Gepaepyris

Who is Gepaepyris?

Gepaepyris was a Thracian Princess and a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom.

Gepaepyris was the first daughter and was among the children of Roman Client Rulers of Thrace, Cotys VIII and Antonia Tryphaena. Her maternal grandparents were Roman Client Rulers Polemon Pythodoros and Pythodorida of Pontus, while her paternal grandparents were Roman Client Rulers Rhoemetalces I and Pythodoris I of Thrace. Through her maternal grandmother, she was a descendant of Roman Triumvir Mark Antony and was related to various members of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Gepaepyris was of Persian, Greek and Roman descent.

Gepaepyris is not mentioned by any ancient sources. What is known of this Thracian Princess, has come from surviving inscriptions from the Bosporan Kingdom, the ancient Greek city of Cyzicus and numismatic evidence. Cyzicus became the second residence for her family, where Gepaepyris grew up. From coins we know, her royal title was of Queen Gepaepyris.

Little is known on the life of Gepaepyris. She married, the Roman Client King of the Bosporan Kingdom, Tiberius Julius Aspurgus, who was of Greek and Iranian ancestry.