Ariarathes VII Philometor ("mother-loving") ( grc, Ἀριαράθης Φιλομήτωρ, Ariaráthēs Philomḗtōr; reigned in 116–101 BC or 111–100 BC), King of

Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Re ...

, was the first son of King

Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia Ariarathes VI Epiphanes Philopator ( grc, Ἀριαράθης Ἐπιφανής Φιλοπάτωρ), was the Ariarathid king of Cappadocia from 130 BC to 116 BC. He was the youngest son of Ariarathes V of Cappadocia and Nysa of Cappadocia. Name ...

and his wife

Laodice of Cappadocia Berenice or Laodice of Cappadocia, also known as Laodice ( grc, Λαοδίκη ''Laodíkē''; flourished from the mid-120s BC to the 90s BC) was a princess from the Kingdom of Pontus and a queen of the Kingdom of Cappadocia by marriage to Ariara ...

. Ariarathes VII had an older sister called

Nysa Nysa may refer to: Greek Mythology * Nysa (mythology) or Nyseion, the mountainous region or mount (various traditional locations), where nymphs raised the young god Dionysus * Nysiads, nymphs of Mount Nysa who cared for and taught the infant ...

and a younger brother called Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia. In his first years he reigned under the regency of his mother Laodice, the eldest sister of the King Mithridates VI of Pontus. During this period the kingdom was seized by King

Nicomedes III of Bithynia Nicomedes III Euergetes ("the Benefactor", grc-gre, Νικομήδης Εὐεργέτης) was the king of Bithynia, from c. 127 BC to c. 94 BC. He was the son and successor of Nicomedes II of Bithynia. Life Memnon of Heraclea wrote that Nic ...

, who married Nysa. Nicomedes III was soon expelled by Mithridates VI, who restored upon the throne Ariarathes VII. However, Ariarathes VII objected to his father's assassin, and ally of Mithridates VI, Gordius, having a role in the government of Cappadocia. So Mithridates VI had Ariarathes VII killed in 101 BC. Mithridates VI then put onto the Cappadocian throne his own 9 year old son,

Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia Ariarathes IX Eusebes Philopator ( grc, Ἀριαράθης Εὐσεβής Φιλοπάτωρ, Ariaráthēs Eusebḗs Philopátōr; reigned c. 100–85 BC), was made king of Cappadocia by his father King Mithridates VI of Pontus after the assas ...

, with Gordius as the regent for the young king.

References

*Hazel, John; ''Who's Who in the Greek World'', "Ariarathes VII", (1999) *Head, Barclay; ''Historia Numorum''
"Cappadocia"
(1911) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ariarathes 07 Of Cappadocia Kings of Cappadocia 2nd-century BC rulers in Asia Ariarathid dynasty 2nd-century BC murdered monarchs