Rhoemetalces I
Encyclopedia
Rhoemetalces I was king of the Odrysian kingdom
of Thrace
from 12 BC to 12, in succession to his nephew Rhescuporis I
.
Rhoemetalces I was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor
Augustus
. He was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I
, and the middle son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI. His older brother was Cotys VII, and his younger brother was Rhescuporis II
.
When Cotys VII died about 48 BC Rhoemetalces became the guardian of his nephew Rhescuporis I, his brother's young son and heir. Rhescuporis I died in 13 BC, when he was defeated and slain in battle by Vologases
, chief of the Thracian Bessi
, who was a leader in the revolt against the Romans
in that year.
During this revolt Rhoemetalces and his family fled Thrace, returning only when it ended, when Augustus returned the kingdom to his family. As Rhescuporis I had left no heir, Rhoemetalces became King of Thrace in 12 BC. The Roman Historian Tacitus
, describes him as ‘attractive and civilized’. His wife and the mother of his heir, known only through numismatic evidence, was Queen Pythodoris [I].
Rhoemetalces I ruled Thrace until his death in 12. Augustus then divided his realm into two separate kingdoms, one half for his son Cotys VIII to rule and the other half for Rhoemetalces’s remaining brother Rhescuporis II
. Tacitus states that Cotys received the cultivated parts, most towns and most Greek cities of Thrace, while Rhescuporis received the Thrace’s wild savage land and their hostile subjects.
Odrysian kingdom
The Odrysian kingdom was a union of Thracian tribes that endured between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. It consisted largely of present-day Bulgaria, spreading to parts of Northern Dobruja, parts of Northern Greece and modern-day European Turkey...
of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
from 12 BC to 12, in succession to his nephew Rhescuporis I
Rhescuporis I (Sapaean)
Rhescuporis I was the Sapaean king of Thrace in 48-41 BC. He was the son of Cotys I.Raskuporis Cove on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named after Vineh of Bulgaria....
.
Rhoemetalces I was a loyal ally to the first Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. He was a direct descendant of the Thracian King Cotys I
Cotys I
Cotys I or Kotys I was born during the reign of Seuthes I. He became king after he killed the previous Thracian king Hebryzelmis. On gaining the Odrysian kingdom the Athenians made him their ally. In order to make his position stronger Cotys married his daughter to the Athenian general Iphicrates...
, and the middle son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI. His older brother was Cotys VII, and his younger brother was Rhescuporis II
Rhescuporis II
Rhescuporis II was king of half of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 to 18, in succession to his brother Rhoemetalces I, and briefly ruler of the entire realm thereafter, usurping the other half from nephew Cotys VIII. He was a son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI and the younger brother...
.
When Cotys VII died about 48 BC Rhoemetalces became the guardian of his nephew Rhescuporis I, his brother's young son and heir. Rhescuporis I died in 13 BC, when he was defeated and slain in battle by Vologases
Vologases
Vologases, also seen as Vologaeses, Vologaesus, Vologeses, Ologases, Valarsh , and Balash was the name of six kings of Parthia:*Vologases I c. 51–78*Vologases II c. 77–80...
, chief of the Thracian Bessi
Bessi
The Bessi were an independent Thracian tribe who lived in a territory ranging from Moesia to Mount Rhodope in southern Thrace, but are often mentioned as dwelling about Haemus, the mountain range that separates Moesia from Thrace and from Mount Rhodope to the northern part of Hebrus...
, who was a leader in the revolt against the Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
in that year.
During this revolt Rhoemetalces and his family fled Thrace, returning only when it ended, when Augustus returned the kingdom to his family. As Rhescuporis I had left no heir, Rhoemetalces became King of Thrace in 12 BC. The Roman Historian Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, describes him as ‘attractive and civilized’. His wife and the mother of his heir, known only through numismatic evidence, was Queen Pythodoris [I].
Rhoemetalces I ruled Thrace until his death in 12. Augustus then divided his realm into two separate kingdoms, one half for his son Cotys VIII to rule and the other half for Rhoemetalces’s remaining brother Rhescuporis II
Rhescuporis II
Rhescuporis II was king of half of the Odrysian kingdom of Thrace from 12 to 18, in succession to his brother Rhoemetalces I, and briefly ruler of the entire realm thereafter, usurping the other half from nephew Cotys VIII. He was a son of the earlier Thracian king Cotys VI and the younger brother...
. Tacitus states that Cotys received the cultivated parts, most towns and most Greek cities of Thrace, while Rhescuporis received the Thrace’s wild savage land and their hostile subjects.