Lycomedes of Comana

Lycomedes of Comana was a Bithynian nobleman of Cappadocian Greek descent who ruled Comana, Cappadocia in the second half of the 1st century BC.[1] In 47 BC, Lycomedes was probably about 50 years old when he was named by Roman Dictator, Gaius Julius Caesar, the priest of the goddess Bellona in the temple-state of Comana,[2][3] and sovereign, therefore, of the surrounding country.[4] The predecessor of Lycomedes was Archelaus, the grandson of the Pontic general Archelaus.[5] Strabo reports that with Roman client King Polemon I of Pontus, Lycomedes besieged a fortress held by Arsaces, a rebel chief who was guarding the sons of King Pharnaces II of Pontus, until Arsaces surrendered.[6]

Later Lycomedes was a supporter of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony, who at some point enlarged the territory of Lycomedes' kingdom.[7] Due to Lycomedes’ partisanship with Mark Antony, he was deposed by Octavian after the Battle of Actium.[8][9][10] He was succeeded as priest and ruler, briefly, by the brigand-king Cleon of Gordiucome, and more permanently by Dyteutus.[11]

Lycomedes had married a Pontian princess called Orsabaris [12] who was the youngest daughter of King Mithridates VI of Pontus.[13] Orsabaris bore Lycomedes a daughter called Orodaltis.[12]

See also

References
  1. Erciyas, Deniz Burcu (2005). Wealth, Aristocracy and Royal Propaganda Under the Hellenistic Kingdom of the Mithradatids. Leiden: Brill Publishers. p. 49. ISBN 90-04-14609-1.
  2. Julius Caesar, De Bello Alexandrino 66
  3. Syme, Ronald; Anthony Richard Birley (1995). Anatolica: Studies in Strabo. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 166–169. ISBN 0-19-814943-3.
  4. Elder, Edward (1867). "Lycomedes (4)". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. 1. Boston. p. 846.
  5. Dueck, Daniela (2005). Strabo's Cultural Geography: The Making of a Kolossourgia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 197. ISBN 0-521-85306-0.
  6. Strabo, Geographia xii p. 560
  7. Huzar, Eleanor Goltz (1986). Mark Antony: A Biography. Routledge. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7099-4719-6.
  8. Strabo, Geographia xii. p. 558
  9. Cassius Dio, li. 2
  10. Appian, Mithr. 114
  11. Cramer, John Antony (1832). A Geographical and Historical Description of Asia Minor. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 307–308.
  12. http://www.pontos.dk/publications/books/bss-9-files/bss-9-01-gabelko Archived 2011-03-16 at the Wayback Machine, The Dynastic History of the Hellenistic Monarchies of Asia Minor According to Chronography of George Synkellos by Oleg L. Gabelko p.3
  13. Mayor, The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy p.114

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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