Battus IV of Cyrene


Battus IV of Cyrene surnamed The Handsome or The Fair was the seventh and second to last Greek king of Cyrenaica of the Battiad dynasty. He was the first Cyrenaean king to rule as a client king under the Persian Empire.

Ancestry

Battus was the son and only child of the fifth Cyrenaean king, Arcesilaus III. His mother was the daughter of Alazir, a Libyan who served as governor of Barca. Herodotus states that his father and his maternal grandfather were related and his maternal grandmother is unknown.

Reign

Battus succeeded his paternal grandmother in late 515 BC. She had died from a skin disease in Egypt. From 515 BC until 465 BC, Battus ruled as king of Cyrenaica. Very little is known about his reign although it seems that his reign was peaceful. During his reign, Cyrenaica exported wheat, barley, olive oil and silphium. He was succeeded by his son Arcesilaus IV and was buried near his paternal ancestors.