Ininthimeus ( el, Τιβέριος Ἰούλιος Ἰνινθίμηος, translit=Tiberios Ioulios Ininthimeos), also known as Ininthimaios, Ininthimeos or Ininthimaeus, was the 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, ...

, a

Roman client state This is a list of the client rulers of Ancient Rome, sectioned by the kingdom, giving the years the ruler was on the throne, and separating Kings and Queens. Rome's foreign clients were called ''amici populi Romani'' (friends of the Roman people) ...

, from 234 to 239. His origin and lineage are uncertain; he might have been a member of the ruling Tiberian-Julian dynasty or alternatively perhaps a foreign usurper. Inintimeus's reign was marked by large-scale construction projects for defensive structures throughout the kingdom.

Biography

Ininthimeus became king of the

in 234, succeeding Cotys III and Rhescuporis IV. Although he used a different

tamga A tamga or tamgha (from otk, 𐱃𐰢𐰍𐰀, tamga, lit=stamp, seal; tr, damga; mn, tamga; ; ); an abstract seal or stamp used by Eurasian nomads and by cultures influenced by them. The tamga was normally the emblem of a particular tribe, ...

(a type of seal/symbol) than his recent predecessors, it is still possible that he belonged to the same dynasty (the Tiberian-Julian dynasty). Like previous kings, Ininthimeus used the names Tiberius and Julius. It is also possible that he was a foreign usurper, perhaps of

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th cen ...

or Alan descent. If he was a Tiberian-Julian dynast, it is possible that he was a younger son of Cotys III and a brother of Rhescuporis IV. The name Ininthimeus is reminiscent of Inismeus, a 1st-century Sarmatian king of

Olbia Olbia (, ; sc, Terranoa; sdn, Tarranoa) is a city and commune of 60,346 inhabitants (May 2018) in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called ''Olbia'' in the Roman age ...

. A Sarmatian connection of the name would not necessarily mean that Ininthimeus was a usurper; the Tiberian-Julian dynasty itself was of partly Sarmatian origin. Ininthimeus ruled during a period of increasing barbarian pressure on the Bosporan Kingdom. To combat threats from migrating tribes, Ininthimeus is known to have constructed new fortifications throughout the kingdom, including further developing the fortress of Iluraton in

Panticapaeum Panticapaeum ( grc-gre, Παντικάπαιον , from Scythian , "fish-path") was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks called Taurica. The city lay on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus, and was found ...

. The coinage of Ininthimeus is unique among the coins of the Bosporan kings. In addition to including a bust of the king himself, the coins of Ininthimeus also include a bust of the deity

Aphrodite Urania Aphrodite Urania ( grc, Ἀφροδίτη Οὐρανία, Aphrodítē Ouranía) was an epithet of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, signifying "heavenly" or "spiritual", to distinguish her from her more earthly aspect of Aphrodite Pandemos, "Aphrod ...

, facing Ininthimeus. After a reign of only five years, Ininthimeus died in 239 and was succeeded as king by Rhescuporis V. Rhescuporis V claimed the kingdom by hereditary right; he might have been the son of the previous ruler Sauromates III (). It is possible that Inthimeus's death marked the beginning of dynastic conflicts. The later king Pharsanzes () might have been closely connected to Inthimeus and might have fought with Rhescuporis V for the throne.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julius Ininthimeus, Tiberius Rulers of the Bosporan Kingdom 240 deaths Roman client rulers 3rd-century births 3rd-century monarchs in Europe Inithimeus, Tiberius Aphrodite Astarte