Ininthimeus

Biography

Ininthimeus became king of the Bosporan Kingdom in 234, succeeding Cotys III and Rhescuporis IV. He used a different tamga than his recent predecessors, yet it remains possible he belonged to the same Tiberian-Julian dynasty, as he employed the names Tiberius and Julius. Alternatively, he may have been a foreign usurper of Sarmatian or Alan descent. If a Tiberian-Julian dynast, he could have been a younger son of Cotys III and a brother of Rhescuporis IV. His name resembles Inismeus, a 1st-century Sarmatian king of Olbia, though a Sarmatian connection does not necessarily indicate usurpation, as the Tiberian-Julian dynasty itself was partly of Sarmatian origin. During his reign, barbarian pressure on the kingdom increased, prompting Ininthimeus to construct new fortifications, including further development of the fortress of Iluraton in Panticapaeum. His coinage is unique among Bosporan kings, featuring both a bust of the king and a bust of Aphrodite Urania facing him. After a five-year reign, Ininthimeus died in 239 and was succeeded by Rhescuporis V, who claimed the throne by hereditary right and may have been the son of Sauromates III. Ininthimeus's death possibly initiated dynastic conflicts; the later king Pharsanzes may have been closely connected to Ininthimeus and may have fought Rhescuporis V for the throne.