Tiraios II

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Coin of Tiraios II. Tiraiosii.jpg
Coin of Tiraios II.
Characene 51BC Characene-51BC.png
Characene 51BC

Tiraios II was a king who ruled from about 79/78 to 49/48 BC the state of Characene, a vassal state of the Parthians. [1] [2]

Like most kings of Characene he is known only from numismatic sources, [3] in his case his silver and bronze coins.

He was also mentioned by Lucian of Samosata, [4] who says of him that he lived till 92.

His coinage indicates he was hellenised. He was the first king of Charakene to call himself Soter. [5]

One of his coins overstrikes a coin of a king Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros. The latter might be an usurpator in the Charakene. [6]

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Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros was a king with a Greek name only known from a coin in a private collection. His name is partly reconstructed. The first name Hippokrates is not fully preserved on the coin. Only pokrates is still visible. His known coin is a tetradrachm, showing the head of the king. The portrait resembles that of the Seleucic kings Seleucus VI Epiphanes Nikator, and in the length of his beard Demetrios II, from the facial feature Antiochos IX. On the reverse of the coin is shown Zeus sitting on the throne, holding a wreath in place of the usual Nike. The coin is clearly dated to the year 81/80 BC, according to the Seleucid era. Hippokrates Autokrator Nikephoros is perhaps also known from a coin of Kamnaskires III and Anzaze, that overstruck a coin of that king. A similar overstrike is known from a coin of Characene king Tiraios II.

References

  1. Monika Schuol : The Characene. Ein mesopotamisches Königreich in hellenistisch-parthischer Zeit . A Mesopotamian kingdom in Hellenistic-Parthian period. Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN   3-515-07709-X , ( Oriens et Occidens 1), (Zugleich: Kiel, Univ., Diss., 1998), S. 221–222, 303–306. Steiner, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN   3-515-07709-X (Oriens et Occidens 1), (Also: Kiel University, Ph.D. thesis, 1998.), pp. 221-222, 303-306.
  2. E. Yarshater, The Cambridge History of Iran, Cambridge University Press page 487
  3. Richard Nelson Frye, The History of Ancient Iran, Volume 3, Part 7. C.H.Beck Publishers. page 277
  4. Lucian, Macrobii, 15
  5. Monika Schuol : Die Charakene. Monika Schuol : The Charakene, A Mesopotamian kingdom in Hellenistic-Parthian period. Steiner, Stuttgart 2000
  6. G.R.F. Assar: A New Hellenistic Ruler from Early 1st Century BC: King [Hip]pokrates Autokrator Nikephoros, in: Portraits: 400 Years of Hellenistic Portraits/400 Jahre hellenistische Portraits. Staatliche Münzsammlung München. Editor/Herausgeber: Dr. Andreas Pangerl. Publisher: Verlag: Staatliche Münzsammlung Munich 2020. ISBN   978-3-922840-41-1, p. 340
Preceded by King of Characene
79/78 to 49/48 BC
Succeeded by