Arcesilaus IV of Cyrene or Arcesilaus IV (Greek:ο Αρκεσίλαος, flourished 5th century BC) was the eighth and last Greek Cyrenaean King and last Greek Cyrenaean King to serve as a client king under Persian rule. He was a member of the Battiad dynasty and is of Greek and Libyan origin.
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Arcesilaus was the son and only child of the seventh Greek Cyrenaean King Battus IV and his mother is unknown. His maternal grandparents are unknown, however his paternal grandparents were sixth Greek Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus III and his paternal grandmother is an unnamed Libyan woman, who was the daughter of a Libyan called Alazir, who served as the governor of Barca. Herodotus states that Arcesilaus III and Alazir were related to each other.
When his father died in 465 BC Arcesilaus became the new king. Arcesilaus became a celebrity of his age. He became famous in his era because in 462 BC, Arcesilaus won a chariot race at the Pythian Games at Delphi. Arcesilaus actually breed horses which were the native horses of Libya. The Libyan Horse is one of the few natural breeds of the world, which were descendant from the original wild horses of central Asia. Among the descendants of the original wild horses of central Asia are the Spanish horse and the Arabian horse. The Libyan horses are mentioned by the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon in their writings. Various cultures throughout history have breed and used the Libyan horse.
His victory in 462 BC, was celebrated by Greek poet Pindar in the Fourth Ode and Fifth Ode of the Pythian Ode. Pindar advises Arcesilaus in his ode to reconcile with his opponents and stresses the rightfulness of his rule because it has been eight generations of his ancestry rule in Cyrenaica.
In his reign, he became more of a tyrant than a king. Arcesilaus actually exiled many Cyrenaean nobles. He supported himself by having a mercenary army. Through his tyranny, Arcesilaus destroyed his dynasty. The Cyrenaeans having enough of the Battiads dynasty, began to rebel.
The citizens rebelled that successfully that Arcesilaus left Cyrene and fled for Euesperides (modern Benghazi) with his son and only child, the last Cyrenaean prince Battus V of Cyrene or Battus V. His wife is unknown. Arcesilaus along with his son were killed by the Cyrenaean citizens in 440 BC. After Battus was killed, the Cyrenaeans cut off his head and threw his head into the sea. It is unknown whether, if Arcesilaus was buried near paternal ancestors. Battus’ beheading was a significant moment for Cyrenaica, as it was the end of The Battiads ruling Cyrenaica. The citizens proclaimed Cyrenaica a democratic republic under Persian rule.
The Greek poet and Librarian Callimachus, of the Ptolemaic dynasty, claims his paternal descent from this dynasty.
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Arcesilaus IV of Cyrene
Battiad Dynasty
Died: 440 BC |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Battus IV |
King of Cyrene 465 BC – 440 BC |
Vacant
Republic under Persia
Title next held by
Magas |