A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

1. SATYRUS I. was a son of Spartacus I., king of Bosporus. According to the statement of Diodorus (14.93), that he reigned fourteen years, we must assign his accession to the year B. C. 407 or 406 : but as the same authority allots only four years to the reign of Seleucus, there is a gap in the chronology of twenty years, which are unaccounted for. There is little doubt that there is an error in the numbers of Diodorus, but in which of the two reigns it is impossible to say. M. de Boze, on the other hand, supposes (Mém. de l'Acad. des Inscr. vol. vi. p. 555) this interval to have been filled by another Spartacus, and that it was this second king, and not Spartacus I., who was the father of Satyrus : but this seems a very forced and unnecessary hypothesis. Our knowledge of the events of his rein is confined to the fact that he encouraged those friendly and commercial relations

with Athens, which he appears to have already found in existence, and which were still farther extended by his son Leucon [LEUCON]. His conduct in this respect, as related by Isocrates, would lead us to form a favourable estimate of his character (Isocrat. Trapezit. pp. 359, 360, 370; Lysias pro Mantith. p. 145; Demosth. c. Lept. p. 467). He was slain at the siege of Theudosia in B. C. 393, and was succeeded by his son, Leucon. (Diod. 14.93; Harpocration. v. Θευδοσίαν.)