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

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, ...

History

The name Aspurgus is of Iranian origin, derived from ''aspa'' (horse) and ''aspabara'' (horseman). Aspurgus was of

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

and possibly Greek ancestry. Aspurgus was born to

Asander Asander or Asandros ( el, Άσανδρoς; lived 4th century BC) was the brother of Parmenion and Agathon, and uncle of Philotas. He was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, and satrap of Lydia from 334 BC as well as satrap of Cari ...

, ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom and Dynamis. He was the maternal grandchild to the previous Roman client king of the Bosporan and

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

Pharnaces II Pharnaces II of Pontus ( grc-gre, Φαρνάκης; about 97–47 BC) was the king of the Bosporan Kingdom and Kingdom of Pontus until his death. He was a monarch of Persian and Greek ancestry. He was the youngest child born to King Mithridat ...

and his

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Eastern Iranian languages, Eastern Iranian peoples, Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples of classical ant ...

wife. In 17 BC, Asander died of voluntary starvation from despair at the age of 93 because he witnessed his troops desert him for the Roman

usurper A usurper is an illegitimate or controversial claimant to power, often but not always in a monarchy. In other words, one who takes the power of a country, city, or established region for oneself, without any formal or legal right to claim it as ...

, Scribonius. Scribonius pretended to be a relative of Dynamis, so he could seize Asander's throne and become king. Dynamis was forced to marry Scribonius. The Roman statesman

Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (; BC – 12 BC) was a Roman general, statesman, and architect who was a close friend, son-in-law, and lieutenant to the Roman emperor Augustus. He was responsible for the construction of some of the most notable buildi ...

discovered Scribonius’ deception and intervened, appointing

Polemon I of Pontus Polemon I Pythodoros ( grc-gre, Πολέμων Πυθόδωρος; fl. 1st century BC – died 8 BC) was the Roman Client King of Cilicia, Pontus, Colchis and the Bosporan Kingdom. Polemon was the son and heir of Zenon and possibly Tryphaena. Ze ...

as the new Bosporan King. Dynamis married Polemon I, making him Aspurgus' stepfather. When Dynamis died in 7 or 8 C.E., Aspurgus headed the Bosporan domain. Little is known of Aspurgus’ reign. However, he seemed to have been a strong and capable ruler. Due to previous dynastic conflicts during the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

and around the period of Asander's death, the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

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 ...

and 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 ...

only accepted Aspurgus as the legitimate Bosporan King in 14 AD. Aspurgus adopted the Roman names "Tiberius Julius", because he received

Roman citizenship Citizenship in ancient Rome (Latin: ''civitas'') was a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance. Citizenship in Ancient Rome was complex and based upon many different laws, t ...

and enjoyed the patronage of Augustus and his heir,

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 ...

Family

Aspurgus married

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 ...

, a

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied t ...

princess. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus two sons: *

Tiberius Julius Mithridates Tiberius Julius Mithridates Philogermanicus Philopatris, ''Philopatris'' means "lover of his country" also known as Mithridates III of the Bosporus ( fl. 41 AD, died 68 AD), was a Roman client king of the Bosporus. Ancestry Mithridates was ...

, named in honour of Mithridates VI; he died in 68 AD *

Tiberius Julius Cotys I Tiberius Julius Cotys I Philocaesar Philoromaios Eusebes, ''Philocaesar Philoromaios Eusebes'' means "lover of Caesar, lover of Rome who is the pious one" ''Philopatris'' means "lover of his country" also known as Cotys I of the Bosporus ( fl. 4 ...

, named in honour of his late maternal grandfather,

Cotys VIII Cotys III (Ancient Greek: Κότυς, flourished second half of 1st century BC and first half of 1st century, died 18 AD) was the Sapaean Roman client king of eastern Thrace from 12 to 18 AD. Family and origins Cotys was the son and heir of loya ...

Aspurgus reigned until his death in 37 or 38 AD. On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler.

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *Mayor, A., 'The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy'',

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial su ...

, 2009, *Treister, M., On the weapons of Sarmatian type in the Bosporan Kingdom in the 1st-2nd century A

External links