Hellespontine Phrygia
# Hellespontine Phrygia

Hellespontine Phrygia (Ancient Greek: Ἑλλησποντιακὴ Φρυγία, romanized: Hellēspontiakē Phrygia) or Lesser Phrygia (Ancient Greek: μικρᾶ Φρυγία, romanized: mikra Phrygia) was a Persian satrapy (province) in northwestern Anatolia, directly southeast of the Hellespont. Its capital was Dascylium, and for most of its existence it was ruled by the hereditary Persian Pharnacid dynasty. Together with Greater Phrygia, it made up the administrative provinces of the wider Phrygia region.

## History

The satrapy was created in the beginning of the fifth century BC, during the time of administrative reorganisations of the territories in western Asia Minor, which were amongst the most important Achaemenid territories.

The first Achaemenid ruler of Hellespontine Phrygia was Mitrobates (ca. 525–522 BC), who was appointed by Cyrus the Great and continued under Cambises. He was killed and his territory absorbed by the satrap of neighbouring Lydia, Oroetes. Following the reorganization of Darius I, Mitrobates was succeeded by Oebares II (c.493), son of Megabazus.

Artabazus then became satrap circa 479 BC and started the Pharnacid dynasty, which would rule Hellespontine Phrygia until the conquests of Alexander the Great (338 BC).

As Alexander the Great was conquering and incorporating the Achaemenid Empire, he appointed Calas, a Macedonian General to govern Hellespontine Phrygia in 334 BC, after he had sent Parmenion to secure Dascylium, the provincial capital. Calas, being the very first non-Achaemenid ruler of the province, was awarded the Persian title of "satrap", rather than a Macedonian title, and Alexander instructed him to collect the same tribute from his subjects that had been paid to Darius III. After Alexander's death in 323, the satrapy was awarded to Leonnatus, who was killed in action in the Lamian War. The region was seized by Lysimachus, was added to the Seleucid Empire after the Battle of Corupedium (281 BC), and was finally integrated in the Bithynian kingdom.

## Persian satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia

### Achaemenid satraps

Pharnacid dynasty (Satraps of Hellespontine Phrygia) :

| c.550–497 BCE | (Pharnaces) |
| - | - |
| c.480–455 BCE | Artabazus I |
| c.455–430 BCE | Pharnabazus I |
| c.430–420 BCE | Pharnaces II |
| c.413–374 BCE | Pharnabazus II |
| c.407–362 BCE | Ariobarzanes |
| c.389–329 BCE | Artabazus II |
| c.370–320 BCE | Pharnabazus III |

vte :

* Mitrobates (circa 520 BC)
* Megabazus (circa 500 BC)
* Oebares II (circa 493 BC)
* Artabazos I of Phrygia - r. 477 - 455 (?)
* Pharnabazus I - r. 455 (?) - before 430
* Pharnaces II - r. before 430 - after 422
* Pharnabazus II - r. before 413 - 387
* Ariobarzanes of Phrygia - r. 387-363/362
* Artabazos II - r. 363/362-353
* Arsites - r. 353-334

### Alexandrian satraps

* Calas - r. 334-323
* Leonnatus - r. 323-321
