Hyspaosines (also spelledAspasine) was the founder ofCharacene, a kingdom situated in southernMesopotamia. He was originally aSeleucidsatrap installed by kingAntiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 175 – 164 BC), but declared independence in 141 BC after the collapse and subsequent transfer of Seleucid authority in Iran andBabylonia to theParthians. Hyspaosines briefly occupied the Parthian city ofBabylon in 127 BC, where he is recorded in records as king (šarru). In 124 BC, however, he was forced to acknowledge Parthian suzerainty. He died in the same year, and was succeeded by his juvenile sonApodakos.
OfIranian descent,[1] Hyspaosines' name is aHellenized[2] name ofPersian[2] orBactrian origin,[3] possibly derived from theOld Iranianvispa-čanah ("who appreciates all [things]").[4] Hyspaosines' father,Sagdodonacus, seemingly had a Bactrian name and was presumably of Bactrian origin himself.[4] He had served the local dynasts (frataraka) ofPersis, who had been able to reign independently for three decades fromGreekSeleucid authority, and even briefly seize the region ofCharacene.[5] The Seleucid rulerAntiochus IV Epiphanes (r. 175 – 164 BC) eventually managed to re-establish Greek authority over Persis and Characene,[5] and appointed his generalNoumenios as the governor of Characene.[6]
The capital of Characene,Alexandria, was originally founded by theMacedonian rulerAlexander the Great, with the intention of using the town as a leading commercial port for his eastern capital ofBabylon.[2] However, the city never lived up to its expectations, and was destroyed in the mid 3rd-century BC by floods.[2] It was not until the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes that the city was rebuilt and renamed Antiochia.[2] After the city was fully restored in 166/5 BC, Antiochus IV appointed Hyspaosines as governor (eparch) of Antiochia and its surroundings.[2]
During this period Antiochia briefly flourished, until Antiochus IV's premature death by disease in 163 BC, which weakened Seleucid authority throughout the empire.[2] With the weakening of the Seleucids, many political entities within the empire declared independence, such as the neighbouring region of Characene,Elymais, which was situated in most of the present-day province ofKhuzestan in southern Iran.[2] Hyspaosines, although now a more or less independent ruler, remained a loyal subject of the Seleucids.[2] Hyspaosines' keenness to remain as a Seleucid governor was possibly due to avoid interruption in the profitable trade between Antiochia andSeleucia.[2]
The Seleucids had suffered heavy defeats by the IranianParthian Empire; in 148/7 BC, the Parthian kingMithridates I (r. 171–132 BC) conqueredMedia andAtropatene, and by 141 BC, was in the possession ofBabylonia.[7] The events are recorded in the Babylonianastronomical Diaries.[8] The menace and proximity of the Parthians caused Hyspaosines to declare independence.[2] In 127 BC, Mithridates I's son and successorPhraates II met an abrupt death during his war with the nomads in the east.[9][10] Hyspaosines took advantage of the situation by seizing Babylon, which is attested inBabylonian records, where he is recorded as king (šarru).[11] His rule over the city lasted briefly; at the start of November 127 BC, the Parthian general Timarchus recaptured it.[12]
Regardless, Hyspaosines' troops continued to plunder the Babylonian region as late as 126 BC.[12] In 124 BC, however, Hyspaosines accepted Parthian suzerainty, and continued to rule Characene as a vassal.[13] He corresponded with the Parthian general of Babylonia, informing him of the defeat of Elymais by the Parthian monarchMithridates II (r. 124–91 BC).[14] He also returned the wooden throne ofArsaces to the Parthians as a gift to the godBel.[14] The astronomical diaries report that the king became ill on 3 June 124 BC and died on 11 June 124 BC[15] at the age of 85.[16] His age is reported by 2nd centuryRoman historianLucian, who provided a list of rulers who died in a very old age.[17]
He was succeeded by his and queenThalassia's juvenile sonApodakos.[6] The Parthian commander Sindates was placed as the governor of Characene.[6]
Astronomical Diaries (now in the British Museum and in a private collection. Following cuneiform texts refer to Hyspaosinesː British Museum nos 33461, 3386, 55070, 45699, 34274, 45708, 45693, 45853, 33024). They are published inAbraham Sachs,Hermann Hunger:Astronomical Diaries and Related Texts from Babylon, III, Diaries from 164 BC. to 61 B.C. Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1996,ISBN3-7001-2578-X, pp. 216-282. The tablet in the private collection is published by T. G. PinchesːBabylonian and Oriental Record, Vol. IV, London 1890, 131-141online.
Galier, P.L.; P. Lombard, K.M. al-Sindi (2002):Greek Inscriptions from Bahrain, In:Arabian archaeology and epigraphy, 13, pp. 223-26the Inscription from Bahrain (pdf)
Strootman, Rolf (2017). "Imperial Persianism: Seleukids, Arsakids and Fratarakā". In Strootman, Rolf; Versluys, Miguel John (eds.).Persianism in Antiquity. Franz Steiner Verlag. pp. 177–201.ISBN978-3515113823.
