HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-4

The first satrap whose name we know was Hyssaldomus from Mylasa. He was succeesed by his son Hecatomnos in 387 B.C. Hecatomnos had three sons (Maussollos, Idrieus, Pixodarus) and two daugthers (Artemisia II;Ada), In 377 B.C. Hecatomnos died and his son Maussollos became the satrap of Caria.As in the times of the Lydamis dynasty, Maussollos transfered the capital back to Halicarnassus and rebuilt it on a much grander scale.Easy to defend and situated in a place favourable to naviagation and commerce. Halicarnassus quickly prospered. During the reing of Mussollos the inhabitants of the six neighbouring Lelegian cities were forced to live in Halicarnassus. An ambitious man, he conquered the islands of Cos and Rhodes, and Halicarnassus rebuilt by the most famous architects and sculptors of the age.The money necessary for this was supplied from the heavy taxes he livied. In his reign even long hair was taxed.

Maussollos died in 353 B.C., after reigning over Caria from twentyfour years.The rule of the satrapy passed to Artemisia, his elder sister and wife (with the exception of Egyptian Pharaohs and Polynesian of Egyptian Pharaohs and Polynesian kings, marriage between brothers and sister is never seen in the ruling families of the world. These, considering themselves far superior to the rest of the population did not want to mix; they therefore started to marry within the family).Artemisia II ruled for a very short period of two years, but made herself famous in two notable respects. The first was that she contiuned the construction of the superbtomb, the Maussolleion, which had started in her husband’s time. Artemisia’s other the claim to fame was the re-conquest of Rehodes.

The Rehodians, considering it an indignity to be ruled by a woman prepared a fleet and attacke Halicarnassus.Artemisia being informed of the Rhodians intentions, hid her fleet in the secret harbour.