Gepaepyris

Gepaepyris (Greek: Γηπαίπυρις, flourished 1st century) was a Thracian princess, and a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom, the longest known surviving Roman Client Kingdom. She ruled in AD 37/38–39.[1]

Gepaepyris was the first daughter and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace, Cotys III and Antonia Tryphaena. Her maternal grandparents were Polemon Pythodoros and Pythodorida of Pontus, while her paternal grandparents were Rhoemetalces I and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Her maternal grandmother was the first grandchild of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony. Gepaepyris was related to various members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Gepaepyris was of Persian, Greek and Roman descent.

Gepaepyris is not mentioned by any ancient literary sources. What is known of this Thracian princess has come from surviving inscriptions from the Bosporan Kingdom, the ancient Greek city of Cyzicus (modern Turkey) and numismatic evidence. Cyzicus became the second residence for her family, where Gepaepyris grew up. From coins we know, her royal title was Queen Gepaepyris.

Little is known on the life of Gepaepyris. She married the Roman Client King of the Bosporan Kingdom, Tiberius Julius Aspurgus, who was of Greek and Iranian ancestry. Aspurgus was the son of Bosporan Queen Dynamis from her first marriage to General and Bosporan King Asander.

Gepaepyris seems to have been the only child from the family of Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena to have children. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus two sons:

Through Cotys I, Gepaepyris and Aspurgus had various descendants ruling the Bosporan Kingdom until the mid-4th century. These included descendants that bore Thracian ancestral monarch names such as Cotys, Rhoemetalces and Rhescuporis.

Aspurgus headed the Bosporan domain until his death in 37 or 38.[2] On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler.[3] Coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.[4] In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother.[5]

  1. ^ Tsetskhladze, Gocha R., ed. (2001). North Pontic Archaeology: Recent Discoveries and Studies. BRILL. p. 414. ISBN 978-90-04-12041-9.
  2. ^ Bunson, Matthew (2014-05-14). Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire. Infobase Publishing. p. 372. ISBN 978-1-4381-1027-1.
  3. ^ American Philological Association (1974). Transactions of the American Philological Association. Vol. 107. For the Association by the Press of Case Western Reserve University. p. 5. On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler, and inscribed her coins ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΓΗΠΑΙΠΥΡΕΩΣ.
  4. ^ Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. Meanwhile, gold and bronze coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.
  5. ^ Revue numismatique (in French). Vol. 157. Blois. 2001. p. 291. In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother