King of Tyre

Ancient Tyrian rulers based on Hellenic mythology

Late Bronze Age rulers

Kings of the Sidonians (with Tyre as capital), 990–785 BC

The dates for the reconstruction of Menander's Tyrian king list from Abibaal through Pygmalion are established in three places by three independent sources: a Biblical synchronism (Hiram's assistance to Solomon in building the Temple, from 967 BC onwards), an Assyrian record (tribute of Baal-Eser II/Balazeros II to Shalmaneser III in 841 BC), and a Roman historian (Pompeius Trogus, who placed the founding of Carthage or Dido's flight from her brother Pygmalion in the latter's seventh year of reign, in 825 BC, 72 years before the founding of Rome).

Assyrian ascendancy: 8th and 7th centuries BC

The Neo-Assyrian Empire established its control over the area and ruled through vassals who are named in Assyrian records.

Post-Assyrian period

Menander's Tyrian king list also described the period from Ithobaal III through Hiram III. Tyre regained independence with Assyria's demise, although Egypt controlled Tyre during some of the time afterwards. Eventually, Tyre fell under the control of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

Shoftim of Tyre

In the 560s the monarchy was overthrown, and an oligarchic government established, headed by "judges" or shoftim (cf. Carthage). The monarchy was restored with the ascension of Hiram III to the throne. Josephus mentions these judges in his treatise Against Apion (Book I, §21), and which last judge (Hiram III) is said to have been contemporary with Cyrus the Great. According to Josephus, Hiram's reign extended to the fourteenth year of Cyrus', ascension to power in Babylon. Cyrus took control of Babylon on October 29, 539, therefore Hiram III's rule spanned from 551 to 532 BC.

Under Persian control 539–411 BC

• Mattan IV fl. c. 490–480
• Boulomenus fl. c. 450
• Abdemon c.420–411 BC. He ruled Salamis, in Cyprus.

Under control of Cypriot Salamis 411–374 BC

• Evagoras of Salamis, Cyprus. He united Cyprus under his rule and achieved independence from the Persian Empire.

Under Persian control 374–332 BC

• Eugoras fl. 340s
• Azemilcus c.340–332 BC. He was king during the siege by Alexander the Great.

Under the Greeks and Romans

After Alexander the Great conquered Tyre in 332 BC, the city alternated between Seleucid (Syrian Greek) and Ptolemaic (Egyptian Greek) rule. Phoenicia came under the rule of the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC.

• Marion (c. 42 BC) was the Roman tyrant of Tyre.

References

References

1. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0216%3Abook%3D1%3Asection%3D116 Against Apion Book I. 116–127]
2. [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=256&letter=P ''Jewish Encyclopedia'': "Phenicia"].
3. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0216%3Abook%3D1%3Asection%3D154 Against Apion Book I. 154–160]
4. Herodotus. (2003). "Histories". [[Penguin Books]].
5. {{Herodotus. en. 2. 145. 1. ref
6. William H. Barnes, ''Studies in the Chronology of the Divided Monarchy of Israel'' (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1991), p. 31.
7. Hayim Tadmor, ''The Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III, King of Assyria'' (Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1994) 266.
8. Tadmor, ''Inscriptions of Tiglath-Pileser III'', 69.
9. ''NIV Archaeological Study Bible, An Illustrated walk through Biblical History and Culture.'' Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005 p.1350.
10. Katzenstein, H. Jacob. (1979). "Tyre in the Early Persian Period (539-486 B.C.E.)". The Biblical Archaeologist.
11. "Lebanon".