Battus IV of Cyrene

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Battus IV of Cyrene
King of Cyrene
Reign515-465 BC
PredecessorArcesilaus III
SuccessorArcesilaus IV
BornCyrene
Died465 BC
Cyrene
IssueArcesilaus IV
FatherArcesilaus III
ReligionGreek polytheism

Battus IV of Cyrene surnamed The Handsome or The Fair (Greek: Βάττος ο Καλός, ruled 515 BC - 465 BC) was the seventh and second to last Greek king of Cyrenaica of the Battiad dynasty. He was the first Cyrenaean king to rule as a client king under the Persian Empire.

Ancestry[]

Battus was the son and only child of the fifth Cyrenaean king, Arcesilaus III. His mother was the daughter of Alazir, a Libyan who served as governor of Barca. Herodotus states that his father and his maternal grandfather were related and his maternal grandmother is unknown.

Reign[]

Battus succeeded his paternal grandmother Pheretima in late 515 BC. She had died from a skin disease in Egypt. From 515 BC until 465 BC, Battus ruled as king of Cyrenaica. Very little is known about his reign although it seems that his reign was peaceful. During his reign, Cyrenaica exported wheat, barley, olive oil and silphium (a now extinct plant that had aromatic & medicinal properties). He was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus IV and was buried near his paternal ancestors.

See also[]

Sources[]

Battus IV of Cyrene
Battiad dynasty
 Died: 465 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Cyrene
515 BC – 465 BC
Succeeded by
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