The Battle of Labrytae () was a battle around 380 BC that occurred nearly directly after Octamasades usurped the Sindian throne from his father Hecataeus and attacked and took the city of Labrytae, presumably a city under Bosporan rule. Leukon, the ruler of the

Bosporan Kingdom The Bosporan Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus (; ), was an ancient Greco-Scythians, Scythian state located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, centered in the present-day ...

, had made war upon Oktamasades on behalf of Hekataios, who was a vassal of the Bosporans prior to his removal from the throne.

Prelude

Hecataeus had suffered a war against his former wife

Tirgatao Tirgatao (Scythian: ; Ancient Greek: , romanized: ) was a princess of the Maeotes mentioned by Polyaenus. She was the first wife of the Sindian king Hecataeus, and was a notable participant of the Bosporan wars of expansion. Name The name T ...

after marrying the wife of

Satyrus I Satyrus I (, died 389 BC) was the Spartocid ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom from 432 BC to 389 BC. During his rule he built upon the expansive foreign policy of his father, Spartocus I. He conquered Nymphaion, became involved in the political dev ...

and imprisoning Tirgatao to a tower. Tirgatao had escaped and rallied her tribe of

Ixomatae The Maeotians (; ; ) were an ancient people dwelling along the Sea of Azov, which was known in antiquity as the " Maeotian marshes" or "Lake Maeotis".James, Edward Boucher"Maeotae" and "Maeotis Palus"in the ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geogr ...

and laid fire and sword to both the lands of Hekataios and those of Satyros. This made the two sought peace, Tirgatao giving it to them after negotiations. Metrodorus, a son of Satyrus was sent as a hostage. Satyrus then attempted to assassinate Tirgatao, but this failed and he lost his son Metrodorus in the process. Peace was made when

Gorgippus Gorgippus () was a son of Satyrus I and was a Spartocid joint ruler with his brother Leucon (389–349 BCE) of the Bosporan Kingdom. He situated himself on the Asiatic side of the kingdom, in Gorgippia where he ruled until, presumably, his death ...

, one Satyrus's sons, became a co-regent with Leucon. Oktamasades may have been a son of Tirgitao, and therefore usurped the throne from his father presumably shortly after the war had ended with his mother and her tribe. His rebellion must've required some sort of backing from at least part of the aristocracy in the Sindike Kingdom.

Battle

Octamasades had taken the city before the battle, prompting Leucon to involve himself due to an attack on a Bosporan city. Leucon likely saw this as an opportunity to add the Sindike Kingdom to his possessions, and waged war. Leucon, before the battle, had made a vow to erect a monument not to the

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

the Labryeans worshipped, but Apollo, the god the

Spartocids The Spartocids () or Spartocidae was the name of a Hellenized Thracian dynasty that ruled the Hellenistic Kingdom of Bosporus between the years 438–108 BC. They had usurped the former dynasty, the Archaeanactids, who were tyrants of Pantic ...

worshipped the most. Upon battling Octamasades, Leucon quickly routed his army, and forced him to flee to Scythia, leaving behind the throne for his father to re-take.

Aftermath

Leucon upon gaining victory, made good on his vow and erected a statue to Phoebus Apollo at Labrytae. It is unknown whether Hekataios renounced his power to Leukon, or died while Leukon fought Oktamasades. The Sindice Kingdom had been made a province of the Bosporan Kingdom shortly after the battle, suggesting that Leucon became ruler of the land shortly after gaining victory.

References

{{Reflist Wars of the Bosporan Kingdom 380 Conflicts