Battus III of Cyrene
| Battus III of Cyrene | |
|---|---|
Pheretima | |
| Issue | Arcesilaus III Ladice |
| Father | Arciselaus II |
| Mother | Eryxo |
| Religion | Greek polytheism |
Battus III of Cyrene, surnamed The Lame (Greek: Βάττος ο Χωλός, flourished 6th century BC) was the fifth Greek Cyrenaean king and a member of the Battiad dynasty.
Battus was the son and only child of king Arcesilaus II and queen Eryxo. His paternal grandfather was the third Cyrenaean King, Battus II, while his paternal grandmother is unknown. His maternal grandmother was the princess Critola, while his maternal grandfather was a noble whose name is unknown and was murdered by Learchus (a rival to Arcesilaus II) in 550 BC. Battus II and Critola were siblings and were children to the second Cyrenaean King Arcesilaus I. Their paternal grandfather was the first Cyrenaean King, Battus I.
Battus received the surname The Lame because he was born with a defective leg that caused him to limp. Battus was proclaimed King in 550 BC by his maternal uncle Polyarchus, when his uncle and his mother Eryxo had successfully plotted to kill Learchus, who murdered Arcesilaus II and attempted to become king.
During his reign, Battus realised that Cyrenaica had become an unstable state, from the unstable relations with the
Battus returned to Cyrene with Demonax to assist him in reforming the constitution. Demonax reformed the Cyrenaean constitution and did the following. He divided Cyrenaica into three groups:
- Greeks from Thera (modern Santorini)
- Greeks from the Peloponnese and Crete
- Greeks from the other Aegean Islands
Demonax created a Senate which controlled Cyrenaica. The senate's members were representatives from the three groups and the king was the senatorial president. The new constitution reduced the powers, responsibilities and authority of the king. The monarchy remained, but the king had only the authority to grant land to citizens and to function as a high priest in charge of religious duties. Demonax also put in place ephors to punish impostors and created a 300-strong armed police force patrolling and protecting Cyrenaica.
To further protect Cyrenaica from the Libyans and their aristocracy, Battus made an alliance with the Egyptian Pharaoh
Battus reigned until his death in 530 BC, and was buried near his paternal ancestors. He was survived by his wife, queen
See also
- List of Kings of Cyrene
Sources
- Herodotus, The Histories, Book 4.
- [1]
- https://www.livius.org/ct-cz/cyrenaica/cyrenaica.html Archived 2008-12-31 at the Wayback Machine
- http://www.mediterranees.net/dictionnaires/smith/cyrene.html