Editing Mithridatic Wars (section)

=== Prelude ===
The Mithridatic Wars resulted from Mithridates consolidating his neighboring kingdoms into his realm which was opposed by Rome. Mithridates incorporated the Kingdom of Cappadocia by marrying his sister to its king before killing him and installing his young nephew, [[Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia|Ariarathes IX]], on the throne as a puppet ruler.<ref>Sviatoslav, ''Dynastic Rearrangements,'' p. 1</ref> Mithridates supported a rival claimant to the throne of Bithynia, [[Socrates Chrestus]], as another puppet ruler after overthrowing his half-brother, [[Nicomedes IV of Bithynia|Nicomedes IV]].<ref>Appian, ''Mithridatic Wars'', 10</ref> Rival claimants to these thrones fled to the Roman Senate to plead their cases over the inheritance disputes and influence of Pontus in their kingdoms.<ref>Sviatoslav, ''Dynastic Rearrangements'', pp. 2–4</ref> [[Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia|Ariobarzanes]], a Cappadocian nobleman, also made his case against Ariarathes IX and was selected as the senate-approved king of Cappadocia. A senatorial legation was dispatched to head east to supplant the Mithridates-backed kings for Roman-favored ones.

This legation, the Aquilian Legation, was sent from Rome in the summer of 90 BC to install the Rome-supported figures onto the thrones of Bithynia and Cappadocia. The Legation was led by [[Manius Aquillius (consul 101 BC)|Manius Aquillius]], a prominent politician who previously served as consul in 129 BC. The legation gained the army of Cassius, the governor of the Roman province of [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]].<ref>Appian, ''Mithridatic Wars'', 11</ref> Mithridates did not oppose the Roman legation and by the fall of 90 BC both Nicomedes IV and Ariobarzanes I were installed as kings of their respective countries without any fighting. With their goal achieved, the legation left the following winter. Before the legation left, however, Aquillius urged the kings to attack Mithridates to repay loans they had taken out previously to bribe senators in supporting their claims.<ref>Mayor, ''The Poison King,'' pp. 140–142; Appian, ''Mithridatic Wars'', 11; Sviatoslav, ''Dynastic Rearrangements'', p. 13</ref>

Nicomedes IV began hostilities with Mithridates in 90 BC, almost immediately after being installed as king of Bithynia. Nicomedes launched raids into Pontic territory by the spring of 89 BC which led to Mithridates sending delegates to Rome in response to the Roman client state's attacks.<ref>Mayor, ''The Poison King'', pp. 142–144</ref> Rome responded that Bithynia shouldn't raid Pontus but didn't allow Mithridates to attack Bithynia in retaliation.<ref>Appian, ''Mithridatic Wars'', 14</ref>

In the summer of 89 BC, Mithridates led an army into Cappadocia to remove the Roman-appointed Ariobarzanes I and occupy the kingdom.<ref>Appian, ''Mithridatic wars'', 15; Golden, ''Crisis Management During the Roman Republic'', p. 183</ref> This military action went against what the Aquilian Legation had enforced and was used as justification for war against Mithridates and Pontus, beginning war between Rome and Pontus.