, flourished 1st century) was a Thrace, Thracian princess, and a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom, the longest known surviving Roman Client Kingdom. She ruled in AD 37/38–39. Gepaepyris was the first ...

, who married the Roman client king

Tiberius Julius Aspurgus Tiberius Julius Aspurgus Philoromaios ( el, Τιβέριος Ἰούλιος Ἀσποῦργoς Φιλορωμαῖος, fl. second half of 1st century BC and first half of 1st century AD; died 37/38) was a prince and Roman client king of the Bos ...

of the

Bosporan Kingdom The Bosporan Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus (, ''Vasíleio toú Kimmerikoú Vospórou''), was an ancient Greco-Scythian state located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, ...

. * A son,

Cotys IX Cotys IX or Kotys IX (name in Greek: ὁ Κότυς, flourished 1st century) was a Thracian prince and the Roman Client King of Lesser Armenia. Cotys was the second son of Roman Client rulers of Thrace Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena. His paternal ...

, who became Roman client king of

Lesser Armenia Lesser Armenia ( hy, Փոքր Հայք, ''Pokr Hayk''; la, Armenia Minor, Greek: Mikre Armenia, Μικρή Αρμενία), also known as Armenia Minor and Armenia Inferior, comprised the Armenian–populated regions primarily to the west and n ...

from 38 until at least 47. * A daughter,

Pythodoris II Pythodoris II or Pythodorida II (reigned AD 38–46) was a client ruler of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace under Roman rule, in association with her father's cousin Rhoemetalces III. Pythodoris succeeded her mother Antonia Tryphaena and brother Rh ...

or Pythodorida II. She was named after her maternal grandparents and her paternal grandmother. In 38, after the death of Rhoemetalces II, Tryphaena abdicated the throne at the request of Roman Emperor

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germanicu ...

. Pythodoris II married her second paternal cousin

Rhoemetalces III Rhoemetalces III ( grc-gre, Ῥoιμητάλκης) was a King of the Sapaean Thracians. He was the son of the Monarch Rhescuporis II. In association with his wife Pythodoris II (daughter of his cousin Cotys III), they were client rulers of the S ...

and they ruled Thrace as Roman client rulers from 38 until 46.

Notes

Sources

*Tacitus, ''Annals of Imperial Rome'' *Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology > v. 3, page 433 *https://books.google.com/books?id=S_iZdOzcQCoC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=Strabo+and+Antonia+&source=web&ots=to-ReZ9Ehv&sig=nbs8aS8VpIPUEpAjlR3mhs_7lHs&hl=en#PPA25,M1 *https://books.google.com/books?id=JZLW4-wba7UC&pg=RA1-PA555&lpg=RA1-PA555&dq=Antonia+Tryphaena+of+Cyzicus&source=web&ots=jzrM7MTR4u&sig=iwcSGYpzgpOoAa5zuYQIZ4F44_s *https://books.google.com/books?id=nRKDGwn_CRkC&pg=PA922&lpg=PA922&dq=Antonia+Tryphaena+of+Cyzicus&source=web&ots=L7ki8fxV0a&sig=PkdRzfoBy6Mc269j0ADH_1uWjDU {{end 1st-century BC births 18 deaths Roman client rulers 1st-century monarchs in Europe Odrysian kings

Family and origins

King of Thrace

Marriage and children

See also

Notes

Sources