Asander (king) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Asander
Gold stater of Asander as King of the Bosporan Kingdom, dated 41/40 BC
King of the Bosporan Kingdom
Reign	47 BC, then 44–17 BC
Predecessor	Mithridates II
Successor	Scribonius
Born	110 BC
Died	17 BC (aged 93)
House	Mithridatid
Father	Unknown
Mother	Unknown
Religion	Greek Polytheism

Asander, also known as Philocaesar Philoromaios (Greek: Άσανδρoς Φιλοκαισαρ Φιλορώμαίος), was a powerful ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom. He lived from 110 BC to 17 BC. The Bosporan Kingdom was an ancient state located around the Black Sea. Asander was a "client king," which means he ruled his kingdom but also worked closely with the powerful Romans.

Asander was likely of Greek and possibly Persian background. We don't know much about his early life or family. He began his career as a general, working for Pharnaces II, who was the king of the Bosporus at the time. Some historians believe Asander's first wife was a woman named Glykareia. Her name is known from an old Greek inscription.

Asander's Rise to Power

By 47 BC, Asander had married Dynamis. She was the daughter of King Pharnaces II. Dynamis's mother was from the Sarmatians, a group of people from the steppes. Dynamis was also the granddaughter of the famous King Mithridates VI of Pontus.

Turning Against Pharnaces II

In 47 BC, King Pharnaces II put Asander in charge of the Bosporan Kingdom. Pharnaces then left with his army to invade parts of Anatolia. After some successful battles, Pharnaces moved further west. However, he had to stop because Asander turned against him. Asander hoped that by doing this, the Romans would favor him. He wanted their help to become the new King of the Bosporus.

Pharnaces II defeated a Roman general named Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus. But then, Pharnaces himself was defeated by the famous Roman leader Julius Caesar. After this loss, Pharnaces fled back to Sinope and then sailed to the Cimmerian Bosporus. He wanted to take his kingdom back from Asander.

Pharnaces managed to capture two cities: Theodosia and Panticapaeum. Asander quickly attacked him. Pharnaces was defeated and killed in the battle. This happened because he didn't have enough horses, and his soldiers were not used to fighting on foot. After this, Asander took control of the Bosporus.

Losing and Regaining the Throne

Asander did not stay on the Bosporan throne for long. Julius Caesar decided to give the title of king to Mithridates of Pergamon. Caesar also allowed Mithridates to fight Asander and take over the Cimmerian Bosporus. Caesar said this was because Asander "had been mean to his friend Pharnaces."

Mithridates of Pergamon successfully overthrew Asander. He became the new king of the Bosporus.

Asander's Return

However, Asander managed to come back and defeat Mithridates in 47/46 BC. Years later, between 27 BC and 17 BC, the Roman Emperor Augustus officially recognized Asander as the rightful king of the Bosporan Kingdom. This meant Asander had the full support of Rome.

Asander's Achievements

Asander was known for building a large wall. This wall blocked the narrow strip of land (called an isthmus) in the Crimea region. The wall was about 53 kilometers (35 miles) long. It had ten towers for every stadium (an ancient unit of length). This wall was probably built to protect the kingdom from pirates who lived in the area. This isthmus is likely the modern Isthmus of Perekop.

An ancient writer named Lucian wrote about Asander. He said that Asander, even at around 90 years old, was a strong fighter, whether on horseback or on foot. However, when he saw his people starting to support someone named Scribonius, Asander chose to starve himself to death. He was 93 years old at the time.

What Happened After Asander?

After Asander's death, a man named Scribonius claimed to be a grandson of Mithridates VI. He also said that Emperor Augustus had given him the Bosporan Kingdom. Scribonius took control of the kingdom by marrying Dynamis, Asander's wife. She had been left in charge of the kingdom by Asander.

The Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa sent Polemon I of Pontus to deal with Scribonius. Before Polemon arrived, the people of the Bosporus killed Scribonius. They had heard Polemon was coming and were afraid he would be appointed as their new king.

The people resisted Polemon, but he eventually defeated them. The rebellion didn't fully stop until Agrippa himself went to Sinope to prepare for a campaign against them. Only then did they surrender. Polemon was appointed as their king. He also married Dynamis with Emperor Augustus's approval.

Dynamis died in 14 BC. Polemon ruled until his death in 8 BC. After him, Aspurgus became the new ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom.

See Also

In Spanish: Asandro (rey del Bósforo) para niños