Nysa (wife of Nicomedes III of Bithynia)

Nysa or Nyssa (Greek: Νύσ(σ)α, flourished second half of 2nd century BC) was a Princess from the Kingdom of Cappadocia in Anatolia.

Nysa was a royal of Greek Macedonian and Persian ancestry. She was the daughter and first-born child of the monarchs Ariarathes VI of Cappadocia and Laodice of Cappadocia.[1] Her parents were cousins and her younger brothers were the Kings Ariarathes VII of Cappadocia and Ariarathes VIII of Cappadocia. She was the namesake of her paternal grandmother Nysa of Cappadocia a previous Queen, wife of the previous King Ariarathes V of Cappadocia[2] and mother of Ariarathes VI. She was born and raised in Cappadocia.

At an unknown date, Nysa became the first wife Greek King Nicomedes III of Bithynia,[1] who reigned between from c. 127 BC to c. 94 BC. Nysa and Nicomedes III were distantly related as they held lineage from the Seleucid dynasty, the Antipatrid dynasty and the Antigonid dynasty. Through marriage, she became Queen of Bithynia.

Nysa bore Nicomedes III a daughter also named Nysa.[3] Not much is known about her life after her daughters birth. Nicomedes III married her mother after some time, possibly because Nysa died.

  1. ^ a b Gabelko, O. L., The Dynastic History of the Hellenistic Monarchies of Asia Minor According to Chronography of George Synkellos. pp. 9-10 [1] Archived 2011-03-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Cartledge, Hellenistic constructs: essays in culture, history and historiography p.139
  3. ^ Gabelko, O. L., The Dynastic History of the Hellenistic Monarchies of Asia Minor According to Chronography of George Synkellos, p.10 [2] Archived 2011-03-16 at the Wayback Machine