- Tiberius Julius Aspurgus
Tiberius Julius Aspurgus, also known as Aspurgus (flourished 1st century BC & 1st century; died AD 38) was a prince and a Roman Client King of the
Bosporan Kingdom . The Bosporan Kingdom was the longest surviving known Roman Client Kingdom.Aspurgus was of
Persian and Greek origins. His birth name was Aspurgus, however he assumed the name Tiberius Julius, when he became King. Aspurgus was the son and heir of Bosporan King Asander and Bosporan Queen Dynamis. His only known grandparent, was his maternal grandfather King of thePontus and Bosporus,Pharnaces II of Pontus . Through his maternal grandfather, he was a great grandson to monarchsMithridates VI of Pontus and his sister-wifeLaodice .Through Mithridates VI and Laodice, Aspurgus was a descendant of Greek
Macedonia n KingsCassander ,Antigonus I Monophthalmus andSeleucus I Nicator . These three men served as generals under Greek Macedonian KingAlexander the Great . An earlier ancestor of Aspurgus, KingMithridates II of Pontus had married theSyria n Greek Princess of theSeleucid Empire Laodice , who was the sister of Syrian Greek KingSeleucus II Callinicus and a paternal aunt to Syrian Greek KingAntiochus III the Great .Aspurgus was born and raised in the Bosporan Kingdom. In 17 BC Aspurgus’ father, had died of voluntary starvation from despair at the age of 93 because he witnessed his troops desert him to the Roman
usurper , Scribonius. Scribonius pretended to be a relative of Dynamis, so he could seize the throne and become king.Dynamis became compelled to marry Scribonius. The Roman statesman
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa discovered Scribonius’ deception and intervened in the situation. Agrippa appointedPolemon I of Pontus as the new Bosporan King. Aspurgus’ mother married Polemon I as her second husband, thus Polemon became Aspurgus’ stepfather. Polemon ruled as Bosporan King until his death in 8 BC.After Polemon’s death, Aspurgus succeeded his stepfather. Very little is known on Aspurgus’ reign, however Aspurgus seem to have been a strong and capable ruler. Due to previous dynastic conflicts during the
Roman Republic and around the time of his father’s death, theRoman Emperor Augustus and theRoman Senate finally in 14, accepted Aspurgus as the legitimate Bosporan King. Aspurgus enjoyed the patronage of Augustus and his heirTiberius and thus from this, assumed the name Tiberius Julius.Aspurgus married the Thracian Princess
Gepaepyris . Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus, two sons who were:
*Tiberius Julius Mithridates - he was named in honor of Mithridates VI of Pontus and he died in 68.
*Tiberius Julius Cotys I - he was named in honor of his late maternal grandfather, Thracian KingCotys VIII . Through Cotys and his son, Asprugus had various descendants on the Bosporan throne until the 4th century.Aspurgus reigned until his death in 38. After his death, Gepaepyris had reigned and their first son Mithridates.
ee also
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Bosporan Kingdom External links
* [http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/bosporos/kings/aspurgus/t.html Coinage of Aspurgus]
ources
*French version of Wikipedia
*http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0388.html
*http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0389.html
*http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/3091.html
*http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/bosporos/kings/i.html
*http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/tiberius/RPC_1903.txt
*http://www.geocities.com/christopherjbennett/ptolemies/cleopatra_vii.htm#Cleopatra.42
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