Thalassia (fl. 2nd century BCE) was the wife of
Hyspaosines
Hyspaosines (also spelled Aspasine) was an Iranian peoples, Iranian prince, and the founder of Characene, a kingdom situated in southern Mesopotamia. He was originally a Seleucid Empire, Seleucid satrap installed by king Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( ...
, king of
Characene
Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou (Χ ...
, a small kingdom on the
Persian gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
in what is now known as
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. Thalassia is a rare Greek name.
Thalassia is known from cuneiform texts found in
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
, where she appears as Talasi'asu. In these texts it is reported that after the death of her husband in 124 BCE, she tried to install their son on the throne of the kingdom. The son is not named and therefore it remains open whether she was successful. The king following Hyspaosines was
Apodakos
Apodakos was a king of Characene, a kingdom presumably vassal of the Parthian Empire.
Apodakos is known from his silver and bronze coins, only some of which are dated.
Monika Schuol: ''Die Charakene. Ein mesopotamisches Königreich in hellenistis ...
, who might be this son. Thalassia is also known from a building inscription found in
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, where she is mentioned together with her husband. In this inscription, the Greek version of her name is attested.
Literature
* P.L. Galier, P. Lombard, K.M. al-Sindi: ''Greek Inscriptions from Bahrain'', In: ''Arabian archaeology and epigraphy'', 13 (2002), S. 223-2
the Inscription from Bahrain (pdf)
Ancient queens consort
2nd-century BC women
2nd-century BC Iranian people