Cappadocian Kingdom Ariarathes I

Ariarathes was the son of the Cappadocian satrap Ariamnes I and a devoted supporter of the Persian king Darius III. Although Alexander the Great conquered Cappadocia during his campaign against Persia, and installed a governor there, by the time of Alexander's death Ariarathes somehow had re-assumed power as the first king of Cappadocians, and even expanded the kingdom beyond its original borders. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Perdikkas appointed Eumenes as governor of Cappadocia, and when Ariarathes refused to submit, Perdikkas and Eumenes made war upon him. Ariarathes was defeated, taken prisoner, and crucified, together with many of his relations in 322 BC. Only a few years later, Perdikkas was murdered by his officers and Eumenes betrayed to his death; in this turmoil, the nephew and adopted son of Ariarathes [also named Ariarathes] was able to reclaim the kingdom, and left it to a line of successors who mostly bore the name of the founder of the dynasty.