Ariarathes IX Eusebes Philopator (, Ariaráthēs Eusebḗs Philopátōr; reigned c. 100–85 BC), was made king of Kingdom of Cappadocia, Cappadocia by his father Mithridates VI of Pontus after the assassination of Ariarathes VII of Cappadocia in c. 100 BC. Since he was only eight years old, he was put under the regency of the Cappadocian Gordius of Cappadocia, Gordius.
Early in his reign Cappadocian nobility quickly drove him from power in favor of a son of Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia, named Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia. In 95 BC Mithridates VI Eupator, Mithridates VI of Pontus entered Cappadocia with an army deposing Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia and restoring his son to the throne. After a short period of Kingdom of Pontus, Pontic rule, the Roman Senate intervened and forced him to return the throne to Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia, after a brief restoration and an attempt of creation of a republic, the Roman Senate directed the Cappadocians to vote by who they wanted to be ruled, and thus the kingdom passed to Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia, Ariobarzanes I Philoromaios.
Nevertheless, due to invasions of Cappadocia by Tigranes the Great, Tigranes II of Armenia, the brother-in-law of Ariarathes IX, Ariobarzanes I of Cappadocia was deposed and Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia was again restored to power on separate occasions in 93 BC and 92 BC. However, as soon as Tigranes the Great, Tigranes II of Armenia and his army returned home, Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia was deposed again by order of the Senate. Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia was restored to the throne for the last time at the outbreak of the First Mithridatic War, First Mithridatic War (89-85 BC).
He remained king of Cappadocia during the war but was forced to Abdication, abdicate after his father Mithridates VI of Pontus was defeated by the Romans in 85 BC. His last Ancient drachma, drachms minted in Cappadocia showed the symbol for regnal year 15, which corresponds to 86/5 BC.
According to Plutarch, Ariarathes IX was poisoned by his father (presumably while serving as a commander of his father's troops in northern Greece during the First Mithridatic War):
Coinage
The first coinage of Ariarathes IX of Cappadocia show the portrait of the young king with features that are reminiscent of earlier Cappadocian kings. The coins are of typical Cappadocian style, with Athena on the reverse and his title Eusebes, from his full title Eusebes Philopater. Soon after the coins started to bear a portrait which was much closer to that of his father Mithridates VI of Pontus, Dr. Imhoof-Blumer suggests that this portrait is actually the head of Mithridates VI of Pontus himself, and not that of his son Ariarathes IX.
The reason for this change is uncertain, but Mørkholm believes that when a group of Cappadocian nationalists revolted and promoted Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia as king, Mithridates VI Eupator, Mithridates VI of Pontus suppressed the revolt ca. 95 BC, and placed his portrait on the coinage pronouncing his rule over the Cappadocians.
In regnal year 13 and 15, which is 88/7 and 86/5 BC the drachms of Ariarathes IX show again a portrait of his father Mithridates VI of Pontus, during that time, the First Mithridatic War had started, and by placing his portrait on his son's coins he made their relationship perfectly clear to all beholders.
References
Kings of Cappadocia
1st-century BC monarchs in Asia
2nd-century BC monarchs in Asia
1st-century BC Iranian people
2nd-century BC Iranian people
Mithridatic dynasty
Children of Mithridates VI Eupator
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