Octamasades

Octamasades (Scythian: *Uxtamazatā, Ancient Greek: Ὀκταμασάδης, romanized: Oktamasades) was briefly a king of the Scythian tribe of the Sindians and a son of Hecataeus and Tirgatao. He usurped the throne from his father[1] some time in 383 BC after his failed war against Octamasades' mother, Tirgatao.

This article is about the king of Sindica. For the king of Scythia, see Octamasadas.
Octamasades
King of the Sindike Kingdom
Reigncirca. 383-380 BC
PredecessorHecataeus
SuccessorLeucon I
BornSindike Kingdom
FatherHecataeus
MotherTirgatao

Name

The Greek name Oktamasadēs is the Hellenisation of the Scythian language name *Uxtamazatā, meaning "possessing greatness through his words."[2]

Biography

Octamasades' accession to the throne was likely backed by the Sindian aristocracy, as his father was probably unpopular due to his previous affairs and having been restored by Satyrus I who perhaps made him even more unpopular.[3] In the ensuing days of his accession to the throne, he was induced by his mother to make war on the Bosporan Kingdom who was at the time under the rule of the ambitious and militaristic ruler, Leucon. Heeding to his mother's words, he attacked the Bosporan city of Labrytai which provoked Leucon into a battle.[4] It can be speculated that Leucon was already setting his sights in fully annexing the Sindians, and used this as an excuse to finally do so. In the following Battle of Labrytai, Leukon completely routed Octamasades' forces and forced him to flee into Scythia. After this battle, nothing more is known about him.

References
  1. Tokhtasev, S.R. Bosporus and the Sindike In the era of Leukon I. when his own son rebelled against him.
  2. Schmitt, Rüdiger (2003). "Die skythischen Personennamen bei Herodot" [Scythian Personal Names in Herodotus] (PDF). Annali dell'Università degli Studi di Napoli l'Orientale (in German). 63: 1–31.
  3. Polyaenus. Strategems. pp. V.2. The rebellion of Oktamasades would also hardly have been possible without active support from some section of that aristocracy.
  4. Tokhtasev, S.R. Bosporus and the Sindike In the era of Leukon I. Leukon came out in defence of the legal power of Hekataios, king of Sindike, who had long been a vassal of the Bosporus
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