Ininthimeus (Greek: Τιβέριος Ἰούλιος Ἰνινθίμηος, romanized: Tiberios Ioulios Ininthimeos), also known as Ininthimaios,[1][2] Ininthimeos[3] or Ininthimaeus,[4] was the king of the Bosporan Kingdom, a Roman client state, from 234 to 239. His origin and lineage are uncertain; he might have been a member of the ruling Tiberian-Julian dynasty or alternatively perhaps a foreign usurper. Inintimeus's reign was marked by large-scale construction projects for defensive structures throughout the kingdom.
| Ininthimeus | |
|---|---|
 Copper denarius of Ininthimeus (left), also depicting Aphrodite Urania (right); legend ININΘΙΜΗ[ΟΥ]. (Other side: Aphrodite seated holding phiale and apple). 21 mm, 7.25 g, c. 234/5-238/9. | |
| King of the Bosporus | |
| Reign | 234–239 |
| Predecessor | Cotys III & Rhescuporis IV |
| Successor | Rhescuporis V |
| Died | 239 (?) |
| Issue | Pharsanzes (?) |
| Dynasty | Tiberian-Julian (?) |
| Father | Cotys III (?) |
Biography
editIninthimeus became king of the Bosporan Kingdom in 234, succeeding Cotys III and Rhescuporis IV.[5] Although he used a different tamga (a type of seal/symbol) than his recent predecessors, it is still possible that he belonged to the same dynasty (the Tiberian-Julian dynasty). Like previous kings, Ininthimeus used the names Tiberius and Julius.[6] It is also possible that he was a foreign usurper, perhaps of Sarmatian or Alan descent.[7] If he was a Tiberian-Julian dynast, it is possible that he was a younger son of Cotys III and a brother of Rhescuporis IV.[8]
The name Ininthimeus is reminiscent of Inismeus, a 1st-century Sarmatian king of Olbia.[9] A Sarmatian connection of the name would not necessarily mean that Ininthimeus was a usurper; the Tiberian-Julian dynasty itself was of partly Sarmatian origin.[10]
Ininthimeus ruled during a period of increasing barbarian pressure on the Bosporan Kingdom.[9] To combat threats from migrating tribes, Ininthimeus is known to have constructed new fortifications throughout the kingdom, including further developing the fortress of Iluraton in Panticapaeum.[11]
The coinage of Ininthimeus is unique among the coins of the Bosporan kings. In addition to including a bust of the king himself, the coins of Ininthimeus also include a bust of the deity Aphrodite Urania, facing Ininthimeus.[12]
After a reign of only five years, Ininthimeus died in 239 and was succeeded as king by Rhescuporis V.[5] Rhescuporis V claimed the kingdom by hereditary right;[6] he might have been the son of the previous ruler Sauromates III (r. 229–232).[13] It is possible that Inthimeus's death marked the beginning of dynastic conflicts. The later king Pharsanzes (r. 253–254) might have been closely connected to Inthimeus and might have fought with Rhescuporis V for the throne.[14]
References
edit- ^ Nadel, Benjamin (1977). "Literary Tradition and Epigraphical Evidence : Constantine Porphyrogenitus' Information on the Bosporan Kingdom of Emperor Diocletian Reconsidered". Dialogues d'histoire ancienne. 3 (1): 87–114. doi:10.3406/dha.1977.2690.
- ^ Abramzon, Mikhail G.; Kuznetsov, Vladimir D. (2019). "A Hoard of 3rd-4th Centuries AD Bosporan Staters from Phanagoria (2011)". Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia. 25 (2): 308–356. doi:10.1163/15700577-12341353. ISSN 0929-077X. S2CID 226802814.
- ^ Schönebt-Geiss, Edith (1986). "Zur Schwarzmeernumismatik". Klio (in German). 68 (68): 242–244. doi:10.1524/klio.1986.68.68.242. ISSN 2192-7669. S2CID 201700103.
- ^ Tsetskhladze, G. R.; Kondrashev, A. V. (2001). "Notes on the Rescue Excavation of the Tuzla Necropolis (1995-1997)". North Pontic Archaeology: 345–363. doi:10.1163/9789004497238_023. ISBN 9789004497238. S2CID 244507743.
- ^ a b Mitchiner, Michael (1978). The Ancient & Classical World, 600 B.C.-A.D. 650. Hawkins Publications. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-904173-16-1.
- ^ a b Minns, Ellis H. (1913). Scythians and Greeks: A Survey of Ancient History and Archaeology on the North Coast of the Euxine from the Danube to the Caucasus. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 608. ISBN 978-0-7222-2458-8.
- ^ Yartsev, Sergey V. (2019). "The Invasion of the Borans into the Bosporus in the 3rd Century AD" (PDF). Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews. 7 (6).
- ^ "Le Bosphore Cimmérien - Suite". antikforever.com. Retrieved 2022-05-09.
- ^ a b Lebedynsky, Iaroslav (2014). La Crimée, des Taures aux Tatars (in French). Editions L'Harmattan. p. 41. ISBN 978-2-336-33746-3.
- ^ Butyagin, Alexander M. (2007). "The History of the Northern Black Sea Region". In Trofimova, A. A. (ed.). Greeks on the Black Sea: Ancient Art from the Hermitage. Getty Publications. ISBN 978-0-89236-883-9.
- ^ Goroncharovski, Vladimir A. "Fortifications of Iluraton" (PDF). Fasciculi Archaeologiae Historicae. ISSN 0860-0007.
- ^ Zograf, Aleksandr Nikolaevich (1977). Ancient Coinage: The ancient coins of the northern Black Sea littoral. British Archaeological Reports. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-904531-87-9.
- ^ Settipani, Christian (2006). Continuité des élites à Byzance durant les siècles obscurs: les princes caucasiens et l'Empire du VI:e au IX:e siècle (in French). Paris: De Boccard. p. 408. ISBN 978-2-7018-0226-8.
- ^ Yartsev, Sergey V. (2019). "The Invasion of the Borans into the Bosporus in the 3rd Century AD" (PDF). Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews. 7 (6).