Ba'ttus Iv.
7. BATTUS IV. is called "the Handsome" (
ὁ καλός) by Heracleides Ponticus. (See Thrige, § 38, n. 3.42.)
It has been doubted by some whether there were any kings of the family after Arcesilaus III., but this point seems to be settled by Herodotus (
4.163) and by Pindar. (
Pyth. 4.115.)
The opinion of those, who suppose the names of two kings to have been omitted by Herodotus between Arcesilaus I. and Battus " the lame," has been noticed above. Of Battus IV. we know nothing.
It is not improbable, however, that he was the son of Arcesilaus III., and was in possession of the throne at the period of the capture of Barca by the Persians, about 512 B. C. (
Hdt. 4.203.)
At least the peaceable admission of the latter into Cyrene (Herod.
l.c.) may seem to point to the prevalence there of a
Medizing policy, such as we might expect from a son or near relative of Arcesilaus III.
The chronology of this reign is involved in as much obscurity as the events of it, and it is impossible therefore to assign any exact date either to its beginning or its end. (See Thrige, §§ 42-44.)
