Assyrian traders penetrated Cappadocia during the second millennium BC. The country then came subject to the Hittites until their fall c.1200 BC. Cyaxares the Mede (r.625-585 BC) conquered Cappadocia in 585 BC. After the defeat of Croesus of Lydia (c.48; r.c.560-546 BC) by Cyrus II (c.46; r.559-530 BC), the country came under Persian domination along with the rest of Anatolia.
Cappadocia together with Bithynia comprised the third satrapy of the Persian Empire. This region was not conquered by Alexander, but after his death Perdiccas (d.321/0 BC) and Eumenes (c.362-316 BC) captured Cappadocia. The Persian satrap Ariarathes-I (r.331/0-322 BC) was killed, but his nephew Ariarathes II (r.301-280 BC) escaped to Armenia. Perdiccas left Cappadocia under the rule of Eumenes. After the death of Eumenes in 316 BC the province was recovered by Antigonus’ forces. From then on it was ruled by Amyntas, one of Antigonus’ generals.
Ariarathes II defeated Amyntas and re-established the independence of the country. Ariaramnes II (r.280-230 BC), eldest son of Ariarathes II, was possibly the leader who secured recognition of independence from the Seleucids. He made his son Ariarathes III (r.255-220 BC) his co-ruler.
Ariarathes IV (r.220-163 BC), son of Ariarathes III, married Antiochis, a daughter of the Syrian king Antiochus III (r.223-187 BC), and in 190 BC and was with him in the Battle of Magnesia ad Sipylum that broke Syrian power. Ariarathes appeased the Romans by forming an alliance with the Roman protégé Eumenes II of Pergamum (r.197-160 BC). He then assisted Eumenes with his war against Pharnaces-I of Pontus (r.185-170 BC), after which he was engaged with a prolonged quarrel with the Gauls of Galatia.
Ariarathes V (r.163-130 BC), son of Ariarathes IV, rejected a marriage alliance proposed by the Syrian king Demetrius-I (35; r.161-150 BC). Demetrius responded by depriving him of his kingdom and setting a pretender, Orophernes, on the throne. On appeal Rome divided the kingdom between them, but Ariarathes recovered the lost portion with the help of Attalus II of Pergamum (r.160-138 BC), after which he in a coalition assisted Attalus with his war against Prusias II of Bithynia (r.185-149 BC). When Aristonicus of Pergamum (r.133-139 BC) was resisting the Roman occupation of that province, Ariarathes joined the Romans and lost his life.
Ariarathes VI (r.130-116 BC), son Ariarathes V, married Laodice, the daughter of Mithridates V of Pontus (r.150-120 BC). During his infancy his mother Nysa stirred up strife. He was killed by Gordius, a Cappadocian nobleman, probably at the instigation of Mithridates VI of Pontus (r.120-63 BC).
During the regency of Laodice, an invasion by Nicomedes III of Bithynia (r.128-94 BC) led Mithridates to also invade Cappadocia, ostensibly to protect his sister, but when she married Nicomedes, he put her son Ariarathes VII (r.116-101 BC) on the throne. When Ariarathes objected to the presence of Gordius, his father’s murderer, Ariarathes was murdered by Mithridates, who replaced him with his own son Ariarathes IX (r.101-95 BC). In 97 BC the Cappadocians revolted and placed Ariarathes VIII (r.97 BC), a second son of Ariarathes VI, on the throne. Mithridates promptly expelled him and he died soon afterwards, the last of the Cappadocian royal line.
Despite the claims put forward by both Mithridates and Nicomedes, Rome decided that the Cappadocians should choose their new sovereign. This they did and Ariobarzanes-I (r.95-63 BC) was proclaimed king. His long career consists almost entirely of expulsions and restorations. In 87 BC he was re-installed by Sulla (c.138-76 BC), driven out almost immediately by Tigranes II of Armenia (85; r.95-55 BC), restored by Manius Aquillius (consul 101 BC) following year, driven out by Mithridates four years later and restored by Curio (consul 76 BC) at Sulla’s command in 84 BC. In 67 BC he was driven out by Mithridates and Tigranes in combination, and restored by Pompey (106-48 BC) in 66 BC. A few years later he abdicated in favour of his son Ariobarzanes II (r.63-61 BC).
This king also had an uneasy reign, requiring the help of Gabinius (consul 58 BC) in 57 BC to crush his enemies. He successfully maintained control over Cappadocia before he was killed, probably by members of a pro-Parthian faction.
Ariobarzanes III (r.51-42 BC), son of Ariobarzanes II was originally highly supportive of Pompey against Caesar (100-44 BC), who forgave him and enlarged his territories. Longinus had him killed because he would not allow more Roman intervention in his kingdom.
Ariarathes X (r.42-36 BC), brother of Ariobarzanes III, was executed by Antony (83-30 BC), replacing him with Sisines, of the rival priestly family of Comana, who took the name of Archelaus (r.36-00-17). Archelaus joined Antony at the Battle of Actium (31 BC), and was fortunate to escape the resentment of Augustus (76; r.31-00-14). Subsequently he was accused by Tiberius (77; r.14-37) of fermenting a revolution, and died in confinement in Rome. After his death, Cappadocia became a province of the Roman Empire.
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