Satyrus II
King of the Bosporan Kingdom
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Satyrus II (Ancient Greek: Σάτυρος, romanized: Satyros; died 309 BC) was a son of Paerisades I and Spartocid king of the Bosporan Kingdom for 9 months in 310 BC.[1] He was the elder brother of Eumelus and Prytanis. He was challenged and ultimately overthrown by Eumelus in the Bosporan Civil War.
| Satyrus II | |
|---|---|
| King of the Bosporan Kingdom | |
| Reign | 310 BC |
| Predecessor | Paerisades I |
| Successor | Prytanis |
| Born | Unknown Bosporan Kingdom |
| Died | 309 BC Siracena, Sarmatia |
| Issue | Paerisades |
| Greek | Σάτυρος |
| House | Spartocid |
| Father | Paerisades I |
| Mother | Comosarye |
| Religion | Greek Polytheism |
Reign and civil war
When his father Paerisades died in 310 BC, Satyrus inherited the throne and government as he was the eldest son.[2] Shortly after, his brother Eumelus fled to the lands of the Siraces, where he entered into an alliance with Aripharnes, king of the Siraces, and made a rival claim to the throne.[3] As soon as Satyrus learned of this, he set out against his brother Eumelus with his army thus starting the Spartocid civil war. Satyrus' army had a total of 34,000 troops, a mixture of Greeks, Thracians, and Scythians.[4] After cornering his younger brother, they fought the Battle of the River Thatis, which resulted in a strategic victory for Satyrus[5] and demonstrated his suitability for the throne of his father.[6]
During his reign, the minting of Panticapaeum coins continued. In particular, the Bismuth Coin of Panticapaeum was minted - this is the only known ancient coin whose main metal is bismuth.[7][8]
Final battle and death
Satyrus pursued his brother and his ally, Ariphanes, who both retreated to the capital of the Siraces.[9] Upon approaching the city, he realised that it would be hard to take as the city was built on the river Thatis and surrounded by thick marshes.[10] There were also man-made defences including a fortified gate and a well-protected castle at the other entrance.[11] Knowing he would not be able to take the city, he plundered the countryside, gaining many prisoners and plunder.[12]
The Siege of Siracena ensued. However Satyrus died fighting Aripharnes while attempting to protect his mercenary captain, Meniscus.[13] His brother Prytanis became king shortly after his death, and fought Eumelus but shared the same fate.[14]
His brother Eumelus killed the families of his brothers, but Satyrus' son, Paerisades, survived[15] and fled to Scythia, where he was given asylum by its king, Agarus.[16]