Editing Nicomedes II of Bithynia

{{short description|King of Bithynia, 149 – 127 BC}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name               = Nicomedes II
| succession         = [[King]] of [[Bithynia]]
| image              = Nicomedes II of Bithynia.jpg
| caption            = 
| reign              = 149 – 127 BC
| predecessor        = [[Prusias II]]
| successor          = [[Nicomedes III of Bithynia|Nicomedes III]]
| birth_date         = 
| birth_place        = Bithynia<br />(modern-day [[Turkey]])
| death_date         = 127 BC
| death_place        = [[Nicomedia]]<br />(modern-day [[İzmit]], [[Kocaeli Province|Kocaeli]], [[Turkey]])
| issue              = [[Nicomedes III of Bithynia|Nicomedes III]]<br>[[Nysa (wife of Nicomedes IV)|Nysa]]
| father             = Prusias II
| mother             = [[Apame IV]]
| religion           = [[Religion in ancient Greece|Greek Polytheism]]
| image_size         = 
| native_lang1       = Greek
| native_lang1_name1 = {{lang|grc|Νικομήδης Β΄}}
| queen              = 
| royal house        = 
}}

'''Nicomedes II Epiphanes''' ([[Ancient Greek|Greek]]: Νικομήδης ὁ Ἐπιφανής "Nicomedes God-Manifest") was the king of [[Bithynia]] from 149 to c. 127 BC. He was fourth in descent from [[Nicomedes I of Bithynia|Nicomedes I]]. Nicomedes II was the son and successor of [[Prusias II of Bithynia|Prusias II]] and [[Apame IV]]. His parents were related as they were maternal cousins.

==Life==
He was so popular with the people that his father sent him to [[Rome]] to limit his influence. However, in Rome, he also gained favor from the [[Roman Senate]], forcing Prusias to send an emissary named Menas with secret orders to assassinate him.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Appian|title=The Mithridatic Wars|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-mithridatic-wars/appian-the-mithridatic-wars-2/?#7|quote= He sent Menas as his fellow ambassador, and told him if he should secure a remission of the payments to spare Nicomedes, but if not, to kill him at Rome.}}</ref> But the emissary revealed the plot, and persuaded the prince to rebel against his father.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Appian|title=The Mithridatic Wars|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-mithridatic-wars/appian-the-mithridatic-wars-1/}}</ref>

Supported by [[Attalus II Philadelphus]], king of [[Pergamon]], he was completely successful, and ordered his father to be put to death at [[Nicomedia]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Appian|title=The Mithridatic Wars|url=https://www.livius.org/sources/content/appian/appian-the-mithridatic-wars/appian-the-mithridatic-wars-2/?#7|quote=Prusias fled to the temple of Zeus, where he was stabbed by some of the emissaries of Nicomedes.}}</ref> During his long reign Nicomedes adhered steadily to the Roman alliance, and assisted them against  the pretender to the throne of Pergamon [[Eumenes III]]. He was succeeded by his son [[Nicomedes III of Bithynia|Nicomedes III]].

Nicomedes introduced the [[Bithynian era]] for numbering years on his coins. This system was to last in parts of the Greek world down to the 4th century AD.<ref name=Højte>Jakob Munk Højte, "From Kingdom to Province: Reshaping Pontos after the Fall of Mithridates VI", in Tønnes Bekker-Nielsen (ed.), ''Rome and the Black Sea Region: Domination, Romanisation, Resistance'' (Aarhus University Press, 2006), 15–30.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}
* {{1911|wstitle=Nicomedes II.|volume=19|page=664}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Prusias II of Bithynia|Prusias II]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of rulers of Bithynia|King of Bithynia]]|years=149 BC – 127 BC}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Nicomedes III of Bithynia|Nicomedes III]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Hellenistic rulers}}

[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]
[[Category:127 BC deaths]]
[[Category:Monarchs of Bithynia]]
[[Category:2nd-century BC Kings of Bithynia]]

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