Lycomedes of Comana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lycomedes of Comana was a Bithynian nobleman of Cappadocian Greek descent who ruled Comana, Cappadocia in the second half of the 1st century BC.[1] In 47 BC Lycomedes was probably about 50 years old, when he was named by Roman Dictator Gaius Julius Caesar the priest of the goddess Bellona in the temple-state of Comana,[2][3] and sovereign, therefore, of the surrounding country.[4] The predecessor of Lycomedes was Archelaus, the grandson of the Pontic General Archelaus.[5] Strabo reports that with Roman Client King Polemon I of Pontus, Lycomedes besieged a fortress held by Arsaces, a rebel chief who was guarding the sons of King Pharnaces II of Pontus, until Arsaces surrendered.[6]

Lycomedes was an adherent of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony, who at some point enlarged the territory of Lycomedes' kingdom.[7] Due to Lycomedes’ partisanship with Mark Antony, he was deposed by Roman Emperor Augustus after the Battle of Actium.[8][9][10] He was succeeded as priest and ruler, briefly, by Medeius and the brigand-king Cleon of Gordiucome, and more permanently by Dyteutus.[11]

Lycomedes had married a Pontian Princess called Orsabaris [12] who was the youngest daughter of King Mithridates VI of Pontus.[13] Orsabaris bore Lycomedes a daughter called Orodaltis.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Erciyas, Deniz Burcu (2005). Wealth, Aristocracy and Royal Propaganda Under the Hellenistic Kingdom of the Mithradatids. Leiden: Brill Publishers. p. 49. ISBN 90-04-14609-1. 
  2. ↑ Julius Caesar, De Bello Alexandrino 66
  3. ↑ Syme, Ronald; Anthony Richard Birley (1995). Anatolica: Studies in Strabo. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 166–169. ISBN 0-19-814943-3. 
  4. ↑ Elder, Edward (1867). "Lycomedes (4)". In Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology 1. Boston. p. 846 
  5. ↑ Dueck, Daniela (2005). Strabo's Cultural Geography: The Making of a Kolossourgia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 197. ISBN 0-521-85306-0. 
  6. ↑ Strabo, Geographia xii p. 560
  7. ↑ Huzar, Eleanor Goltz (1986). Mark Antony: A Biography. Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7099-4719-6. 
  8. ↑ Strabo, Geographia xii. p. 558
  9. ↑ Cassius Dio, li. 2
  10. ↑ Appian, Mithr. 114
  11. ↑ Cramer, John Antony (1832). A Geographical and Historical Description of Asia Minor. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 307–308. 
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 http://www.pontos.dk/publications/books/bss-9-files/bss-9-01-gabelko, The Dynastic History of the Hellenistic Monarchies of Asia Minor According to Chronography of George Synkellos by Oleg L. Gabelko p.3
  13. ↑ Mayor, The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy p.114

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1867). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.