Glaphyra (hetaera)
Encyclopedia
Glaphyra was a Hetaera
(also known as a Courtesan
) that lived in the 1st century BC.
Glaphyra was a Greek woman
from Cappadocia
from obscure origins. Glaphyra was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm as well as she had a reputation for being seductive.
Glaphyra had married a Cappadocian Greek nobleman called Archelaus
, the High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. Archelaus was the High Priest of the Roman Goddess of War, Bellona
. Through her marriage to Archelaus, Glaphyra became a ruler of the temple state. Archelaus' father of the same name
had descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus
.
Glaphyra bore Archelaus two sons:
In 47 BC the Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar
after the conclusion of his military victory
against the Triumvir Pompey
, deprived and deposed Archelaus of his office of high priest and rule over Comana. Archelaus was replaced by another Greek nobleman called Lycomedes
. Pompey was their family patron and it was he that appointed his father as High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana. Sometime after Archelaus had died at an unknown date. After the death of Archelaus, Glaphyra remained in Cappadocia with her sons. Glaphyra could be seen as the widow of the dynast of Comana.
Years later, Glaphyra became one of the mistresses to the Roman Triumvir
Mark Antony
. Antony had fallen in love with her. Through her beauty, Glaphyra had influenced and induced him to designate and install her first son as King of Cappadocia. In 36 BC, Antony removed and executed Ariarathes X of Cappadocia from his throne and installed Archelaus as the successor of Ariarathes X.
Glaphyra appeared to be a powerful lady at the Royal Court and internal politics in Cappadocia. Her powerful influence can be demonstrated by contemporary invective about the time of the Battle of Actium
in 30 BC, by certain frank and famous verses which Triumvir Octavian
composed about Antony.
Hetaera
In ancient Greece, hetaerae were courtesans, that is to say, highly educated, sophisticated companions...
(also known as a Courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
) that lived in the 1st century BC.
Glaphyra was a Greek woman
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
from Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
from obscure origins. Glaphyra was famed and celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, charm as well as she had a reputation for being seductive.
Glaphyra had married a Cappadocian Greek nobleman called Archelaus
Archelaus (father of Archelaus of Cappadocia)
Archelaus was a High priest of the temple-state of Comana, Cappadocia.Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent. He was the son and namesake of the Roman Client Ruler and High Priest of Comana, Cappadocia, Archelaus by an unnamed Greek woman...
, the High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia. Archelaus was the High Priest of the Roman Goddess of War, Bellona
Bellona (goddess)
Bellona was an Ancient Roman goddess of war, similar to the Ancient Greek Enyo. Bellona's attribute is a sword and she is depicted wearing a helmet and armed with a spear and a torch....
. Through her marriage to Archelaus, Glaphyra became a ruler of the temple state. Archelaus' father of the same name
Archelaus (high priest of Comana Cappadocia)
Archelaus was a high priest of the temple-state of Comana, Cappadocia.-Family background:Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent...
had descended from King Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
.
Glaphyra bore Archelaus two sons:
- Archelaus Sisines , also known as King Archelaus of CappadociaArchelaus of Cappadocia-Family & Early Life:Archelaus was a Cappadocian Greek nobleman, possibly of Macedonian descent. His full name was Archelaus Sisines. He was the first born son, namesake of the Roman Client and High Priest Ruler Archelaus, of the temple state of Comana, Cappadocia and Glaphyra. Archelaus’ father...
who reign from 36 BC until his death in 17 - Sisines
In 47 BC the Roman Dictator 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....
after the conclusion of his military victory
Caesar's civil war
The Great Roman Civil War , also known as Caesar's Civil War, was one of the last politico-military conflicts in the Roman Republic before the establishment of the Roman Empire...
against the Triumvir Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
, deprived and deposed Archelaus of his office of high priest and rule over Comana. Archelaus was replaced by another Greek nobleman called Lycomedes
Lycomedes of Comana
Lycomedes of Comana was a Bithynian nobleman of Cappadocian Greek descent who ruled Comana, Cappadocia in the second half of the 1st century BC. In 47 BC Lycomedes was probably about 50 years old, when he was named by Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar the priest of the goddess Bellona in the...
. Pompey was their family patron and it was he that appointed his father as High Priest Ruler of the temple state of Comana. Sometime after Archelaus had died at an unknown date. After the death of Archelaus, Glaphyra remained in Cappadocia with her sons. Glaphyra could be seen as the widow of the dynast of Comana.
Years later, Glaphyra became one of the mistresses to the Roman Triumvir
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
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...
. Antony had fallen in love with her. Through her beauty, Glaphyra had influenced and induced him to designate and install her first son as King of Cappadocia. In 36 BC, Antony removed and executed Ariarathes X of Cappadocia from his throne and installed Archelaus as the successor of Ariarathes X.
Glaphyra appeared to be a powerful lady at the Royal Court and internal politics in Cappadocia. Her powerful influence can be demonstrated by contemporary invective about the time of the Battle of Actium
Battle of Actium
The Battle of Actium was the decisive confrontation of the Final War of the Roman Republic. It was fought between the forces of Octavian and the combined forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII. The battle took place on 2 September 31 BC, on the Ionian Sea near the city of Actium, at the Roman...
in 30 BC, by certain frank and famous verses which Triumvir Octavian
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...
composed about Antony.
Sources
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0272.html
- http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/1380.html
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/32710/Archelaus
- http://www.tyndalehouse.com/egypt/ptolemies/berenice_iv.htm
- http://www.tyndalehouse.com/Egypt/ptolemies/Cleopatra_vii.htm
- J. WatkinsJohn Watkins (writer)John Watkins was an English miscellaneous writer, known as a biographer.-Life:Born in Devon, he was educated at Bristol for the nonconformist ministry. Becoming dissatisfied, he conformed to the Church of England around 1786, with his friend Samuel Badcock, and for some years kept an academy in...
, A biographical, historical and chronological dictionary: containing accurate accounts of the lives, characters, and actions, of the most eminent persons of all ages and all countries: including the revolutions of states, and the succession of sovereign princes (Google eBook), Printed by R. Phillips by T. Gillet, 1807 - G. CrabbGeorge Crabb (writer)-Life:He was born 8 December 1778 at Palgrave, Suffolk. He was educated at a school at Diss and under a private tutor. He began as a medical student, but became assistant to a bookseller...
, Universal historical dictionary: or explanation of the names of persons and places in the departments of biblical, political and eccles. history, mythology, heraldry, biography, bibliography, geography, and numismatics, Volume 1, Baldwin and Cradock, 1833 - R. Syme and A.R. Birley, Anatolica: studies in Strabo, Oxford University Press, 1995
- D. Dueck, H. Lindsay and S. Pothecary, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia, Cambridge University Press, 2005