Battus II of Cyrene
Encyclopedia
Battus II of Cyrene, sometimes called Eudaimon (the blessed) or the Latin equivalent Felix, (Greek: Βάττος ὁ Εὐδαίμων; flourished ca. 583 to 560 BC) was the third Greek king Cyrenaica
and Cyrene
and a member of the Battiad dynasty
.
and an unknown mother. His paternal grandfather was Battus I
, founder of the Greek colony in Africa. Battus II’s sister was the princess Critola
and was the maternal aunt to Arcesialus II. She was also mother to Polyarchus and the future Cyrenaean Queen Eryxo
. Eryxo would later marry Battus II's son, Arcerslaus II.
encouraged people from various parts from Greece
, particularly those in the Peloponnese
, Crete
and the other islands to settle in Cyrene. Battus also invited Greeks to move to Libya
.
The oracle declared that people who would ever settle in delightful Libya, would one day regret it. The oracle declared caused a great rush among Greeks to join Cyrene.
’s population began to increase and they began to encroach upon the territory of the Libyans. The Libyans and their King Adicran, had resented the Greek settlers because they took their land and they had enough of the domineering attitude of the Greeks.
ian Pharaoh
Apries
. Apries collected his strong force and sent them to Cyrene to declare war on the Greeks. Around 570 BC the Egyptians, Battus and the Cyrenaeans marched to the Well of Thestis in Irasa to engage in war. The Cyrenaeans won against the Egyptian army. Very few Egyptians survived and returned home. Herodotus
states that the Egyptians had no warfare experience against the Greeks and they didn’t take this battle seriously. Herodotus also states that this was the first battle that Greeks and Egyptians ever fought against each other.
The victory at The Well of Thestis confirmed the sovereignty of Cyrene and the establishment of Cyrenaica and her new founding cities. Battus also made an alliance with the new Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II
.
considers Battus as a worthy and honourable man. Battus died in 560 BC and was buried near his father and paternal grandfather. Battus’ wife is unknown and was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus II
.
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
and Cyrene
Cyrene, Libya
Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony and then a Roman city in present-day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar...
and a member of the Battiad dynasty
Battiadae
In Greek mythology, the Battiadae are descendants of Battus, the founder of Cyrene. A famous descendant of Battus and thus one of the Battiadae was Callimachus, the Greek poet and the best known member of the Neoteroi....
.
Ancestry
Battus II was the son of the second Cyrenaean king Arcesilaus IArcesilaus I of Cyrene
Arcesilaus I or Arcesilaus I of Cyrene was the second Greek king of Cyrenaica and the second king of the Battiad dynasty.-Ancestry:...
and an unknown mother. His paternal grandfather was Battus I
Battus I of Cyrene
Battus I of Cyrene was the founder of the Greek colony of Cyrenaica and its capital, Cyrene. He was the first king of Cyrenaica, the first Greek king in Africa, and the founder of the Battiad dynasty.-Background:...
, founder of the Greek colony in Africa. Battus II’s sister was the princess Critola
Critola
Critola was a Libyan Greek Princess of Cyrenaica and its capital Cyrene and was a member The Battiads dynasty. She was the daughter of Arcesilaus I the second king of Cyrenaica, while her mother is unknown. Her paternal grandfather was the first King Battus I and her brother Battus II would be...
and was the maternal aunt to Arcesialus II. She was also mother to Polyarchus and the future Cyrenaean Queen Eryxo
Eryxo
Eryxo was a Greek woman, who was a Queen of Cyrenaica and was a member of The Battiads dynasty, the family that ruled Cyrenaica and Cyrene...
. Eryxo would later marry Battus II's son, Arcerslaus II.
Oracle
An oracle delivered at DelphiDelphi
Delphi is both an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western spur of Mount Parnassus in the valley of Phocis.In Greek mythology, Delphi was the site of the Delphic oracle, the most important oracle in the classical Greek world, and a major site for the worship of the god...
encouraged people from various parts from Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, particularly those in the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and the other islands to settle in Cyrene. Battus also invited Greeks to move to Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
.
The oracle declared that people who would ever settle in delightful Libya, would one day regret it. The oracle declared caused a great rush among Greeks to join Cyrene.
Libyan Resentment
The new Greek immigrants may have founded Apollonia. The city became the region’s port city (modern Susah, Libya). CyrenaicaCyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
’s population began to increase and they began to encroach upon the territory of the Libyans. The Libyans and their King Adicran, had resented the Greek settlers because they took their land and they had enough of the domineering attitude of the Greeks.
Battle of the Well of Thaetis
Adicran dispatched an embassy to the EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
Apries
Apries
Apries is the name by which Herodotus and Diodorus designate Wahibre Haaibre, Ουαφρης , a pharaoh of Egypt , the fourth king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt. He was equated with the Waphres of Manetho, who correctly records that he reigned for 19 years...
. Apries collected his strong force and sent them to Cyrene to declare war on the Greeks. Around 570 BC the Egyptians, Battus and the Cyrenaeans marched to the Well of Thestis in Irasa to engage in war. The Cyrenaeans won against the Egyptian army. Very few Egyptians survived and returned home. Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
states that the Egyptians had no warfare experience against the Greeks and they didn’t take this battle seriously. Herodotus also states that this was the first battle that Greeks and Egyptians ever fought against each other.
The victory at The Well of Thestis confirmed the sovereignty of Cyrene and the establishment of Cyrenaica and her new founding cities. Battus also made an alliance with the new Egyptian Pharaoh Amasis II
Amasis II
Amasis II or Ahmose II was a pharaoh of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt, the successor of Apries at Sais. He was the last great ruler of Egypt before the Persian conquest.-Life:...
.
Death
PlutarchPlutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
considers Battus as a worthy and honourable man. Battus died in 560 BC and was buried near his father and paternal grandfather. Battus’ wife is unknown and was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus II
Arcesilaus II of Cyrene
Arcesilaus II of Cyrene or Arcesilaus II also known as Arcesilaus II The Oppressor, The Tough, The Severe or The Harsh. Arcesilaus was the fourth Greek Cyrenaean King and was a member of the Battiad dynasty...
.
Sources
- Herodotus, The Histories, Book 4.
- Morkot, R., The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece, Penguin Books, The Bath Press - Avon, Great Britain, 1996.
- Burn, A R. The Penguin History Greece, Penguin Books, Clay Ltd, St Ives P/C, England, 1990.
- Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology: Abaeus-Dysponteus, edited by Sir William Smith
- Cyrenaica in Livius.org
- Cyrene at A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, by William Smith (1873)
- Plutarch's Virtues of Women