Tiberius Julius Aspurgus

Who is Tiberius Julius Aspurgus?

Tiberius Julius Aspurgus Philoromaios was a Prince and Roman Client King of the Bosporan Kingdom.

The name Aspurgus is a name of Iranian origin. His name goes back to the Iranian words aspa and aspabara. Aspurgus was a monarch of Greek and Iranian ancestry.

Aspurgus was the son born to the ruling Monarchs Asander and Dynamis. He was the maternal grandchild to the previous ruling Roman Client King of the Bosporan and Pontus, Pharnaces II and his Sarmatian wife. His maternal grandfather was the youngest son and child born to King Mithridates VI of Pontus from his first wife, his sister Queen Laodice. He was born and raised in the Bosporan Kingdom.

In 17 BC the father of Aspurgus, Asander had died of voluntary starvation from despair at the age of 93 because Asander witnessed his troops desert him to the Roman usurper, Scribonius. Scribonius pretended to be a relative of the legitimate heir Dynamis, so he could seize Asander’s throne and become Bosporan King. Dynamis became compelled to marry Scribonius. The Roman statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa discovered Scribonius’ deception and intervened in the situation. Agrippa appointed Polemon I of Pontus as the new Bosporan King. Dynamis married Polemon I as her second husband, thus Polemon I became a stepfather to Aspurgus. Dynamis died in 14 BC and Polemon I ruled as Bosporan King until his death in 8 BC.