- Polemon I of Pontus
Polemon Pythodoros, also known as Polemon I or Polemon I of Pontus (Greek:ο Πολέμων Πυθόδωρος, flourished
1st century BC , died8 BC ) was the Roman Client King ofCilicia ,Pontus ,Colchis and theBosporan Kingdom .Polemon was the son and heir of Zenon and possibly Tryphaena. He was
Anatolia n Greek. Polemon’s father, Zenon was an orator and a prominent aristocrat fromLaodicea on the Lycus Anatolia . Zenon encouraged the locals to resist the Roman GeneralTitus Labienus and KingPacorus I of Parthia , when their armies invadedSyria and Anatolia. Zenon was a friend and ally to Roman TriumvirMark Antony and played a leading role during theParthia n invasion in 40 BC.For Zenon’s service to the Parthian Campaign, Antony appointed Polemon in 39 BC, as Roman Client King of
Cilicia and then in 37 BC, Antony appointed him as Roman Client King of Pontus. In 36 BC, Polemon assisted Antony in his military campaign againstParthia . The Parthians defeated Antony and Polemon. Polemon was captured and taken prisoner by the Parthian King. After a ransom was allowed, Polemon was released. By this time, Polemon was ruling from Iconium (modernKonya ) inLycaonia .In 35 BC, Polemon assisted Antony in making an alliance with King Artavasdes I of Media with Rome, whom the Median King was an ally to
Parthia . Both Antony and Polemon, succeeded in this alliance to happen.During the naval
Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Polemon had sent Antony an auxiliary force. Before Actium, Polemon made peace with the triumvir Octavian and became his ally. After the death of Antony, Octavian became theRoman Emperor Augustus . Augustus early in his reign had acknowledged and recognised Polemon as a Roman Client King and the Client Kingdoms he ruled. Augustus awarded Polemon with an ivory sceptre; an embroidered triumphal robe and he greeted Polemon as "king, ally and friend". This recognition was a tradition, which recognises and awards the allies to Rome.In 16 BC the Roman statesman
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa , had intervened with the monarchy of the Bosporan Kingdom. Agrippa had discovered, a usurper called Scribonius had pretended be to a relative of the ruling Queen Dynamis, who was previously widowed by her husband, King Asander. Scribonius wanted to marry Dynamis, so he could rule the Bosporan, however Agrippa discovered his treachery and ordered his death. After Scribonius’ death, Agrippa had asked Polemon to take Scribonius’ place.Polemon had married Dynamis as his first wife and Polemon became Dynamis' second husband. He left Iconium to rule the Bosporan Kingdom. Polemon and Dynamis married in 16 BC. Through his first wife, Polemon became a stepfather to
Tiberius Julius Aspurgus , who was Dynamis’ son and child from her first marriage. Dynamis died in 14 BC and he became the sole ruler of the Bosporan.Later in 14 BC, Polemon had married
Pythodorida of Pontus as his second wife. She was a noblewoman who was halfAnatolia n Greek and Roman, who was the first granddaughter and grandchild of Antony. Pythodorida bore Polemon two sons and one daughter, who were:
* Zenon, also known as Zeno-Artaxias orArtaxias III , who became King ofArmenia in18 and reigned until his death in35
* Marcus Antonius Polemon Pythodoros, also known as Polemon II of Pontus
*Antonia Tryphaena who married King ofThrace ,Cotys VIII As King of the Bosporan, he extended the Kingdom as far to the river
Tanais . Polemon reigned as a long and prosperous king. In 8 BC, Polemon engaged in a military campaign against the Aspurgians, anomad tribe that lived above mountains ofPhanagoria . Polemon was defeated by them, taken as their prisoner and was put to death. After his death, Aspurgus succeeded Polemon as a King of the Bosporan, while his widow, ruled as the sole ruler ofCilicia ,Pontus andColchis .External links
* [http://www.s110120695.websitehome.co.uk/SNG/sng_reply2.php?crit_rule=Polemo%20I&crit_imag=on&crit_orde=fld_Ruler&crit_blok=20&crit_disp=sum Coinage of Polemon I]
ources
* French version of Wikipedia
* http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2767.html
* http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/3651.html
* http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/egypt/ptolemies/cleopatra_vii.htm#Cleopatra.42
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