Cotys III (Sapaean)
Encyclopedia
Cotys III was the Sapaean Roman
client king of eastern Thrace
from 12 to 19 AD.
and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Cotys’ mother is only known through surviving numismatic evidence, which bears her image and her Royal title of Queen Pythodoris.
Cotys’ father Rhoemetalces I
was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor
Augustus
. Rhoemetalces I was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I. Rhoemetalces I was the son of a previous Thracian King, whose name was Cotys and his mother is unknown. Rhoemetalces I was the middle son, who had an elder brother who was called Cotys and his younger brother was Rhescuporis II.
Rhoemetalces I’s eldest brother Cotys who was Thracian King and an ally to Roman General Pompey
and sent Pompey a body of auxiliaries under his son Rhescuporis I in 48 BC, in the Roman civil war against Gaius Julius Caesar
. When Rhoemetalces I’s brother died, his nephew Rhescuporis I, became Thracian King. Rhoemetalces I’s became the guardian to the child and son of his brother Cotys. Rhescuporis I died in 13 BC, when he was defeated and slain in battle by the Vologaeses Chief of the Thracian Bessi, who was a leader in the revolt against the Romans in that year.
During this revolt Rhoemetalces I and his family had fled Thrace and return when the revolt had ended. Augustus then returned Thrace to him and his family. When Rhescuporis I died, Rhescuporis I left no heir and Rhoemetalces I became King of Thrace in 12 BC. Rhoemetalces I ruled Thrace until his death in 12. The Roman Historian Tacitus
, describes Rhoemetalces I as ‘attractive and civilized’.
to rule. Tacitus states that Cotys received the cultivated parts, most towns and most Greek cities of Thrace, while his uncle received the Thrace’s wild savage land and their hostile subjects.
Not much is known on the early life of Cotys. Cotys had married the Antonia Tryphaena
, a Pontian Princess who was the daughter of Roman Client Rulers Polemon Pythodoros
and Pythodorida of Pontus
. She was of Anatolia
n Greek and Roman heritage. Tryphaena’s mother was the first grandchild of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony
. However the relationship between Tryphaena and Cotys is unknown.
Tacitus describes Cotys as a man of ‘gentle disposition, good natured and manners’. The Roman poet Ovid
, wrote an epistle
addressed to him. Ovid alludes Cotys to his cultivated taste for literature, claimed his favor and protection as a brother-poet.
Rhescuporis II always wanted to annexed Cotys’ Kingdom for himself to rule, however was unable to do because out of fear of Augustus. However when Augustus died in 14, Rhescuporis II decided to do so. Tacitus describes his character as ‘treacherous’. Rhescuporis II was first harmonious in wanting to annex his nephew’s kingdom, but when Cotys resisted, Rhescuporis II plotted to kill his nephew. Rhescuporis II invited his nephew to a banquet to falsely ratify a treaty between them. Cotys was off his guard and was arrested by his uncle. Cotys was imprisoned by uncle in seizing his kingdom. Cotys died in 18 in jail alleging on order of suicide. Cotys’ wife and children fled Thrace to Cyzicus
from his uncle.
Roman Emperor Tiberius
in 18 had opened a murder investigation into Cotys’ death. Tiberius put Rhescuporis II on trial in the Roman Senate
and invited Tryphaena to attend the trial. During the trial Tryphaena accused Rhescuporis II of killing her husband and forcing him to exile himself from his own kingdom. Tiberius found Rhescuporis II guilty and sent him to live in exile in Alexandria
, Egypt
. On his way to Egypt Rhescuporis II tried to escape and was killed by Roman soldiers.
Tiberius returned the whole Thracian Kingdom to Tryphaena and Tiberius appointed Cotys and Tryphaena’s first child Rhoemetalces II to rule with his mother. The son of Rhescuporis II, Rhoemetalces III was spared by Tiberius and allowed him to return to Thrace.
While Cotys and Tryphaena’s children were growing up they were part of the remarkable court of Antonia Minor in Rome
. Antonia Minor
was Tryphaena’s great maternal aunt. Antonia Minor was a very influential woman and supervised her circle of various princes and princesses. Her circle assisted in the political preservation of the Roman Empire’s borders and affairs of the client states.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
client king of eastern Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
from 12 to 19 AD.
Family and Origins
Cotys was the son and heir of loyal Roman Client Rulers Rhoemetalces IRhoemetalces I
Rhoemetalces I was king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 BC to 12, in succession to his nephew Rhescuporis I.Rhoemetalces I was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor Augustus. He was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I, and the middle son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI...
and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Cotys’ mother is only known through surviving numismatic evidence, which bears her image and her Royal title of Queen Pythodoris.
Cotys’ father Rhoemetalces I
Rhoemetalces I
Rhoemetalces I was king of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 BC to 12, in succession to his nephew Rhescuporis I.Rhoemetalces I was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor Augustus. He was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I, and the middle son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI...
was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. Rhoemetalces I was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I. Rhoemetalces I was the son of a previous Thracian King, whose name was Cotys and his mother is unknown. Rhoemetalces I was the middle son, who had an elder brother who was called Cotys and his younger brother was Rhescuporis II.
Rhoemetalces I’s eldest brother Cotys who was Thracian King and an ally to Roman General Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
and sent Pompey a body of auxiliaries under his son Rhescuporis I in 48 BC, in the Roman civil war against Gaius Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
. When Rhoemetalces I’s brother died, his nephew Rhescuporis I, became Thracian King. Rhoemetalces I’s became the guardian to the child and son of his brother Cotys. Rhescuporis I died in 13 BC, when he was defeated and slain in battle by the Vologaeses Chief of the Thracian Bessi, who was a leader in the revolt against the Romans in that year.
During this revolt Rhoemetalces I and his family had fled Thrace and return when the revolt had ended. Augustus then returned Thrace to him and his family. When Rhescuporis I died, Rhescuporis I left no heir and Rhoemetalces I became King of Thrace in 12 BC. Rhoemetalces I ruled Thrace until his death in 12. The Roman Historian Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, describes Rhoemetalces I as ‘attractive and civilized’.
King of Thrace
When Rhoemetalces I died Augustus had divided the kingdom into two separate kingdom: one part for Cotys VIII to rule and other half for Rhoemetalces I’s remaining brother Rhescuporis IIRhescuporis II
Rhescuporis II was king of half of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 to 18, in succession to his brother Rhoemetalces I, and briefly ruler of the entire realm thereafter, usurping the other half from nephew Cotys VIII. He was a son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI and the younger brother...
to rule. Tacitus states that Cotys received the cultivated parts, most towns and most Greek cities of Thrace, while his uncle received the Thrace’s wild savage land and their hostile subjects.
Not much is known on the early life of Cotys. Cotys had married the Antonia Tryphaena
Antonia Tryphaena
Antonia Tryphaena also known as Tryphaena of Thrace or Tryphaena was a Princess of the Bosporan, Pontus, Cilicia, Cappadocia and a Roman Client Queen of Thrace....
, a Pontian Princess who was the daughter of Roman Client Rulers Polemon Pythodoros
Polemon I of Pontus
Polemon Pythodoros, also known as Polemon I or Polemon I of Pontus was the Roman Client King of Cilicia, Pontus, Colchis and the Bosporan Kingdom....
and Pythodorida of Pontus
Pythodorida of Pontus
Pythodorida or Pythodoris of Pontus was a Roman Client Queen of Pontus, Bosporan, Cilicia and Cappadocia.-Origins & Early Life:Pythodorida is also known as Pythodoris I and Pantos Pythodorida. According to an honorific inscription dedicated to her in Athens Greece in the late 1st century BC, her...
. She was of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
n Greek and Roman heritage. Tryphaena’s mother was the first grandchild of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
. However the relationship between Tryphaena and Cotys is unknown.
Tacitus describes Cotys as a man of ‘gentle disposition, good natured and manners’. The Roman poet Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, wrote an epistle
Epistle
An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians...
addressed to him. Ovid alludes Cotys to his cultivated taste for literature, claimed his favor and protection as a brother-poet.
Rhescuporis II always wanted to annexed Cotys’ Kingdom for himself to rule, however was unable to do because out of fear of Augustus. However when Augustus died in 14, Rhescuporis II decided to do so. Tacitus describes his character as ‘treacherous’. Rhescuporis II was first harmonious in wanting to annex his nephew’s kingdom, but when Cotys resisted, Rhescuporis II plotted to kill his nephew. Rhescuporis II invited his nephew to a banquet to falsely ratify a treaty between them. Cotys was off his guard and was arrested by his uncle. Cotys was imprisoned by uncle in seizing his kingdom. Cotys died in 18 in jail alleging on order of suicide. Cotys’ wife and children fled Thrace to Cyzicus
Cyzicus
Cyzicus was an ancient town of Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peninsula , a tombolo which is said to have originally been an island in the Sea of Marmara only to be connected to the mainland in historic...
from his uncle.
Roman Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
in 18 had opened a murder investigation into Cotys’ death. Tiberius put Rhescuporis II on trial in the Roman Senate
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
and invited Tryphaena to attend the trial. During the trial Tryphaena accused Rhescuporis II of killing her husband and forcing him to exile himself from his own kingdom. Tiberius found Rhescuporis II guilty and sent him to live in exile in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
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...
. On his way to Egypt Rhescuporis II tried to escape and was killed by Roman soldiers.
Tiberius returned the whole Thracian Kingdom to Tryphaena and Tiberius appointed Cotys and Tryphaena’s first child Rhoemetalces II to rule with his mother. The son of Rhescuporis II, Rhoemetalces III was spared by Tiberius and allowed him to return to Thrace.
Marriage and Children
Cotys had four children by Tryphaena and they were:- A son, Rhoemetalces IIRhoemetalces IIRhoemetalces II was a Client Ruler in association with his mother Antonia Tryphaena of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace under the Romans from 18 to 38. On coinage his royal title is in Greek:ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΑΣ or of King Rhoemetalces...
, he was named after his paternal grandfather and ruled with Tryphaena from when his father died in 18 until his death in 38. - A daughter, GepaepyrisGepaepyrisGepaepyris was a Thracian Princess and a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom.Gepaepyris was the first daughter and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace, Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena...
, she married the Roman Client King Tiberius Julius AspurgusTiberius Julius AspurgusTiberius Julius Aspurgus Philoromaios was a Prince and Roman Client King of the Bosporan Kingdom.The name Aspurgus is a name of Iranian origin. His name goes back to the Iranian words aspa and aspabara . Aspurgus was a monarch of Greek and Iranian ancestry.Aspurgus was the son born to the ruling...
of the Bosporan KingdomBosporan KingdomThe Bosporan Kingdom or the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus was an ancient state, located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus...
. - A son, Cotys IXCotys IXCotys IX or Kotys IX was a Thracian prince and the Roman Client King of Lesser Armenia. Cotys was the second son and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena...
, he was the namesake of his father. He became Roman Client King of Lesser ArmeniaLesser ArmeniaLesser Armenia , also known as Armenia Minor and Armenia Inferior, refers to the Armenian populated regions, primarily to the West and North-West of the ancient Armenian Kingdom...
from 38 to until at least 47. - A daughter, Pythodoris IIPythodoris IIPythodoris II or Pythodorida II was client ruler in association with her cousin Rhoemetalces III of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace under the Romans from 38 to 46, in succession to her mother Antonia Tryphaena and brother Rhoemetalces II...
or Pythodorida II. She was named after her maternal grandparents and her paternal grandmother. In 38, after the death of Rhoemetalces II, Tryphaena abdicated the throne at the request of Roman Emperor CaligulaCaligulaCaligula , also known as Gaius, was Roman Emperor from 37 AD to 41 AD. Caligula was a member of the house of rulers conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Caligula's father Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius, was a very successful general and one of Rome's most...
. Pythodoris II married her second paternal cousin Rhoemetalces IIIRhoemetalces IIIRhoemetalces III was a King of the Thracians. He was the son of the Monarch Rhescuporis II. He in association with his cousin-wife Pythodoris II were client rulers of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace under the Romans from 38 to 46, in succession to Pythodoris’ mother Tryphaena and her brother...
and they ruled Thrace as Roman Client Rulers from 38 until 46.
While Cotys and Tryphaena’s children were growing up they were part of the remarkable court of Antonia Minor in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Antonia Minor
Antonia Minor
Antonia Minor , also known as Antonia the Younger or simply Antonia was the younger of two daughters of Roman politician Mark Antony and Octavia Minor. Tacitus Ann. 4.44.2 and 12.54.2 may have confused the two Antonia sisters...
was Tryphaena’s great maternal aunt. Antonia Minor was a very influential woman and supervised her circle of various princes and princesses. Her circle assisted in the political preservation of the Roman Empire’s borders and affairs of the client states.
Sources
- Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome
- French version of Wikipedia
- German version of Wikipedia
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0879.html
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2767.html
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2980.html
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2986.html
- http://www.tyndalehouse.com/egypt/ptolemies/cleopatra_vii_fr.htm
- http://books.google.com.au/books?id=S_iZdOzcQCoC&pg=PA192&lpg=PA192&dq=Strabo+and+Antonia+&source=web&ots=to-ReZ9Ehv&sig=nbs8aS8VpIPUEpAjlR3mhs_7lHs&hl=en#PPA25,M1
- http://books.google.com/books?id=JZLW4-wba7UC&pg=RA1-PA555&lpg=RA1-PA555&dq=Antonia+Tryphaena+of+Cyzicus&source=web&ots=jzrM7MTR4u&sig=iwcSGYpzgpOoAa5zuYQIZ4F44_s
- http://books.google.com/books?id=nRKDGwn_CRkC&pg=PA922&lpg=PA922&dq=Antonia+Tryphaena+of+Cyzicus&source=web&ots=L7ki8fxV0a&sig=PkdRzfoBy6Mc269j0ADH_1uWjDU