Aristarchus of Colchis

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NC 17 (1877).[1]

Aristarchus (/ˌærəˈstɑːrkəs/; Greek: Ἀρίσταρχος, Aristarkhos) was a ruler of Colchis as a client of Rome from 63 BC to c. 50 BC. He was installed by the Roman general Pompey as part of his settlement of Asia during the Mithridatic Wars. Aristarchus is principally known from the works of the 1st-century historian Appian as well as the coinage issued in his name.[citation needed]

Biography

Aristarchus was appointed, in 63 BC, by Pompey on

drachms confirm he was "over Colchis", but he was not a king despite being so called by the 4th-century historian Eutropius.[2][3]

Aristarchus was probably one of the local aristocrats,

Dioscurias, an important Hellenistic city, probably near modern-day Sukhumi, where one of his coins has been found. The year 12 on Aristarchus's coinage indicates that his rule in Colchis continued to at least 52 or 51 BC and probably later, until c. 47 BC, when the late king Mithridates's son, Pharnaces II, took advantage of a civil war in Rome and conquered Colchis.[2][3]

Coinage

Of the seven extant silver coins issued in the name of Aristarchus, one is located at the

radiant crown, presumably Helios, but resembling Pompey. In the view of the Georgian numismatist Dundua, this depiction marries the traditional claim of the kings of Colchis to be descended from the sun-god to a political necessity to recognize Pompey as the source of Aristarchus's power.[2][5] The seated female figure wearing a mural crown on the reverse is probably Tyche, a deity that governed the fortune and prosperity of a city, accompanied by the legend ΑΡΙΣΤΑΡΧΟ(Υ) ΤΟΥ ΕΠΙ ΚΟΛΧΙΔΟ(Σ).[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Koehne, Bernhard (1877). "Drachms of Aristarchos, Dynast of Colchis". The Numismatic Chronicle. 17: 1–10.
  2. ^ a b c d Tsetskhladze, Gocha R. (1993). "On the numismatics of Colchis: the classical archaeologist's perspective". Dialogues d'histoire ancienne. 19 (1): 245–247.
  3. ^
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  4. ^ Pataridze, Maia (2019). "Aristarchus, the Ruler of Colchis (Numismatic Research)". Pro Georgia. 29: 83–95.
  5. ^ Dundua, Tedo; et al. (2013). "Drachm of Aristarchus the Colchian". Online English-Georgian Catalogue of Georgian Numismatics. Tbilisi State University. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
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