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Hellespontine Phrygia Lesser 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. The satrapy was created in the beginning
of the fifth century, 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), 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 and
started the Pharnacid dynasty, which would rule Hellespontine Phrygia until the
conquests of Alexander the Great (338). As Alexander the Great was conquering
and incorporating the Achaemenid Empire, he appointed Calas, a Macedonian
General to govern Hellespontine Phrygia in 334, 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 in
281, and was finally integrated in the Bithynian kingdom.
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