Mithrapāta (c. 390–370 BC) was

dynast A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. Historians ...

Lycia Lycia (; Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; , ; ) was a historical region in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is today the provinces of Antalya and Muğ ...

in the early 4th century BC, at a time when this part of

Anatolia 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 ...

was subject to the Persian, or Achaemenid, Empire. Present-day knowledge of Lycia in the period of

classical antiquity Classical antiquity, also known as the classical era, classical period, classical age, or simply antiquity, is the period of cultural History of Europe, European history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD comprising the inter ...

comes mostly from archaeology, in which this region is unusually rich. Believed to have been based at

Antiphellus Antiphellus or Antiphellos (, ), known originally as Habesos, was an ancient coastal city in Lycia. The earliest occurrence of its Hellenistic period, Greek name is on a 4th-century-BCE inscription. Initially settled by the Lycians, the city w ...

, Mithrapata is known to have competed for power with another man named Arttumpara. The name of Mithrapata, which is of Persian origin, is known from Lycian coins and also from inscriptions. During the fifth and fourth centuries B.C., the Lycian nobility was using Persian names, so Mithrapata may have been one of them. However, it has also been suggested that he may have been a Persian sent to rule Lycia by

Artaxerxes II Arses (; 445 – 359/8 BC), known by his regnal name Artaxerxes II ( ; ), was King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 405/4 BC to 358 BC. He was the son and successor of Darius II () and his mother was Parysatis. Soon after his accession, Ar ...

Coinage

Together with

Pericles Pericles (; ; –429 BC) was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed ...

, Mithrapata was the last ruler of Lycia to issue coins. After about 360 BC, the region of Lycia was taken over by the

Carian Carian may refer to: *Caria, a region in Anatolia *Carians, an ancient Anatolian people *Carian language The Carian language is an extinct language of the Luwic languages, Luwic subgroup of the Anatolian languages, Anatolian branch of the Indo-Eu ...

dynast

Mausolus Mausolus ( or , ''Mauśoλ'') was a ruler of Caria (377–353 Common Era, BCE) and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. He enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue of the powerful position created by his father Hecatomnus ( ), who was the fi ...

. As with Pericles, the portrait of Mithrapata seen on his coins does not show him wearing the head-dress of an 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 ...

, which suggests a degree of independence from the Achaemenid Empire. His name appears in the Greek alphabet as "Methrapata". File:DYNASTS of LYCIA. Mithrapata Circa 390-370 BC.jpg, Coin of Mithrapata, c. 390-370 BC File:DYNASTS of LYCIA. Mithrapata. Circa 390-370 BC.jpg, Coin of Mithrapata, c. 390-370 BC

Notes

{{Achaemenid rulers Lycians 4th-century BC monarchs in Asia Vassals of the Achaemenid Empire