The original inhabitants of Bithynia, a country in northwest Anatolia, were of Thracian origin. Once part of the Lydian kingdom of Croesus (c.48; r.c.560-546 BC), it became part of the Persian Empire when Cyrus II (c.46; r.559-530 BC) conquered Lydia in 546 BC. Even before the conquest by Alexander the Bithynians seem to have exerted their independence and successfully maintained it under two native princes: Bas (c.71; r.376-326 BC), son of Boteiras; and Zipoites-I (r.c.326-278 BC), son of Bas, who carried on successful wars against Antiochus-I and Lysimachus.
Nicomedes-I (r.278-255 BC), son of Zipoites-I, began his reign by putting to death two of his brothers but a third, subsequently called Zipoites II (r.278-276 BC), raised a rebellion and succeeded in maintaining himself an independent sovereignty over a considerable part of Bithynia. To deal with his brother, Nicomedes entered into an alliance with the Gauls, who at that time were engaged in the siege of Byzantium. Zipoites was defeated and killed, thus uniting the whole of Bithynia under Nicomedes. At the death of Nicomedes, his second wife Etazeta (r.255-254 BC), ruled on behalf of her infant sons. However, Nicomedes’ first born, Ziaelas, (r.254-228 BC), started a war against his stepmother and she had to flee to Macedon with her sons.
Prusias-I (r.228-182 BC), son of Ziaelas, used a marriage alliance with Philip V of Macedon (59; r.221-179 BC) and the conflicts of other powers to enlarge the territory of Bithynia to its greatest extent. He warred with Byzantium (220 BC), defeated Gallic invaders (218 BC), took part of Mysia from the Attalids of Pergamum (c.208 BC), received the ports of Cius and Myrleia from Philip V (202 BC), which he renamed Prusias and Apameia respectively, and captured Cierus and Tieium from Heraclea Pontica. He wisely remained neutral in the war with Antiochus III (c.54; r.223-187 BC) in 190-188 BC, but the demand in the settlement in Apamia (188 BC) that he returned to Eumenes II (r.197-160 BC) the former Attalid possessions led to hostilities between them (186-184 BC) in which he was defeated.
Prusias II (r.182-149 BC), son of Prusias-I, joined with Eumenes II in a war against Pharnaces-I of Pontus (r.c.185-c.170 BC). His invasion of Pergamum territories (156-154 BC) ended in defeat. His son, Nicomedes II (r.149-c.127 BC), aided Rome in the war against Aristonicus of Pergamum, but his request for territory in Phrygia was refused.
Nicomedes III (r.c.127-c.94 BC), son of Nicomedes II, when asked by Marius (157-86 BC) for aid against the Cimbri (104 BC) replied that all of his men had been robbed by the Roman tax-farmers and sold into slavery. His attempts to divide Paphlagonia with Mithridates VI of Pontus (c.69; r.c.120-63 BC) and to win Cappadocia by marrying Queen Laodice were foiled by Roman intervention.
Nicomedes IV (r.c.94-75/4 BC), son of Nicomedes III, was promptly driven out by Mithridates VI of Pontus (c.69; r.c.120-63 BC) in favour of his brother Socrates (c.92 BC), but a Roman commission restored him. Under pressure from Roman creditors Nicomedes raided Pontic territory and precipitated the First Mithridatic War (88 BC). Mithridates struck again and Nicomedes had to flee to Rome. He was restored by Sulla (c.138-78 BC) in 85/84 BC, and Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) was sent as an envoy to him to get the ships for the siege of Mytilene (81/80 BC). At his death Nicomedes bequeathed his kingdom to Rome.
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