Cotys I
Encyclopedia
Cotys I or Kotys I was born during the reign of Seuthes I
. He became king after he killed the previous Thracian
king Hebryzelmis
. On gaining the Odrysian kingdom
the Athenians made him their ally. In order to make his position stronger Cotys married his daughter to the Athenian general Iphicrates
who soon became the second person in command after the king. Cotys assisted the Hales
, leader of Triballi
, a powerful Thracian tribe of Moesia, against Abdera. In 375 BC the Triballi, rebelled against his kingdom. One of the reasons for this revolt was that the Triballi were unable to get luxurious goods and other items from the south. Cotys stopped the rebellion by rebuilding the Greek
city of Pistiros
.
On the revolt of Ariobarzanes of Phrygia from Persia
, Cotys opposed him and his ally, the Athenians. Soon after, he went to war with the Athenians for the possession of the Thracian Chersonese
. Now that Athens
could not trust Iphicrates to protect her interests, she organized a rebellion against Cotys, led by his treasurer Miltokythes. Yet Iphicrates, with the help of Charidemus, bribed the Athenian military and naval commanders to suppress the rebellion. In 361 BC, Charidemus returned to Athens with a treaty from Cotys, proclaiming him an ally. Cotys had successful retained his kingdom.
By 359 BC, Cotys controlled the whole Chersonese peninsula. During the same year he made an alliance with the new Macedon
ian king, Philip II
. In 358 BC, he was murdered by two of Plato
’s students from Aenus
, Python
and Heraclides
. Thought previously as advisers to the King, they murdered him during a feast in his palace, under the pretext that he had wronged their father. Upon their return to Athens, they were proclaimed honorary citizens and rewarded with gold wreaths.
Kotis Point
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Cotys I.
Seuthes I
Seuthes I was king of the Odrysian Thracians from 424 BC until 410 BC. He was the nephew of Sitalces. He is infamous for the fact that he was bribed by Perdiccas II of Macedon, which directly lead to the end of Sitalces' campaign in Macedon. After he became king, Seuthes doubled the tribute of the...
. He became king after he killed the previous Thracian
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
king Hebryzelmis
Hebryzelmis
Hebryzelmis was a king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace, from 390 BC–384 BC.Hebrizelm Hill on Greenwich Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named for Hebryzelmis....
. On gaining the Odrysian kingdom
Odrysian kingdom
The Odrysian kingdom was a union of Thracian tribes that endured between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. It consisted largely of present-day Bulgaria, spreading to parts of Northern Dobruja, parts of Northern Greece and modern-day European Turkey...
the Athenians made him their ally. In order to make his position stronger Cotys married his daughter to the Athenian general Iphicrates
Iphicrates
Iphicrates was an Athenian general, the son of a shoemaker, who flourished in the earlier half of the 4th century BC....
who soon became the second person in command after the king. Cotys assisted the Hales
Hales
Hales is a small village in Norfolk, England. It covers an area of and had a population of 479 in 192 households as of the 2001 census.-Church of St Margaret:...
, leader of Triballi
Triballi
The Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined....
, a powerful Thracian tribe of Moesia, against Abdera. In 375 BC the Triballi, rebelled against his kingdom. One of the reasons for this revolt was that the Triballi were unable to get luxurious goods and other items from the south. Cotys stopped the rebellion by rebuilding the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
city of Pistiros
Pistiros
Pistiros was an inland Ancient Greek Emporium in Ancient Thrace. It is now situated in the territory of the city of Vetren, municipality of Septemvri, district of Pazardzhik, between the northern slopes of the Rhodopi Mountain and the foothill of Sredna Gora Mountain, in the westernmost part of...
.
On the revolt of Ariobarzanes of Phrygia from Persia
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
, Cotys opposed him and his ally, the Athenians. Soon after, he went to war with the Athenians for the possession of the Thracian Chersonese
Chersonese
Chersonese is a name that was given to several different places in ancient times. The word is Latin; it derives from the Greek term for "peninsula", chersonēsos, from chersos + nēsos ....
. Now that Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
could not trust Iphicrates to protect her interests, she organized a rebellion against Cotys, led by his treasurer Miltokythes. Yet Iphicrates, with the help of Charidemus, bribed the Athenian military and naval commanders to suppress the rebellion. In 361 BC, Charidemus returned to Athens with a treaty from Cotys, proclaiming him an ally. Cotys had successful retained his kingdom.
By 359 BC, Cotys controlled the whole Chersonese peninsula. During the same year he made an alliance with the new Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian king, Philip II
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
. In 358 BC, he was murdered by two of Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
’s students from Aenus
Aenus (Thrace)
Aenus , modern Enez in Turkey, was an ancient Greek city on the southeastern coast of Thrace. Formerly called Poltyobria , it was located near the mouth of the Hebrus River, not far from the Melas Gulf , which is formed by the Thracian Chersonesus to the east...
, Python
Python of Aenus
Python of Aenus was a Greek philosopher and a former student of Plato. Around 360 BC, he and his brother Heraclides assassinated Cotys I, the ruler of Thrace....
and Heraclides
Heraclides of Aenus
Heraclides of Aenus was one of Plato's students. Around 360 BC, he and his brother Python assassinated Cotys I, the ruler of Thrace....
. Thought previously as advisers to the King, they murdered him during a feast in his palace, under the pretext that he had wronged their father. Upon their return to Athens, they were proclaimed honorary citizens and rewarded with gold wreaths.
Kotis Point
Kotis Point
Kotis Point is a point on the northwest coast of Varna Peninsula on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica forming the south side of the entrance to Eliseyna Cove...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Cotys I.