A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

NICOMEDES. NiCOMEDES. 1197
Rome- to solicit the intervention of the senate. ib. 3; Clinton, vol. iii. p. 419.) There appears
But, although three deputies were despatched by to be no foundation for the statement of some
the Romans to investigate the matter, they ulti- modern writers that he was murdered by his son,
mately retired without effecting anything. The Socrates. (See Visconti, Lconogr. Grecque, vol.
inhabitants of Nicomedeia, where Prusias had ii. p. 188.) [E. H. B.]
sought protection, opened the gates of the city to NICOMEDES III., PHILOPATOR, king of BiNicomedes, and the old king was assassinated at thynia, was the son of Nicomedes II., by his wife
the altar of Jupiter, by the express order of his Nysa (Memnon, c. 30), though his enemy Mithrison, B. C. 149. (Appian. Mllithr. 4-7; Justin. dates VI. pretended that he was the son of a conxxxiv. 4; Zonar. ix. 28; Liv. Epit. 1.; Strab. cubine, a female dancer (Justin. xxxviii. 5. ~ 1).xiii. p. 624; Diod. xxxii. Exc. Phot. p. 523, Exe. It was probably on this pretext that the latter set
Vat. p. 92.) up against him his brother Socrates, surnamed the
Nicomedes retained, during a period of no less Good (d Xpiie-drs), whom he persuaded to assume
than fifty-eight years, the crown which he had thus the title of king and the name of Nicomedes, and
gained by parricide. But of his long and tranquil invade the territories of his brother at the head of
reign very few events have been transmitted to us. an army furnished him by Mithridates. Nicomedes
He appears to have uniformly courted the friend- was unable to cope with acompetitor thus supported,
ship of the Romans, whom he assisted in the war and was quickly driven out of Bithynia; but he
against Aristonicus, B. C. 131. (Strab. xiv. p. 646; now had recourse to the protection of the Roman
Oros. v. 10; Eutrop. iv. 20.) At a later period, senate, who, it seems, had already ackowledged his
B. C. 103, Marius applied to him for auxiliaries in title to the throne,and who now immediately issued
the war against the Cimbri, which he, however, a decree for his restoration, the execution of which
refused on account of the exactions and oppressions was confided to L. Cassius and M'. Aquilius. To
exercised by the Roman farmers of the revenue this Mithridates did not venture to offer any open
upon his subjects. (Diod. xxxvi. Exc. Phot. p. opposition, and Nicomedes was quietly reseated on
531.) But it is clear that Nicomedes was not the throne of his father, B. c. 90 (Appian, Alithr.
wanting in ambition when an opportunity of 7,10, 11, 13; Memnon, c. 30; Justin. xxxviii. 3,'
aggrandizement presented itself, and we find him 5; Liv. Epit. lxxiv.). But, not satisfied with
uniting with Mithridates VI. (apparently about this, the Roman deputies urged Nicomedes to make:. c. 102) in the conquest of Paphlagonia, the throne reprisals, by plundering excursions into the terriof which had been left vacant by the death of tories of Mithridates himself; and the king, howPylaemenes. The Roman senate, indeed, quickly ever unwilling- to provoke so powerful an adversary,
ordered the two kings to restore their new acquisi- was compelled to listen to their suggestions, in
tion, but Nicomedes merely transferred the crown order to gratify the avarice of his Roman allies.
to one of his own sons, who had taken the name Mithridates at first sent ambassadors to complain
of Pylaemenes, and whom he pretended to regard of these aggressions, but, as may be supposed,
as the rightful heir. (Justin. xxxvii. 4.) Not long without effect. Thereupon he assembled a large
after (about B. C. 96, see Clinton, vol. iii. p. 436), army, and prepared to invade Bithynia, B. c. 88.
an opportunity seemed to offer itself of annexing Nicomedes on his part gathered together a force of
Cappadocia also to his dominions, Laodice, the 50,000 foot and 6000 horse, with which he met
widow of Ariarathes Vi., having thrown herself the army of Mithridates under his generalsArcheupon his protection in order to defend herself and laus and Neoptolemus, at the river Amnius in
her sons from the designs of Mithridates. Nico- Paphlagonia, but was totally defeated with great
medes (though he can hardly have been less than slaughter. The Roman officers, who had inconeighty years of age at this time) married Laodice, siderately brought on this danger, without having a
and established her in the possession of Cappadocia, Roman army to support them, soon shared the same
from which, however, she was quickly again ex- fate, and Nicomedes himself, after a vain attempt
pelled by Mithridates.' After the death of her two in conjunction with L. Cassius, to raise a fresh army
sons [ARIARATHES] Nicomedes had the boldness in Phrygia, abandoned the contest without farther
to set up an impostor, whom he alleged to be a struggle, and took refuge at Pergamus, from whence
third son of Ariarathes VI., and even sent Laodice he soon after fled to Italy (Appian,- Alfithr. 11-19
herself to Rome to bear witness in his favour. Memnon, c. 31; Justin. xxxviii. 3; Liv. Eilit.
The senate, however, rejected his claim, as well as lxxvi.; Strab. xii. p. 562). Here he was cointhat of Mithridates; and while they compelled the pelled to be a passive spectator of the contest belatter to abandon Cappadocia, in order to preserve tween his victorious adversary the Romans;
an appearance of fairness, they deprived Nicomedes but in B. C. 84 the restoration of Nicomedes was
also of Paphlagonia. (Justin. xxxviii. 1, 2.) This one of the conditions of the peace concluded beis the last event recorded of his reign; his death tween Sulla and Mithridates, and C. Curio was
must have taken place in or before B. C. 91. (Id. deputed by the Roman general to reinstate the
Bithynian monarch in the possession of his kin!gdom (App. 11ithr. 60;. Plut. Sull. 22, 24; Memnon, c. 35; Liv. Epit. lxxxiii.). Nicomedes
reigned nearly ten years after this second restoration,
05tob 84 but of the events of this period we know nothing.
l3 / t /.Xand it was probably one of peace and prosperity.
The only occasion on which his name is mentioned
1is in B. C. 81, when Caesar, then very young, waU
4<; 2 / X \5Pffsent to him by the praetor M. Minucius Thermos,
to obtain the assistance of the Bithynian fleet. The
young man was received with the greatest favol]
COIN OF NICOMEDES II. by Nicomedes; and the intercourse between then