Gepaepyris

Gepaepyris (Greek: Γηπαίπυρις, flourished 1st century) was a Thracian princess, and a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom, the longest known surviving Roman Client Kingdom. She ruled in AD 37/38–39.^[1]

Gepaepyris was the first daughter and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace, Cotys III and Antonia Tryphaena. Her maternal grandparents were Polemon Pythodoros and Pythodorida of Pontus, while her paternal grandparents were Rhoemetalces I and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Her maternal grandmother was the first grandchild of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. Gepaepyris was related to various members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Gepaepyris was of Persian, Greek and Roman descent.

Gepaepyris is not mentioned by any ancient literary sources. What is known of this Thracian princess has come from surviving inscriptions from the Bosporan Kingdom, the ancient Greek city of Cyzicus (modern Turkey) and numismatic evidence. Cyzicus became the second residence for her family, where Gepaepyris grew up. From coins we know, her royal title was Queen Gepaepyris.

Little is known on the life of Gepaepyris. She married the Roman Client King of the Bosporan Kingdom, Tiberius Julius Aspurgus, who was of Greek and Iranian ancestry. Aspurgus was the son of Bosporan Queen Dynamis from her first marriage to General and Bosporan King Asander.

Gepaepyris seems to have been the only child from the family of Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena to have children. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus two sons:

Tiberius Julius Mithridates - he was named in honor of Mithridates VI of Pontus, and died in 68.
Tiberius Julius Cotys I - he was named in honor of his late maternal grandfather, Cotys VIII.

Through Cotys I, Gepaepyris and Aspurgus had various descendants ruling the Bosporan Kingdom until the mid-4th century. These included descendants that bore Thracian ancestral monarch names such as Cotys, Rhoemetalces and Rhescuporis.

Aspurgus headed the Bosporan domain until his death in 37 or 38.^[2] On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler.^[3] Coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.^[4] In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother.^[5]

References

^ Tsetskhladze, Gocha R., ed. (2001). North Pontic Archaeology: Recent Discoveries and Studies. BRILL. p. 414. ISBN 978-90-04-12041-9.
^ Bunson, Matthew (2014-05-14). Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. Infobase Publishing. p. 372. ISBN 978-1-4381-1027-1.
^ American Philological Association (1974). Transactions of the American Philological Association. Vol. 107. For the Association by the Press of Case Western Reserve University. p. 5. On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler, and inscribed her coins ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΓΗΠΑΙΠΥΡΕΩΣ.
^ Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. Meanwhile, gold and bronze coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.
^ Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother

External links

Coinage of Gepaepyris

Sources

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/bosporos/kings/i.html
http://www.guide2womenleaders.com/womeninpower/Womeninpower01.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001107/http://www.tyndalehouse.com/Egypt/ptolemies/cleopatra_vii_fr.htm
H. Temporini & W. Haase, Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im Spiegel der neueren Forschung, Walter de Gruyter, 1980

Preceded by Aspurgus	Queen regnant of the Bosporus 37/38-39	Succeeded by Mithridates III

[1] Tsetskhladze, Gocha R., ed. (2001). North Pontic Archaeology: Recent Discoveries and Studies. BRILL. p. 414. ISBN 978-90-04-12041-9.

[2] Bunson, Matthew (2014-05-14). Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. Infobase Publishing. p. 372. ISBN 978-1-4381-1027-1.

[3] American Philological Association (1974). Transactions of the American Philological Association. Vol. 107. For the Association by the Press of Case Western Reserve University. p. 5. On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler, and inscribed her coins ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΓΗΠΑΙΠΥΡΕΩΣ.

[4] Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. Meanwhile, gold and bronze coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.

[5] Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother

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v t e Monarchs of the Bosporan Kingdom
Archaeanactid dynasty	Archaeanax Unknown kings
Spartocid dynasty	Spartocus I Satyrus I Seleucus Leucon I Gorgippus Spartocus II Paerisades I Satyrus II Prytanis Eumelus Spartocus III Paerisades II Spartocus IV Leucon II Hygiaenon (regent) Spartokos V [ru] Camasarye Paerisades III Paerisades IV Spartocus VI Paerisades V
Scythian rule	Saumacus
Mithridatic dynasty	Mithridates I Pharnaces Dynamis with Asander Mithridates II Dynamis with Asander Dynamis Dynamis with Scribonius Dynamis with Polemon I Dynamis
Tiberian-Julian dynasty	Aspurgus (Polemon II) Rhescuporis I Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I Rhescuporis II Sauromates I Cotys II Rhoemetalces Eupator Sauromates II Rhescuporis III Cotys III Sauromates III Rhescuporis IV Chedosbius Ininthimeus Rhescuporis V Pharsanzes Teiranes Sauromates IV Theothorses Rhadamsades Rhescuporis VI

v t e Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy Keraunos Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Monarchs of Cyrene	Magas Berenice II Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra Selene II
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Cleopatra Thea Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Cleopatra Selene I Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus Ptolemy Epigonos
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Monarchs of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Monarchs of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos with Laodice Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Monarchs of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Monarchs of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Monarchs of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon (regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Spartokos V [ru] Kamasarye Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius's attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon Aspurgus Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
Monarchs of Epirus	Admetus Tharrhypas Alcetas I Neoptolemus I Arybbas Alexander I Aeacides Neoptolemus II Alcetas II Pyrrhus I Alexander II Olympias II (regent) Pyrrhus II Ptolemy Pyrrhus III Deidamia
Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.

Gepaepyris

See also

References

External links

Sources