Tiberius Julius Aspurgus

Tiberius Julius Aspurgus Philoromaios (Greek: Τιβέριος Ἰούλιος Ἀσποῦργoς Φιλορώμαιος, Philoromaios means lover of Rome, flourished second half of 1st century BC & first half of 1st century AD, died 38) was a Prince and Roman client king of the Bosporan Kingdom.

The name Aspurgus is of Iranian origin,^[1] derived from aspa (horse) and aspabara (horseman).^[1] Aspurgus was of Iranian ancestry and possible Greek ancestry.

History[]

Aspurgus was born to Asander, ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom and Dynamis. He was the maternal grandchild to the previous Roman client king of the Bosporan and Pontus, Pharnaces II and his Sarmatian wife.

In 17 BC, Asander died of voluntary starvation from despair at the age of 93 because he witnessed his troops desert him for the Roman usurper, Scribonius. Scribonius pretended to be a relative of Dynamis, so he could seize Asander's throne and become king. Dynamis was forced to marry Scribonius. The Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa discovered Scribonius’ deception and intervened, appointing Polemon I of Pontus as the new Bosporan King. Dynamis married Polemon I, making him Aspurgus' stepfather. Dynamis died in 14 BC and Polemon I reigned until his death in 8 BC.

Aspurgus then succeeded his stepfather. Little is known of Aspurgus’ reign. However, he seemed to have been a strong and capable ruler. Due to previous dynastic conflicts during the Roman Republic and around the period of Asander's death, the Emperor Augustus and the Roman Senate only accepted Aspurgus as the legitimate Bosporan King in 14 AD. Aspurgus adopted the Roman names "Tiberius Julius", because he received Roman citizenship and enjoyed the patronage of Augustus and his heir, Tiberius.

Family[]

Aspurgus married a Thracian Princess called Gepaepyris. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus two sons who were:

Tiberius Julius Mithridates – Mithridates was named in honour of Mithridates VI and he died in 68 AD
Tiberius Julius Cotys I – Cotys was named in honour of his late maternal grandfather, Thracian King Cotys VIII

Aspurgus reigned until he died in 38 AD. After his death, Gepaepyris ruled jointly with their first son.

Notes[]

^ ^a ^b Treister, Mikhail. "On the weapons of Sarmatian type in the Bosporan Kingdom in the 1st – 2nd centuries AD". Pontos.dk. p. 12.

References[]

"Ancient Coinage of Bosporos, Kings - WildWinds.com". Wildwinds.com. Retrieved 2 October 2017.
"Cleopatra VII". 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 2 October 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Mayor, A., 'The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy, Princeton University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0691150260
Treister, M., On the weapons of Sarmatian type in the Bosporan Kingdom in the 1st-2nd century AD [1]

External links[]

Coinage of Aspurgus

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Kings of Cyrene	Magas Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion
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Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Kings of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Kings of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Kings of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Kings of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon (regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’s attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
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Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.