Ininthimeus (), also known as Ininthimaios, Ininthimeos or Ininthimaeus, was the king 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 ...

, a

Roman client state This is a list of the client rulers of Ancient Rome, sectioned by the kingdom, giving the years the ruler was on the throne, and separating Kings and Queens. Rome's foreign clients were called ''amici populi Romani'' (friends of the Roman people) ...

, from 234 to 239. His origin and lineage are uncertain; he might have been a member of the ruling

Tiberian-Julian dynasty The Tiberian-Julian dynasty was the third and last dynasty of the kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus. The members of it bare the names ''Tiberius Julius'' before their names, on behalf of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. The first member of the family is ...

or alternatively perhaps a foreign usurper. Inintimeus's reign was marked by large-scale construction projects for defensive structures throughout the kingdom.

Biography

Ininthimeus became king of the

in 234, succeeding Cotys III and Rhescuporis IV. Although he used a different

tamga A tamga or tamgha (from ) was an abstract seal or brand used by Eurasian nomads initially as a livestock branding, and by cultures influenced by them. The tamga was used as a livestock branding for a particular tribe, clan or family. They wer ...

(a type of seal/symbol) than his recent predecessors, it is still possible that he belonged to the same dynasty (the

). Like previous kings, Ininthimeus used the names Tiberius and Julius. It is also possible that he was a foreign usurper, perhaps of

Sarmatian The Sarmatians (; ; Latin: ) were a large confederation of Ancient Iranian peoples, ancient Iranian Eurasian nomads, equestrian nomadic peoples who dominated the Pontic–Caspian steppe, Pontic steppe from about the 5th century BCE to the 4t ...

Alan Alan may refer to: People *Alan (surname), an English and Kurdish surname * Alan (given name), an English given name ** List of people with given name Alan ''Following are people commonly referred to solely by "Alan" or by a homonymous name.'' * ...

descent. If he was a Tiberian-Julian dynast, it is possible that he was a younger son of Cotys III and a brother of Rhescuporis IV. The name Ininthimeus is reminiscent of Inismeus, a 1st-century Sarmatian king of

Olbia Olbia (, ; ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune of 61,000 inhabitants in the Italy, Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called in the Roman age, Civita in the Middle ...

. A Sarmatian connection of the name would not necessarily mean that Ininthimeus was a usurper; the Tiberian-Julian dynasty itself was of partly Sarmatian origin. Ininthimeus ruled during a period of increasing barbarian pressure on the Bosporan Kingdom. To combat threats from migrating tribes, Ininthimeus is known to have constructed new fortifications throughout the kingdom, including further developing the fortress of Iluraton in

Panticapaeum Pantikapaion ( , from Scythian 'fish-path'; ) was an ancient Greek city on the eastern shore of Crimea, which the Greeks called Taurica. The city lay on the western side of the Cimmerian Bosporus, and was founded by Milesians in the late 7t ...

. The coinage of Ininthimeus is unique among the coins of the Bosporan kings. In addition to including a bust of the king himself, the coins of Ininthimeus also include a bust of the deity

Aphrodite Urania Aphrodite Urania (, Latinized as Venus Urania) was an epithet of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, signifying a "heavenly" or "spiritual" aspect descended from the sky-god Ouranos to distinguish her from the more earthly epithet of Aphrodite Pandemo ...

, facing Ininthimeus. After a reign of only five years, Ininthimeus died in 239 and was succeeded as king by Rhescuporis V. Rhescuporis V claimed the kingdom by hereditary right; he might have been the son of the previous ruler Sauromates III (). It is possible that Inthimeus's death marked the beginning of dynastic conflicts. The later king Pharsanzes () might have been closely connected to Inthimeus and might have fought with Rhescuporis V for the throne.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Julius Ininthimeus, Tiberius Monarchs of the Bosporan Kingdom 230s deaths Roman client monarchs 3rd-century births 3rd-century monarchs in Europe Inithimeus, Tiberius Aphrodite Astarte