Battus I of Cyrene

Battus I of Cyrene (Ancient Greek: Βάττος), also known as Battus Aristottle

Battus I of Cyrene
(Βάττος Ἀριστοτέλης) or Aristaeus (Ἀρισταίος) was the founder of the Ancient
Greek colony of Cyrenaica and its capital Cyrene. He was the first king of King of Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica, the first Greek king in Africa and the founder of the Battiad dynasty. He Reign 630-600 BC
also has a butterfly named after him,Battus philenor. Predecessor none
Successor Arcesilaus I of
Cyrene

Contents Born Thera

1 Background Died 600 BC

2 Delphic consultations
Cyrene

3 Initial efforts Issue Arcesilaus I

4 Founding of Cyrene House Battiadae
5 Death Father Polymnestus
6 See also Mother Phronima
7 References
Religion Greek polytheism
8 Sources

Background
Battus was born in an unknown village on the Greek island of Thera. What is known of Battus’ family background is from the Greek
historian Herodotus. His father, Polymnestus, was a Therean nobleman and his mother was named Phronima. She was a princess of
Oaxus (a city on the Greek island ofCrete). Her father, Etearchus or Eteachos, was King of Oaxus.

When Phronima’s mother, then Queen of Oaxus (whose name is unknown) died, Etearchus remarried. Phronima’s stepmother (whose
name is also unknown) became Queen. She did everything to torment Phronima, most notably by falsely accusing her of fornication.
When Etearchus heard of this, he befriended a Therean merchant living in Oaxus called Themiston and convinced him to swear an
oath that he would perform any task the king asked him to do. Etearchus fetched Phronima, had her put in Themiston’s charge, and
asked him to throw her into the sea.

Themiston, in order to clear himself of the obligation, took Phronima on his ship, lowered her into water with a rope, and hauled her
back in the ship (i.e. he did not kill her as ordered).[1] Themiston then sailed with Phronima back to his home island of Thera. There,
Phronima became the mistress of a distinguished nobleman called Polymnestus, who was a member of the Minyan family of the
Euphemidae.

Phronima bore Polymnestus a son, Battus. Herodotus does not give his real name, but according to Pindar,[2] his birth name was
Aristotle. Justin gives him the name of Aristaeus and states after his death in Cyrene he was worshipped by the name of Aristaeus.[3]
In any case, Battus in ancient Greek means stammer (because he had a speech impediment as a child), while in the Libyan language
battus means king.[1] Herodotus opines that he was not known as Battus until he left for Libya.
[1]

Delphic consultations
In ca. 639 BC the king of Thera, Grinnus, travelled from the island to visit the oracle of Delphi, to seek advice on various matters. At
that time, Thera had a severe drought and there was no rainfall for seven years. The population was also increasing and could no
longer support its residents. One of the men that accompanied the king was Battus. When Grinnus asked for the priestess' advice, she
gave him a seemingly irrelevant response. She told him that he must go to Libya and found a city there, on advice from the God
Apollo. The king was too old for this journey and commissioned Battus to complete the task. The only problem was that neither of
them knew where Libya was.[4]

When Grinnus and Battus returned to Thera, the drought had worsened and the people were in great distress. The king sent some
Thereans to once again seek the advice of the Oracle. The priestess repeated the same message, that they must found a colony in
Libya for their fortunes to mend.

Grinnus then sent a group of men from the island to travel to Crete to inquire about the natives of Libya or anyone who had been to
Libya. The group of men landed in Itanus and met a fisherman called Corobius, who explained to the men that he had once been
blown out of course and ended up on Platea, an island of
f the Libyan coast.

Initial efforts
The Thereans paid Corobius to come with them to Thera and shortly after, with a small party and Corobius as pilot, they set sail for
Libya. The men landed on Platea and left Corobius there with enough supplies for a short while and then returned to their island
bringing good news about finding the new colony. Corobius agreed to wait on Platea for a length of time, however his supplies began
to run out. Luckily, a Samian vessel bound for Egypt under command of Colaeus was re-routed to Platea due to poor weather
conditions. The crew gave Corobius enough food to last one year. Colaeus and his crew were anxious to reach their destination as
easterly winds prevented them from travelling to Egypt and they were driven as west as the Pillar of Hercules (modern Strait of
Gibraltar). By their luck they landed at the wealthy trading post ofTartessus.[5]

When the group of Thereans returned to their island and had told everyone of the new settlement, they decided then to send a new
party of people representing the seven villages of the island (drawn by lot). The King and the people picked Battus as the leader for
the journey to Platea. Battus and the others sailed in two penteconters. When the two ships had reached the coast, Battus could not
decide what next to do and ordered that they sail back home. When they returned to Thera, however, the locals refused to allow them
back on the shore and threw things at them from the harbour
, shouting for Battus and his crew to go back.

Founding of Cyrene
Battus and the two ships journeyed once more to Platea, where they lived for two years, unable to establish themselves properly
there.[6] Leaving one man on the island, they returned to Delphi and consulted the Oracle again about Libya and their current poor
conditions. She advised them to settle on the mainland. So, they sailed back to Platea, and established a settlement, a town called
Aziris (south of Platea near a river and many valleys).[6] The Thereans lived there for six years on friendly terms with the Libyans.
After a treaty with the locals, the Libyans persuaded them to leave Aziris and took them west through fine agricultural country called
Irasa to Apollo's Fountain. The Libyan guides told Battus and his group of men ‘this is the place for you settle in, for here there is a
hole in the sky’.[6] This may refer to amount of great rainfall in the area, which is rare in Africa.

Battus named this new settlement (founded in ca. 630 BC)[7] Cyrene. The name comes from a fountain called "Cyre", which was
believed to have been consecrated to Apollo. In addition to naming the settlement, Battus made all the colonists swear an oath. There
is an inscription dated from the 4th century BC, which claims to contain the original oath.

Although little is known of Battus' reign, he appeared to govern with mildness and moderation. He was also apparently a vigorous
ruler, successful in cementing a colony and taking advantages of the natural surrounding environm
ent.

Death
Battus died in 600 BC and was worshipped as a heroic[8][9] figure by his subjects. His grave is near the marketplace which joins the
road he ordered the construction of, leading to the temple of Apollo. A statue of Battus was dedicated at Delphi, by the subjects of
Cyrene. He is represented riding in a chariot driven by the nymph of Cyrene, with a figure symbolising Libya in the act of crowning
him King.

His dynasty is known as theBattiad dynasty after him. He was succeeded by his sonArcesilaus I.[10]

See also
List of Kings of Cyrene

References
1. Herodotus, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 294
2. Pyth v. 116
3. Justin xiii.7 (http://www.forumromanum.org/literature/justin/english/trans13.html)
4. Herodotus, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 292
5. Herodotus, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 293
6. Herodotus, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 295
7. John Boardman, The Greeks Overseas, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 152
8. Death and disease in the ancient city By V
alerie M. Hope, Eireann Marshall Page 12ISBN 0-415-21427-0
9. Making Time for the Past: Local History and he
t Polis By Katherine Clarke Page 170.5ISBN 0-19-929108-X
10. Herodotus, transl. Aubrey de Selincourt, Penguin, Harmondsworth, p. 296

Sources
Boardman, John, The Greeks Overseas, Penguin, Harmondsworth, 1973 (1964)
Herodotus, The Histories, Book 4.
Morkot, R., The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Greece, Penguin Books, The Bath Press -von,
A Great Britain,
1996.
Burn, A R. The Penguin History Greece, Penguin Books, Clay Ltd, St Ives P/C, England, 1990.
https://books.google.com/books?id=yFoGAAAAQAAJ&pg=RA1-P A476&lpg=RA1-
PA476&dq=battus+i+of+cyrene&source=web&ots=t0ry2lDq05&sig=de4r9u7WwS3ocdHqMZvG-z6ZZU4
Cyrenaica at Livius.org
Battus at eh 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica
Cyrene in A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography , by William Smith (1873)

Battus I of Cyrene
Battiad Dynasty
Died: 600 BC

Regnal titles
King of Cyrene Succeeded by
New title
630 BC–600 BC Arcesilaus I

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