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BARCA (Βάρκη, ἡ)

TYPHAINE HAZIZA

Université de Caen Normandie

Founded around 560 BCE by wealthy land‐owners of CYRENE, Barca seems of interest to Herodotus only through its connections—generally contentious—with its mother‐city. Barca was situated about 100 kilometers southwest of Cyrene (BA 38 B1), in a fertile plain with access to the SEA at the port of TAUCHEIRA, which it controlled, according to Herodotus (4.171).

The bulk of Herodotus’ information on Barca appears in the course of his Cyrenean LOGOS in Book 4. The city’s foundation was the result of a conflict between the fourth Battiad king of Cyrene, ARCESILAUS II, and his brothers. The anecdote (4.160) refers more certainly to an opposition between the Cyrenean royalty and the ARISTOCRACY of the city, who felt their interests had been hurt. The ambivalent relations between the two CITIES, much like the struggles for power between partisans of an aristocratic regime or a “tyranny,” clearly manifest themselves in the story of the reign of ARCESILAUS III (4.164–65). In conflict with the aristocrats of his city, Arcesilaus III found refuge with his father‐in‐law, ALAZIR king of Barca, where he was assassinated by “Barcaeans and some EXILES from Cyrene.” This MURDER led to the capture of the city—which largely supported the assassins—since PHERETIME, the mother of Arcesilaus III, convinced the Persian satrap of EGYPT, ARYANDES, to set in motion an expedition of VENGEANCE (4.200–5). Despite their effective resistance, the Barcaeans were eventually conquered by a Persian ruse; the Persians, without pity, allowed Pheretime to massacre some, and the rest were led into captivity in BACTRIA. The Battiads retook power and placed themselves under Persian sovereignty.