Gepaepyris (Greek:Γηπαίπυρις, flourished 1st century) was aThracian princess, and a Roman Client Queen of theBosporan Kingdom, the longest known surviving Roman Client Kingdom. She ruled in AD 37/38–39.[1]
Gepaepyris was the first daughter and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace,Cotys III andAntonia Tryphaena. Her maternal grandparents werePolemon Pythodoros andPythodorida of Pontus, while her paternal grandparents wereRhoemetalces I and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Her maternal grandmother was the first grandchild of Roman TriumvirMark Antony. Gepaepyris was related to various members of theJulio-Claudian dynasty. Gepaepyris was ofPersian,Greek andRoman descent.
Gepaepyris is not mentioned by any ancient literary sources. What is known of thisThracian princess has come from surviving inscriptions from theBosporan Kingdom, the ancient Greek city ofCyzicus (modernTurkey) and numismatic evidence. Cyzicus became the second residence for her family, where Gepaepyris grew up. From coins we know, her royal title wasQueen Gepaepyris.
Little is known on the life of Gepaepyris. She married the Roman Client King of theBosporan Kingdom,Tiberius Julius Aspurgus, who was ofGreek andIranian ancestry. Aspurgus was the son of Bosporan QueenDynamis from her first marriage to General and Bosporan KingAsander.
Gepaepyris seems to have been the only child from the family of Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena to have children. Gepaepyris bore Aspurgus two sons:
Through Cotys I, Gepaepyris and Aspurgus had various descendants ruling the Bosporan Kingdom until the mid-4th century. These included descendants that bore Thracian ancestral monarch names such asCotys,Rhoemetalces and Rhescuporis.
Aspurgus headed the Bosporan domain until his death in 37 or 38.[2] On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler.[3] Coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.[4] In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother.[5]
On his death Aspurgus left his wife Gepaepyris, and two sons, Mithridates and Cotys. Gepaepyris succeeded her husband as sole ruler, and inscribed her coins ΒΑΣΙΛΙΣΣΗΣ ΓΗΠΑΙΠΥΡΕΩΣ.
Meanwhile, gold and bronze coins of Gepaepyris prove her sole rule in Bosporus. There is no mention of Mithridates, and Gepaepyris herself is represented on the obverse as a ruler in full authority.
In AD 39 Mithridates inherited the throne of his mother
| Preceded by | Queen regnant of the Bosporus 37/38-39 | Succeeded by |