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Satyros I (died 389) also known
as Satyrus was the Spartocid ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom from 432 BC to 389.
During his rule he built upon the expansive foreign policy of his father,
Spartokos I. He conquered Nymphaion, became involved in the political
developments of the neighbouring Sindike kingdom and laid siege to the city of
Theodosia, which was a serious commercial rival because of its ice-free port
and proximity to the grain fields of eastern Crimea. He presided over a
strengthening of ties with Athens, and at one point possibly had a statue
raised in his honour in the city. He was also the father of Leukon and
Gorgippos who would expand their realm into a powerful kingdom.
Reign:
Satyros I was a leading figure in the expansion of his father's kingdom,
initially gaining some success by taking Nymphaeum from Gylon and perhaps
Kimmerikon, but later had extensive problems with the neighbouring Sindike
Kingdom, with which he had started an unsuccessful war, and the Greek
city-states of Theodosia and Heraclea Pontica. He allowed the son of his
powerful minister Sopaios to travel to Athens with two ships filled with wheat.
Sopaios's son's ships managed to avoid pirates and arrived at Athens. Once in
Athens, his son met with the Athenian banker, Pasion, and managed to settle his
affairs. Satyros, however, came to the view that Sopaios was involved in a
conspiracy to take his life. So the king had Sopaios arrested. As Sopaios's son
was still in Athens, Satyros ordered the Bosporans in Athens to confiscate
Sopaios's son's property and force him to return to the Bosporan Kingdom.
Afterwards Satyros acquitted Sopaios of his crimes and agreed to Sopaios's
daughter, Theodosia, marrying his son Leukon.
Problems with the Sindi:
Satyros encountered extensive problems with the Sindi. According to Polyaenus,
the problems arose because Satyros I had offered his daughter to Hekaktaios,
the king of the Sindi, but had instructed Hekaktaios to kill his existing wife,
Tirgatao. Hekaktaios, instead of killing his wife, had her imprisoned in a
tower, from which she was able to escape and reach her tribe, the Ixomatae.
Tirgatao married her father's successor, her father presumably being king of
the Ixomatae, and roused many tribes to make war against Satyros. Satyros,
realising that he could not win, offered his son Metrodoros as a hostage and
sued for peace. Shortly after this, there was an attempt on Tirgatao's life,
likely organized by Satyros. After finding out about this scheme, Tirgatao had
Metrodoros killed, and once again waged war on Satyros. This war would be ended
by Leukon and Gorgippos shortly after their father's death and their ascent to
the throne.
Death and legacy:
Satyros would later die in the unsuccessful Siege of Theodosia in 389 at the
age of 81, his death leading to the ascension to Leukon and Gorgippos who would
expand the Bosporan Kingdom and establish a dynasty that would rule the
Bosporus for another 300 years.
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