The Bosporan War was a 3-day engagement that took place in the Cimmerian Bosporus in 47/48 AD between the Pro-Roman and new client-king Tiberius Julius Cotys I and his ally King Eunones of Aorsi against former king and anti-roman Tiberius Julius Mithridates and King Zorsines of Siraces.
The war began when Emperor Claudius deposed Mithridates from the Bosporan throne in 45 AD for unknown reasons, Claudius then made Cotys, the younger brother of Mithdriates, ruler of the Bosporus. Mithridates mistrusted the kingdom under the rule of his younger brother, and then roman left by Claudius named Aquila and attempted to regain his throne. Mithridates was able to seize control of nearby tribes and secure the help of the king of the Sirakoi, Zorsines to aid him in declaration of war against his younger brother. When Cotys heard of this, it is assumed that he feared that Mithridates was about to invade him, so he turned to Gaius Julius Aquila and his roman cohorts to fight against his elder brother in the 3-day war, the Aorsi aided under the rule of Eunones and sieged the Siraceni at the fortification Uspe (The town offered 10,000 slaves for their capitulation but the assault continued as the Romans declined). After the 3 days, Mithridates knew that resistance was hopeless and appealed to Emperor Claudius and was met with mercy.
See also[]
- Tiberius Julius Mithridates
- Tiberius Julius Cotys I
- Aorsi
- Roman Crimea
- Bosporan Kingdom
Sources[]
- Tacitus, Annals of Imperial Rome
- Zorsines
- Tiberius Julius Mithridates
The original article can be found at Bosporan War and the edit history here.