Chapter LV: Appendix: A. History in Outline of Some Lesser Nations of Asia Minor

Our studies of Roman history have brought us into incidental contact with several nations of Asia Minor that from time to time have held friendly or hostile relations with the Romans. The two most important of these, the Parthians and the Sassanids, who successfully disputed the mastery of the Orient with the Romans, will be given fuller individual treatment in a later volume. But the lesser kingdoms of Pergamus, Bithynia, Pontus, and Cappadocia, each of which had a somewhat picturesque and interesting history when taken by itself, were hardly of sufficient importance from a world-historical standpoint to be given individual treatment in our text. It will be of interest, however, and will aid the reader in gaining a clear idea of the opponents of Rome, and of the true relations of the Roman Empire to the eastern peoples, if a brief outline of the history of each of these nations is introduced. Such a chronological epitome of their history is given here.

THE KINGDOM OF PERGAMUS (283-133 B.C.)

B.C.

283 =Philetærus=, governor of the Greek fortress of Pergamus,
in Mysia, revolts and founds a small principality. Owing to
the troubles incident to the Gallic invasion of Greece and
Asia Minor, he is not disturbed.

263 His nephew, =Eumenes I=, succeeds. His power increases, and
he defeats the Seleucidæ in a battle.

241 =Attalus I= succeeds. He achieves a decisive victory over
the Gauls, and makes friends with Rome. Pergamus becomes a
great art centre.

197 =Eumenes II= succeeds. Height of splendour of the kingdom,
which now covers the greater part of western Asia Minor.
Eumenes becomes the ally of Rome in her wars against the
Persians and Syrians. Building of the temple of Zeus Soter
to commemorate the great victory over the Gauls.

159 =Attalus (II) Philadelphus=, his brother, succeeds.

138 =Attalus (III) Philometor=, son of Eumenes II, succeeds.

133 Death of Attalus III, who bequeaths his kingdom to the
Romans. They form it into the province of Asia.

THE KINGDOM OF BITHYNIA (278-74 B.C.)

278 =Nicomedes I= assumes title of king, and maintains himself
on the throne in spite of civil discord and threatened invasion
by Antiochus I. He allies himself with the Gauls, who have
invaded Asia Minor.

250 His son, =Zielas=, succeeds after asserting his rights
against his half-brother.

228 His son, =Prusias I=, succeeds.

220 Prusias at war with the Byzantines in conjunction with the
Romans.

216 Prusias defeats a Gallic army invited into Asia by Attalus.

207 Prusias assists Philip of Macedon in war with Romans, and
invades Pergamus.

188 Prusias at war with Eumenes II of Pergamus. Hannibal lends
him assistance.

180 =Prusias II= succeeds his father.

156 War with Pergamus. Defeat of Attalus II.

154 Peace with Pergamus.

149 Prusias slain in a revolt in favour of his son =Nicomedes
II=, who succeeds.

131 Nicomedes assists the Romans in their war against Aristonicus.

102 He unites with Mithridates VI of Pontus in the conquest of
the vacant throne of Paphlagonia.

96 Nicomedes marries Laodice, widow of Ariarathes VI of
Cappadocia, and attempts to seize the kingdom. Rome compels him
to abandon it. The senate also deprives him of Paphlagonia.

91 =Nicomedes III= succeeds his father.

90 Mithridates VI of Pontus drives Nicomedes from his throne.

84 He is restored by Rome.

74 Death of Nicomedes. He bequeaths his kingdom to Rome and it
becomes a province.

THE KINGDOM OF PONTUS (337 B.C.-63 A.D.)

The dynasty of Pontine kings is reckoned from Ariobarzanes
I, about the beginning of the fourth century B.C. But
both he and his son Mithridates I, and grandson, Ariobarzanes
II, are Persian satraps, and it is not until
337 that Mithridates II, son of the last satrap, makes
himself independent. His rule is not uninterrupted.

318 About this time, Antigonus I forms a plan to kill him,
and he flees to Paphlagonia, and afterwards supports Eumenes
against Antigonus. He then recovers his throne and fixes
himself firmly on it.

302 =Mithridates III= succeeds his father. He adds part of
Cappadocia and Paphlagonia to his dominions. He allies himself
with the Heracleans, and obtains help of the Gauls to overthrow
a force sent against him by Ptolemy, king of Egypt.

266 =Ariobarzanes III= succeeds his father.

240 =Mithridates IV= succeeds his father. He repels the Gauls
shortly after his accession.

220 Unsuccessful attempt to capture Sinope.

190 =Pharnaces I= succeeds his father.

183 Capture of Sinope. The frontiers of Pontus are extended to
Bithynia.

181 Pharnaces attacks Eumenes of Pergamus and Ariarathes of
Cappadocia.

179 Pharnaces purchases peace, ceding all his possessions in
Galatia and Paphlagonia, excepting Sinope.

156 =Mithridates (V) Euergetes= succeeds his father.

154 He assists Attalus II of Pergamus against Prusias II of
Bithynia.

149-146 During the Third Punic War, Mithridates makes alliance
with Rome, supplying ships and men.

131-129 Mithridates aids Rome against Aristonicus, for which he
receives Phrygia.

120 Assassination of Mithridates at Sinope. Succeeded by his
son =Mithridates (VI) Eupator, the Great=. The Romans take
Phrygia from him. In the early years of his reign he subdues
many warlike tribes, and incorporates the kingdom of Bosporus
in his dominions. He attempts to gain control of Cappadocia,
and drives Nicomedes III of Bithynia from his throne.

88 War breaks out with Rome on account of the Bithynian succession.
Mithridates overruns Asia Minor, massacring Roman citizens.

84 Mithridates makes peace with Sulla.

83 Murena invades Pontus without reason and is defeated the
following year.

74 War with Rome renewed.

72 Mithridates flees to Armenia, taking refuge with his
son-in-law, Tigranes.

65 Total defeat of Mithridates by Pompey.

63 Revolt of the troops. It is put down, but Mithridates orders
a Gallic mercenary to kill him. His son, =Pharnaces II=, who
has been in revolt, succeeds him. He submits to Pompey, who
grants him the kingdom of the Bosporus.

47 Death of Pharnaces in putting down the rebellion of Asander,
governor of Bosporus.

36 Antony puts =Polemon I=, son-in-law of Pharnaces, over a
part of Pontus known as Pontus Polemoniacus. He is succeeded
about 2 B.C. by his son =Polemon II=, whose mother is nominal
ruler until 39 A.D., when Caligula invests Polemon with the
kingdom.

63 Polemon abdicates the throne and Pontus becomes a Roman
province.

THE KINGDOM OF CAPPADOCIA (_c._ 333 B.C.-17 A.D.)

The Cappadocian dynasty dates back to the time of Alexander
the Great, when =Ariarathes I= maintains himself on the throne
after the fall of the Persian monarchy.

322 Ariarathes captured by Perdiccas and crucified.

315 =Ariarathes II=, his nephew, recovers Cappadocia at death
of Eumenes. He is succeeded by his son, =Ariamnes II=, and he
in turn by =Ariarathes III= (date unknown).

220 =Ariarathes IV= succeeds his father. He joins Antiochus the
Great against the Romans, and afterwards assists Rome against
Perseus of Macedon.

163 =Mithridates=, afterwards called =Ariarathes V=, succeeds
his father.

158 Ariarathes deprived of his kingdom by Orophernes (Olophernes),
a creature of Demetrius Soter, but is restored by the Romans.

154 Ariarathes assists Attalus II in his war against Prusias II.

130 Death of Ariarathes in war of the Romans against Aristonicus.
His wife =Laodice= kills all her children except the youngest,
in order that she may rule. The people put her to death and
place her surviving child, =Ariarathes VI=, on the throne.

96 Ariarathes poisoned at instigation of Mithridates the Great
of Pontus, whose daughter he has married. Nicomedes II of
Bithynia seizes Cappadocia, but Mithridates soon expels him and
places =Ariarathes VII=, son of Ariarathes VI, on the throne.
This prince goes to war with and defeats Nicomedes.

93 He quarrels with Mithridates, who stabs him during an
interview. The Cappadocians recall the late king’s brother,
=Ariarathes VIII=, from exile and make him king. Mithridates
compels him to abandon his kingdom. The Romans now intervene
and appoint =Ariobarzanes I= king. He is several times expelled
by Mithridates and Tigranes of Armenia, but always recovers his
throne.

63 Ariobarzanes resigns Cappadocia to his son =Ariobarzanes
II=. He remains, like his father, the true ally of Rome and is
42 put to death for refusing to join Brutus and Cassius.
(Some writers say this was an Ariobarzanes III, who succeeded
Ariobarzanes II about 52.) =Ariarathes IX=, brother of
Ariobarzanes II, succeeds.

36 Antony puts him to death, and appoints =Archelaus= king.
Although an ally of Antony, Octavian leaves him in possession
of the kingdom and even adds to it.

14 Tiberius summons Archelaus to Rome.

17 Death of Archelaus. Cappadocia becomes a Roman province.