Spartokos III


Spartokos III or Spartocus was king of the Bosporan Kingdom from 304 to 284 BC, after the untimely death of his father Eumelos in 304 BC after a reign of 5 years.

Reign

Spartokos inherited the throne from his father in 304 BC, after his father's unexpected death during his return from Sindia. Upon assuming the throne, he became the first Bosporan ruler to take the title of basileus, likely due to the Hellenistic kings of the time period doing the same such as the Antigonids, Lysimachids, Seleucids, and the Ptolemies. As soon as the Athenian trade was liberated from Demetrius, Spartokos quickly sought to renew his relationship with Athens, which had already been trade partners with the Bosporan Kingdom in the reign of his great-grandfather Leukon. Spartokos received Athenian honors, thanking him and his predecessors for maintaining good relations with Athens.

Succession

Spartokos died in 284 after ruling for 20 years. He was succeeded by Paerisades II, who may have been the son of Satyros II who escaped and survived Eumelos's slaughter of the family, but may also have been Spartokos's own son.