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BOSPORUS (BOSPOROS)
The Cimmerian Bosporus on the north coasts of the Black Sea was governed, according to Greek
tradition, by the Arkhaianaktidai 480–438 and then by the much better-known Spartokidai. Apparently of
Thracian origin, the Spartokidai governed simultaneously as rulers of the Greek cities (such as the capital
Pantikapaion) and of native tribes. The state expanded its control into the Crimea in the early 300s, but in 108
Pairisadēs V was killed by a Scythian named Saumakos. He was rapidly defeated by the king of Pontus,
Mithradatēs VI Eupatōr, who had been named as Pairisadēs’ heir, and the kingdom passed into the hands of the
Pontic kings. It served as the base from which Pharnakēs II attempted to recover his father’s kingdom in 48–47,
but then survived as a separate Roman client kingdom under the descendants of his daughter Dynamis and her
first husband Asandros. The kingdom seems to have weakened during the Third Century Crisis, with a
debasement of the coinage and greater pressure exerted on the frontiers by the Sarmatians and then the Goths.
There seems to be some evidence for increasing instability on the throne, and repeated attempts to assert royal
power on local cities (Khersōn). It was in such a context that the last Bosporan king found his death, according
to later Byzantine tradition.
The history of the Bosporan monarchy is imperfectly known. Narrative sourced shed some light on the
Spartokidai and their immediate successors, but the kings who reigned after the 1st century AD are generally mere
names, known only from their coins and the occasional inscriptions. As a result the history, genealogy, and even
chronology of the period starting in the mid-3rd century is largely guesswork.
Dynasts and kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus (Bosporos)
438–433 Spartokos I … arkhōn of the Cimmerian Bosporus
433–393 Seleukos I … son of Spartokos I
393–389 Satyros I … son of Spartokos I; associated 433
389–349 Leukōn I … son of Satyros I
349–344 Spartokos II … son of Leukōn I
344–311 Pairisadēs I … son of Leukōn I; associated 349
311–310 Satyros II … son of Pairisadēs I; associated by 313
310 Prytanis … son of Pairisadēs I; associated 311
310–304 Eumēlos … son of Pairisadēs I
304–284 Spartokos III … son of Eumēlos; took the title basileus
+ Seleukos II 1 … son of Eumēlos; associated 304–?
284–? Satyros III … son of Spartokos III
?–c.245 Pairisadēs II … son of Spartokos III; associated 284
c.245–c.240 Spartokos IV … son of Pairisadēs II
c.240–c.220 Leukōn II … son of Pairisadēs II
c.220–c.200 Hygiainōn … usurper?
c.200–c.180 Spartokos V … son of (?) Pairisadēs, son of (?) Spartokos IV
c.180–c.150 Pairisadēs III … husband of Kamasaryē, daughter of Spartokos V
c.150–c.125 Pairisadēs IV Philomētōr … son of Pairisadēs III
c.125–108 Pairisadēs V … son of (?) Pairisadēs IV
108–107 Saumakos … usurper
107–70 Mithradatēs I (VI) Eupatōr Dionysos … son of Mithradatēs V of Pontus; deposed; Pontus 120–63
70–66 Makharēs … son of Mithradatēs I; governor since 82
66–63 Mithradatēs I (VI) Eupatōr Dionysos … restored; Pontus 120–63
63–47 Pharnakēs (II) Philorōmaios … son of Mithradatēs I; Pontus 48–47
47–8 Dynamis Philorōmaios … daughter of Pharnakēs
& 47–17 Asandros Philokaisar Philorōmaios … husband of Dynamis
1 Existence uncertain.
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– Mithradatēs II … pretended bastard son of Mithradatēs I; son of Mēnodotos of Pergamon;
rival with Roman support 47–46
& 16–15 Skribōnios … married Dynamis; real or pretended bastard son of Pharnakēs
& 14–8 Polemōn I Eusebēs Sōtēr … married Dynamis; son of Zēnōn of Laodikeia; Pontus 36–8
8 BC–AD 37 Rēskouporis I (Aspourgos) 2 Philorōmaios … son of Asandros and Dynamis
37–39 Gēpaipyris … widow of Rēskouporis I; daughter of Kotys III of Sapaean Thrace by Tryphaina,
daughter of Polemōn I by Pythodōris
39–41 Polemōn II Philogermanikos Philopatris … brother of Gēpaipyris; Pontus 38–64; died 69?
41–45 Mithradatēs III Philogermanikos Philopatris … son of Rēskouporis I and Gēpaipyris; deposed
45–69 Kotys I Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Rēskouporis I and Gēpaipyris
69–93 Rēskouporis II 3 Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Kotys I
93–124 Sauromatēs I Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Rēskouporis II
124–132 Kotys II Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Sauromatēs I
132–153 Roimētalkēs I Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of (?) Kotys II; associated 130
153–173 Eupatōr Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of (?) Kotys II
173–210 Sauromatēs II Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Roimētalkēs I
210–227 Rēskouporis III Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Sauromatēs II
227–234 Kotys III Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of Rēskouporis III
& 227–231 Sauromatēs III … son of (?) Rēskouporis III
234–235 Rēskouporis IV … son of (?) Sauromatēs III
& 234–239 Ininthimēos Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of (?) Sauromatēs III
239–275 Rēskouporis V 4 Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs … son of (?) Ininthimēos
– Pharsanzēs … rival 253
275 Sauromatēs IV … son of Rēskouporis V; deposed?
275–278 Teiranēs … son of (?) Rēskouporis V
278–308 Thothōrsēs … son of (?) Rēskouporis V
– Khēdosbios … rival c.280
c.280?–311? Sauromatēs IV 5 … restored 6?
308–322 Radamasadios … son of (?)Thothōrsēs
311–341 Rēskouporis VI … son of (?) Sauromatēs IV
341–c.370 Sauromatēs V 7 … son of (?) Rēskouporis VI
(disappearance of the monarchy 8)
2 “Aspourgos” is either the original name, a nickname, or a garbled version of “Rēskouporis.”
3 Tiberius Iulius (Tiberios Ioulios) as Roman citizen, a name shared by his successors.
4 It is not entirely impossible that Rēskouporis IV and V are in fact the same person, with his reign interrupted
by Ininthimēos.
5 Kōnstantinos Porphyrogennētos has a Sauromatēs, son of “Kriskoronos,” as contemporary of the Roman
emperor Diocletianus probably around 291.
6 Assuming the “Kriskoronos” of Kōnstantinos Porphyrogennētos is a garbled form of “Rēskouporis.”
7 Kōnstantinos Porphyrogennētos has a Sauromatēs, grandson of the Diocletianic Sauromatēs, as living sometime
after 324.
8 Although some of the hinterland must have been lost to the Goths and Huns, the monarchy probably held on
to some of its cities: a king Doiptounēs Philokaisar Philorōmaios Eusebēs reigned sometime in the 5th century
(around 483?), and Kōnstantinos Porphyrogennētos names yet another Sauromatēs as the last king, who fell in
battle against the city of Khersōn. Bosporos (Pantikapaion) itself was taken by the Huns in c.518, and was later
garrisoned by the Eastern Roman emperor Iustianianus I (527–565).
