Satyrus I (, died 389 BC) was the Spartocid ruler 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 Bosporu ...

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 developments of the neighbouring Sindike kingdom and laid siege to the city of Theodosia, which was a serious commercial rival because of its ice-free

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

and proximity to the grain fields of eastern

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...

. He presided over a strengthening of ties with

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh List ...

, and at one point possibly had a statue raised in his honour in the city. He was also the father of

Leucon In Greek mythology, the name Leucon (; Ancient Greek: Λεύκων) may refer to: *Leucon, a son of Themisto by either Athamas or Poseidon. His children were Erythras, Pisidice, Hyperippe and Euippe (mother of Eteocles by Andreus). He was said t ...

and

Gorgippus Gorgippus ( grc, Γοργιππος, Gorgippos) 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 ...

, who expanded their realm into a powerful kingdom.

Reign

Satyrus I was a leading figure in the expansion of his father's kingdom, initially gaining some success by taking

Nymphaeum A ''nymphaeum'' or ''nymphaion'' ( grc, νυμφαῖον), in ancient Greece and Rome, was a monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a so ...

from

Gylon Gylon ( grc, Γύλων), also known as Gylon of Cerameis, was a Greek military official and the maternal grandfather of Demosthenes. He is known for his role in the capture and ultimately turning over of Nymphaeum to the Bosporans, for which he w ...

and perhaps

Kimmerikon Kimmerikón (Greek , la, Cimmericum) was an ancient Greek city in Crimea, on the southern shore of the Kerch Peninsula, at the western slope of Mount Opuk, roughly 40 kilometres southwest of modern Kerch. It was situated with its acropolis on the ...

, but later had extensive problems with the neighbouring Sindike Kingdom, with which he had started an unsuccessful war, and the Greek city-states of Theodosia and

Heraclea Pontica __NOTOC__ Heraclea Pontica (; gr, Ἡράκλεια Ποντική, Hērakleia Pontikē), known in Byzantine and later times as Pontoheraclea ( gr, Ποντοηράκλεια, Pontohērakleia), was an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in As ...

. He allowed the son of his powerful minister Sopaeus to travel to Athens with two ships filled with wheat. Sopaeus' son's ships managed to avoid pirates and arrived at Athens. Once in Athens, his son met with the Athenian banker, Pasion, and managed to settle his affairs. Satyrus, however, came to the view that Sopaeus was involved in a conspiracy to take his life, so he had Sopaeus arrested. As Sopaeus's son was still in Athens, Satyrus ordered the Bosporans in Athens to confiscate the son's property and force him to return to the Bosporan Kingdom. Afterwards Satyrus acquitted Sopaeus of his crimes and agreed to Sopaeus's daughter, Theodosia, marrying his son Leucon.

Problems with the Sindi

Satyrus encountered extensive problems with the Sindi. According to Polyaenus, the problems arose because Satyrus I had offered his daughter to Hecactaeus, the king of the Sindi, but had instructed Hecactaeus to kill his existing 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 Ti ...

. Instead of killing her, Hecactaeus had her imprisoned in a tower, from which she was able to escape and reach her tribe, the

Ixomatae The Maeotians (; grc, Μαιῶται, translit=Maiōtai; la, Maeōtae) 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 "Maeoti ...

. Tirgatao married her father's successor, her father presumably being king of the Ixomatae, and roused many tribes to make war against Satyrus. Satyrus, realising that he could not win, offered his son Metrodorus as a hostage and sued for peace. Shortly after this, there was an attempt on Tirgatao's life, likely organized by Satyrus. After finding out about this scheme, Tirgatao had Metrodorus killed, and once again waged war on Satyrus. This war was ended by Leucon and Gorgippus shortly after their father's death and their ascent to the throne.

Death and legacy

Satyrus died in the unsuccessful Siege of Theodosia in 389 BC at the age of 81, his death leading to the ascension to Leucon and Gorgippus, who expanded the Bosporan Kingdom.

References

Bibliography

* * * * Rulers of the Bosporan Kingdom 5th-century BC rulers 4th-century BC rulers 387 BC deaths Year of birth unknown Spartocid dynasty {{AncientGreece-bio-stub

Reign

Problems with the Sindi

Death and legacy

See also

References

Bibliography