Editing Nicomedes I of Bithynia (section)

==Life==
He began his reign by killing two of his brothers, but the third, later called [[Zipoetes II of Bithynia|Zipoetes II]], rebelled against him and managed to maintain independent sovereignty over a considerable part of Bithynia for some time. Meanwhile, Nicomedes was threatened with invasion by [[Antiochus I Soter]], king of the [[Seleucid Empire]], who had already made war on his father, Zipoetes I. To strengthen himself against this danger, he formed an alliance with [[Heraclea Pontica]] and, shortly afterwards, with [[Antigonus II Gonatas]]. The threatened attack passed with few casualties. Antiochus did in fact invade Bithynia, but withdrew without risking battle.

It was against his brother rather than his foreign enemies that Nicomedes now called in more powerful auxiliaries and formed an alliance with the [[Celts]], who had arrived on the other side of the [[Bosporus|Bosphorus]] under [[Leonnorius]] and Lutarius and were at this time engaged in the siege of [[Byzantium]] in 277 BC. After providing them with the means to cross into [[Anatolia|Asia]], where they founded [[Galatia]], he turned the weapons of his new auxiliaries against Zipoetes II, whom he defeated and killed, thus reuniting the whole of Bithynia under his rule.<ref name="memn_16_18_19_livy_38.16_just_25.2"/>

Little is known of the events that followed. It is likely that the Celts subsequently supported Nicomedes against Antiochus,<ref name="trog_25"/> but no details are recorded, either of the war or of the peace which ended it. It seems, however, that Nicomedes was left in the undisturbed possession of Bithynia, which he ruled from this time until his death, and which rose to great power and prosperity during his long and peaceful reign.

Following in the footsteps of his father and so many other Greek rulers of Asia, he decided to perpetuate his own name by founding a new capital, and the site he chose, near the [[Megara|Megarian]] [[Colonies in antiquity|colony]] of [[Astakos (ancient city)|Astakos]], was so wisely chosen that the city of [[Nicomedia]] remained one of the richest and most prosperous in Anatolia for more than six centuries.<ref name="memn_20_strab_12.4_steph_eus_paus_5.12_tzetz_3"/> The founding of Nicomedia is placed by [[Eusebius of Caesarea|Eusebius]] in 264 BC.

The length of Nicomedes' reign after this event is unknown, but his death is dated to around 255 BC. He had been married twice; by his first wife, Ditizele, a [[Phrygia]]n by birth, he had two sons, Prusias and [[Ziaelas of Bithynia|Ziaelas]], and a daughter, Lysandra; but his second wife, [[Etazeta of Bithynia|Etazeta]], persuaded him to put aside his children from his first marriage and leave his crown to her offspring.<ref name="memn_14" />

The latter were still infants at the time of his death, so he left them in the care of two kings, [[Antigonus II Gonatas]] and [[Ptolemy II Philadelphus]], along with the free cities of Heraclea Pontica, Byzantium and [[Cius]]. But despite these precautions, his son Ziaelas quickly established himself on the throne.<ref name="memn_22_tzetz_3_plin_8.61"/> It was probably this Nicomedes who tried to buy the famous statue of [[Aphrodite of Cnidus|Venus]] by [[Praxiteles]] from the city of [[Knidos]], offering to cancel all the city's public debts.<ref name="plin_7.39_36.4"/>