Archelaus (Pontic army officer)
Archelaus (
Family and early life
Archelaus was a
Along with Neoptolemus they both rose to prominence during the wars of Mithridates VI on the northern shores of the Black Sea.[9] Archelaus was a prominent Pontic general during the First Mithridatic War (89 BC-85 BC). In 88 BC as a part of the First Mithridatic War, Archelaus and his brother were involved in a military campaign with the Pontic army against King Nicomedes IV of Bithynia. On the Amnias River the brothers had the command of the advance guard and won their first victory of the war.[9] Neoptolemus then went on to defeat a Roman-led army at Protopachium, probably without his brother. Archelaus was next involved in Mithridates VI’s successful military campaign in conquering most of the Roman Province of Asia. Archelaus had attacked a city called Magnesia ad Sipylum or Magnesia on the Maeander. This attack failed and Archelaus was wounded in the fighting.[9]
In the late summer or autumn of 88 BC or perhaps in 87 BC, Mithridates VI had given Archelaus the command of his large fleet and army to conquer
Sulla moved to Boeotia to face Archelaus. Their two armies clashed at Battle of Chaeronea in 86 BC, where Archelaus was completely defeated. Archelaus escaped to Chalcis where he received 80,000 reinforcements from Mithridates VI. As Sulla lacked a Roman fleet, Archelaus carried out raids around the Greek coast, even destroying some of Sulla’s transports carrying the advance guard of Sulla’s replacement. Eventually Sulla faced Archelaus at Orchomenus in 86/85 BC. After a two-day battle, Archelaus was decisively defeated by the Romans. After the defeat, he was forced to hide two days in the swamps of Lake Copais, before once again managing to escape to Chalcis.[9]
When Mithridates VI heard the news of the disastrous defeats, he ordered Archelaus to make peace with Sulla.[9] On the conclusion of the peace conference between Mithridates VI and Sulla in late 86 BC, Archelaus suggested that Sulla recognise the status quo in Asia and in return Mithridates VI would ally with him against his enemies in Rome. Sulla, who was adept at such negotiations, responded to Archelaus by inviting him to surrender his fleet and become an ally of Rome.[9]
The final terms of Sulla were that Mithridates VI should surrender part of the Pontic fleet and all conquered territory in Asia and pay an indemnity of 2,000 talents, in return for becoming a friend and ally of Rome.[9] Archelaus remained with Sulla while these terms were sent to Mithridates VI. Archelaus was beginning to worry about his reputation in Pontus as he was getting closer to Sulla and accompanied him on a campaign against the Thracians. Archelaus received from Sulla large estates in Greece, including 6,600 acres of land in Boeotia, and was referred to as a friend and ally of the Roman people. At some point he visited Rome, where he was honored by the Roman Senate.[2] His Pontic fleet withdrew and left Greece. Archelaus was able to persuade Mithridates VI to meet Sulla. Mithridates VI met Sulla and agreed to the Sulla's terms, except for the surrender of his fleet and evacuation of Paphlagonia.[9] Sometime afterwards, Archelaus fell out of favor with Mithridates VI, who believed that Archelaus had made too many concessions to Sulla.[9] Archelaus assisted the Romans in the Second Mithridatic War and Lucius Licinius Lucullus in the Third Mithridatic War.
Archelaus had married an unnamed Greek woman, possibly a Pontic princess, one of the daughters of Mithridates VI.[1] His wife bore Archelaus two sons:
- Archelaus[10] – who became the high priest of the temple-state of Comana, Cappadocia.[11]
- Diogenes [10] - he had served in the army of Mithridates VI.[12]
Family tree of Archelaus general
Mithridates VI king of Pontus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (illeg.) daughter | Archelaus general | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cleopatra VII queen of Egypt | Mark Antony triumvir ∞ 2.Antonia Hybrida | 4.Octavia the Younger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Antonia the Younger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1.princess of Armenia | G. D. Ahenobarbus | Germanicus | Claudius Roman Emperor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| (1) Archelaus prince | Alexander prince of Judaea | (1) Glaphyra of Cappadocia ∞ 1.Alexander of Judea 2.Juba II of Numidia 3.Herod Archelaus | Juba II king of Numidia 30-25 BC, of Mauretania 25-23 ∞ 1.Cleopatra Selene II 2.Glaphyra of Cappadocia | (5) Cleopatra Selene II | Nero Roman Emperor | Caligula Roman Emperor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tigranes V king of Armenia 6-12 | Alexander prince | Ptolemy king of Mauretania 20-40 | Julia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b Mayor, The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy p.114
- ^ a b
Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Archelaus [10]". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
- ISBN 0415224101.
Archelaus 1. (Cl BC) was a Greek general from Cappadocia who served MITHRIDATES (3) VI, king of Pontus.
- ISBN 978-1406823301.
This Archelaus was a native of Cappadocia, and probably of Greek stock.
- ISBN 978-9004153202.
Of greater historical importance are the Archelai, the descendants of an officer of Greek origin (Archelaus). […] The grandson, Archelaus, was the first to have some success in Cappadocia
- ^ Dueck, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia p.209
- ^ Dueck, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia p.p. 208-209
- ^ Plutarch, Sulla 22.4
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Archelaus, Pontic General, fl. 89-83 B.C."
- ^ a b Dueck, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia p.208
- ^ Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Archelaus [11]". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
- ^ Temporini, Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im spiegel der neueren Forschung p.1152
Sources
- Appian, Mithrid 30, 49, 56, 64
- Plutarch, Sulla 11, 16-19, 20, 23; Lucullus, 8
- Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Archelaus [10]". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
- Archelaus, Pontic General fl.89–83 BC. History of War
- Egyptian Royal Genealogy - Ptolemaic Dynasty, 2005 by Chris Bennett
- A. Dodson & D. Hilton, Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt, London: Thames & Hudson, 2004. MCL 932 Dod
- A. Wagner, Pedigree and Progress, Essays in the Genealogical Interpretation of History, London, Philmore, 1975. Rutgers Alex CS4.W33.
- H. Temporini and W. Haase, Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt: Geschichte und Kultur Roms im spiegel der neueren Forschung, de Gruyter, 1977
- D. Dueck, H. Lindsay and S. Pothecary, Strabo’s cultural geography: the making of a kolossourgia, Cambridge University Press, 2005
- A. Mayor, The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy, Princeton University Press, 2009
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 361–362.