Spartocus I ( gr, Σπάρτοκος, Spartokos) was the founder and first ruler of the Spartocid dynasty in 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 ...

. He usurped the former rulers of the Bosporus, the

Archaeanactids The Archaeanactids (Greek: Αρχαιανακτίδαι) were a Greek dynasty of the Kingdom of Bosporus that ruled in 480–438 BC. The presumed founder, Archaeanax, was probably a strategos of a league of city-states in the Cimmerian Bosporus, l ...

, after being a mercenary under their command sometime in 438 BC.

Life and Reign

Little to nothing is known of Spartocus' early life. He may have been a member of the

Odrysian The Odrysian Kingdom (; Ancient Greek: ) was a state grouping many List of ancient tribes in Thrace and Dacia, Thracian tribes united by the Odrysae, which arose in the early 5th century BCE, BC and existed at least until the late 1st century BC. ...

dynasty of rulers in Thrace, possibly making him of Thracian origin, but this is disputed. Around 438 BC, he seized the tyranny from the Archaeanactids either peacefully or by force, possibly using his background to get control of the Bosporan army. He also forged trade agreements with the

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

, though not to the extent of his grandson Leukon. In a speech before an audience of Athenians in the years 395-390 BCE, he was said to have considered the Athenians the most "important of the Greeks" and provided them first with his grain. He also played a small, yet notable part in the

Bosporan wars of expansion The Bosporan Kingdom waged a series of wars of expansion in the Cimmerian Bosporus and the surrounding territories from around 438 BC until about 355 BC. Bosporan expansion began after Spartokos I, the first Spartocid (and after whom the dynasty ...

, a series of wars and conflicts that would expand his dynasty's realm.

Succession

Spartocus was succeeded by his sons Seleucus and Satyrus who jointly reigned together. Satyrus continued his father's aggressive policy of expansion and his grandson after him, creating a powerful kingdom in the Cimmerian Bosporus. His dynasty would endure some 300 years, and he would have at least 5 descendants to bear his name.

References

{{Bosporan kings Rulers of the Bosporan Kingdom 5th-century BC rulers Spartocid dynasty