Antonia Tryphaena

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Antonia Tryphaena also known as Tryphaena of Thrace or Tryphaena (her name in Greek: η Άντωνία Τρύφαινα or Τρυφαίνη, 10 BC - 55) was a Princess of Pontus and a Roman Client Queen of Thrace.

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[edit] Origins, Family and Early Life

For the first half of the 1st century, Tryphaena and her family were central figures in the Eastern Mediterranean. She was an important and influential person.

Tryphaena was the only known daughter and the youngest child of Roman Client Rulers Polemon Pythodoros and Pythodorida of Pontus. Her eldest brothers were Zenon, also known as Artaxias III, who became Roman Client King of Armenia and Roman Client King Polemon II of Pontus, who would succeed her mother and became the last Roman Client Ruler of Pontus.

She was of Anatolian Greek and Roman heritage. Her paternal grandmother is unknown, however her paternal grandmother could have been named Tryphaena, while her paternal grandfather was Zenon, a prominent orator and aristocrat, who was an ally to Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. Her maternal grandparents were the wealthy Greek and friend of the late Roman Triumvir Pompey Pythodoros of Tralles and Antonia.

Through her maternal grandmother she was a direct descendant of Mark Antony and his second wife Antonia Hybrida Minor. Antony and Antonia Hybrida were first paternal cousins. Her name reflects her descent from the triumvir. She was Antony’s third great-grandchild and his first great granddaughter. The only other female descendant of Antony‘s, who bears the name ‘Antonia’, is Claudia Antonia, a Roman princess and the first daughter of Roman Emperor Claudius. Her second name Tryphaena is a name of ancient Greek origin and this name was associated with the Greek Queens and Princesses of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Tryphaena wasn’t a blood relative of the Ptolemaic dynasty.

Through Antony, her great maternal aunt was Roman Client Queen Cleopatra Selene II of Mauretania. Through Antony, she was a distant cousin to Roman Client King Ptolemy of Mauretania and the princesses named Drusilla of Mauretania. Through Antony, she was a distant cousin to Roman Emperors Caligula, Claudius and Nero and Roman Empresses Valeria Messalina, Agrippina the Younger and Claudia Octavia.

Tryphaena’s father died in 8 BC. Her mother married Roman Client King Archelaus of Cappadocia. Her family had moved to Cappadocia and along with her brothers were raised in the court of their stepfather. Archelaus had died in 17. After his death, her mother and Polemon II moved back to Pontus.

[edit] Queen of Thrace

Before 12, Tryphaena had married prince Cotys VIII of Thrace, who was of Persian and Greek origins. Cotys was the son and heir of loyal Roman Client Rulers Rhoemetalces I and Pythodoris I and his paternal uncle was Rhescuporis II (who was the brother of Rhoemetalces I). In 12 Rhoemetalces I had died and Roman Emperor Augustus divided the Thracian Kingdom to Cotys VIII and Rhescuporis II. It was then Tryphaena became Thracian Queen.

Tryphaena unfortunately goes unnamed in the ancient sources. The only two that make reference to her is the historian Tacitus and Strabo the Geographer. Tacitus refers to her as the Cotys’ widow and Strabo refers to her as the unnamed daughter of Polemon Pythodoros and the wife of Cotys. In fact, the Greek geographer Strabo was a friend to her mother.

What we know of Tryphaena comes from numismatic evidence, inscriptions and buildings she ordered to be commissioned. On surviving coinage, her royal title is ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΤΡΥΦΑΙΝΗΣ or Queen Tryphaena. In the ancient Greek city of Cyzicus (now in modern Turkey) which became second her residence, Tryphaena and her children have left a number of inscriptions in Cyzicus. Some of these inscriptions mention her and reveal her descent, for example: Άντωνία Τρύφαινα Βασιλέως Πολέμωνος καί Βα[σιλίσ]σης Πυθοδωρίδος Θυγάτηρ or Antonia Tryphaena, daughter of King Polemon and of Queen Pythodoris.

Tacitus speaks very highly of her husband and her father-in-law. Historian Tacitus describes Rhoemetalces I as ’attractive and civilized’, while the historian describes Cotys VIII as a man of ‘gentle disposition, good natured and manners’. However the relationship between Tryphaena and Cotys is unknown.

After the death of Augustus in 14, Tryphaena ordered and financially commissioned at her expense the restoration of Cyzicus. The city’s restoration included works completed on its harbors and canals. She did this as a thanks offering to the memory of Augustus.

Sometime after the Cyzicus’ restorations were completed, Rhescuporis II wanted to claim Cotys’ section of the Thracian Kingdom for himself to rule as one kingdom. Cotys refused to give in the demands of his uncle. The political disagreement between Rhescuporis and Cotys, led Cotys to be captured and killed by his uncle. After the murder of Cotys, Tryphaena fled with her family to Cyzicus in 18.

Roman Emperor Tiberius in 18 had opened a murder investigation into Cotys’ death. Tiberius put Rhescuporis II on trial in the Roman Senate and invited Tryphaena to attend the trial. During the trial Tryphaena accused Rhescuporis II of killing her husband and forcing him to exile himself from his own kingdom. Tiberius found Rhescuporis II guilty and sent him to live in exile in Alexandria, Egypt. On his way to Egypt Rhescuporis II tried to escape and was killed by Roman soldiers.

Tiberius returned the whole Thracian Kingdom to Tryphaena and Tiberius appointed Tryphaena and Cotys’ first child Rhoemetalces III to rule with his mother. The son of Rhescuporis II, Rhoemetalces II was spared by Tiberius and allowed him to return to Thrace.

Tryphaena bore Cotys four children and they were:

  • A son, Rhoemetalces III - Rhoemetalces was named after his paternal grandfather and ruled with Tryphaena from when his father died in 18 until his death in 38. Rhoemetalces ruled Thrace with his mother as one kingdom and served as a loyal Roman client ruler, even in 26 putting down Thracian malcontents for the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Coinage of Rhoemetalces III can be seen here. On coinage his Royal title is ΒΑΣΙΛΕΥΣ ΡΟΙΜΗΤΑΛΚΑΣ or King Rhoemetalces. Rhoemetalces never married and had no children.
  • A daughter, Gepaepyris, she married the Roman Client King Tiberius Julius Aspurgus of the Bosporan Kingdom. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus, two sons who were Tiberius Julius Mithridates and Tiberius Julius Cotys I. Mithridates and Cotys are the only known grandchildren of Tryphaena and her husband.
  • A son, Cotys IX, he was the namesake of his father. He became Roman Client King of Lesser Armenia from 38 to until at least 47.
  • A daughter, Pythodoris II or Pythodorida II. She was named after her maternal grandparents and her paternal grandmother. In 38, after the death of Rhoemetalces III, Tryphaena abdicated the throne at the request of Caligula. Caligula put on the Thracian throne Rhoemetalces II as king, the first paternal cousin of her late father’s. Caligula and Tryphaena arranged for Pythodoris II to marry Rhoemetalces II. The marriage between Pythodoris II and Rhoemetalces II was to repair past dynastic misfortunes. Pythodoris II and Rhoemetalces II became the new Roman Client Rulers of Thrace from 38 until 46, when Rhoemetalces II was murdered by insurgents or on the orders of his wife. Pythodoris and Rhoemetalces were the last monarchs of Thrace and then under Claudius, Thrace became a Roman province. The fate of Pythodoris II afterwards is unknown and she seems not to have any children with her paternal cousin. Coinage of Rhoemetalces II and Pythodoris II can be seen here.

While Tryphaena’s children were growing up they were part of the remarkable court of Antonia Minor in Rome. Antonia Minor was another great maternal aunt of Tryphaena’s. Antonia like Cleopatra Selene was among the daughters of Mark Antony. Antonia Minor was a very influential woman and supervised her circle of various princes and princesses. Her circle assisted in the political preservation of the Roman Empire’s borders and affairs of the client states.

Tryphaena was appointed by Caligula in 38 and served as a priestess in the cult of Julia Drusilla and in 42 was appointed by Claudius to serve as a priestess in the cult of late Roman Empress Livia Drusilla.

From 38 until her death, Tryphaena lived as a private citizen in Cyzicus. In Caligula’s reign, she became the benefactor of Cyzicus and enjoyed Caligula’s patronage. Tryphaena was a prominent citizen in Cyzicus. Through her contribution in building Cyzicus and through her influence there, Cyzicus became one of the most greatest cities in the Roman Empire and the Ancient World. She was heavy influenced by Livia’s lifestyle and through her behavior provided an example to elite women in Anatolia, which was later appreciated by other women in that region.

[edit] Her association with Judaism and Christianity

Tryphaena’s brother Polemon II married the Judean Princess Julia Berenice and through their marriage Polemon converted to Judaism and probably later became a Christian. Tryphaena is associated with the life of the Saint Thecla, the Acts of Paul and Thecla and Saint Tryphaena of Cyzicus. Saint Tryphaena is the patron saint of Cyzicus and she was named in honor of Tryphaena.

Through the preachings of Paul the Apostle, Tryphaena may have converted to Christianity. In Romans 16:12, in the New Testament of the Bible, Paul sends his greeting to a ‘Tryphaena’ and then the apostle writes about her ’who works in the Lord’s service’.

[edit] Note

  • Pythodoris is another form of the name Pythodorida.

[edit] Sources

Antonia Tryphaena
Born: 10 BC Died: 55
Preceded by
Rhescuporis II		 Co-ruler of Thrace
with Rhoemetalces II
18 –38		 Succeeded by
Rhoemetalces III and Pythodoris II
Languages