Archeptolis (), also Archepolis, was a Governor of

Magnesia on the Maeander Magnesia may refer to: Chemistry and geology *Magnesium oxide ** Periclase or magnesia, a natural mineral of magnesium oxide * Magnesian limestone (disambiguation) *Magnesium * Milk of magnesia, a suspension of magnesium hydroxide Geography * M ...

Ionia Ionia ( ) was an ancient region encompassing the central part of the western coast of Anatolia. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionians who ...

for the

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...

circa 459 BCE to possibly around 412 BCE, and a son and successor of the former Athenian general

Themistocles Themistocles (; ; ) was an Athenian politician and general. He was one of a new breed of non-aristocratic politicians who rose to prominence in the early years of the Athenian democracy. As a politician, Themistocles was a populist, having th ...

."The history and coinage of Themistokles as lord of Ionian Magnesia ad Maeandrum and of his son and successor, Archepolis, is illustrated by among other things, coins of Magnesia." in

Governor of Magnesia

Archeptolis minted silver coinage as he ruled Magnesia, just as his father had done, and it is probable that part of his revenues were handed over to the

Achaemenid The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...

s in exchange for the maintenance of their territorial grant. Archeptolis is said to have married his half-sister Mnesiptolema (daughter of Themistocles from his second wife), homopatric (but not homometric) marriages being permitted in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. Themistocles and his son formed what some authors have called "a Greek dynasty in the Persian Empire". Archeptolis had several sisters, named Nicomache, Asia, Italia, Sybaris, and probably Hellas, who married the Greek exile in Persia Gongylos and still had a fief in Persian Anatolia in 399/400 BC as his widow. He also had three brothers, Diocles, Polyeucteus and Cleophantus, the latter possibly a ruler of

Lampsacus Lampsacus (; ) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city located in modern day Turkey, strategically situated on the eastern side of the Hellespont in the northern Troad. An inhabitant of Lampsacus was called a Lampsacene. The name has been trans ...

. One of the descendants of Cleophantus still issued a decree in Lampsacus around 200 BC mentioning a feast for his father, also named Themistocles, who had greatly benefited the city. Later, Pausanias wrote that the sons of Themistocles "appear to have returned to Athens", and that they dedicated a painting of Themistocles in the

Parthenon The Parthenon (; ; ) is a former Ancient Greek temple, temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the Greek gods, goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of c ...

and erected a bronze statue to Artemis Leucophryene, the goddess of Magnesia, on the

Acropolis An acropolis was the settlement of an upper part of an ancient Greek city, especially a citadel, and frequently a hill with precipitous sides, mainly chosen for purposes of defense. The term is typically used to refer to the Acropolis of Athens ...

:Paus
1.1.226.4
/ref> They may have returned from

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

in old age, after 412 BC, when the Achaemenids took again firm control of the Greek cities of Asia, and they may have been expelled by the Achaemenid

satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median kingdom, Median and Achaemenid Empire, Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic empi ...

Tissaphernes Tissaphernes (; ; , ; 445395 BC) was a Persian commander and statesman, Satrap of Lydia and Ionia. His life is mostly known from the works of Thucydides and Xenophon. According to Ctesias, he was the son of Hidarnes III and therefore, the gre ...

sometime between 412 and 399 BC. In effect, from 414 BC,

Darius II Darius II ( ; ), also known by his given name Ochus ( ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 423 BC to 405 or 404 BC. Following the death of Artaxerxes I, in 424 BC or 423 BC, there was a struggle for power between his sons. The vic ...

had started to resent increasing Athenian power in the Aegean and had Tissaphernes enter into an alliance with

Sparta Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...

against

, which in 412 BC led to the Persian conquest of the greater part of

Coinage

File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis. Circa 459 BC.jpg, Coin of Governor of Magnesia Archeptolis, son of Themistocles, circa 459 BC. This coin type is similar to the coins issued by Themistocles himself as Governor of Magnesia. The obverse design could be a portrait of Themistocles. File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis helmetted. Circa 459 BC.jpg, Coin of Archeptolis. Helmeted male and Athenian owl. Circa 459 BC File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis portrait and eagle. Circa 459 BC.jpg, Coin of Archeptolis. Portrait (Zeus?) and eagle. Circa 459 BC File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis diademed head and eagle. Circa 459 BC.jpg, Coin of Archeptolis. Diademed head and eagle. Circa 459 BC File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis, c. 459 BC.jpg, Coin of Governor of Magnesia Archeptolis, son of Themistocles, circa 459 BC.Classical Numismatic Group
/ref> File:IONIA, Magnesia ad Maeandrum. Archepolis coin Circa 459 BC.jpg, Archepolis coin Circa 459 BC.jpg

References

External links

* {{Achaemenid rulers 5th-century BC Greek people Achaemenid satraps of Lydia Ancient Greek emigrants to the Achaemenid Empire

Governor of Magnesia

Coinage

See also

References

External links