kingdom · Anatolia and the Levant

Polemonid Pontus

37 BCE – 62 CE

Polemonid Pontus, a Roman client kingdom on the Black Sea ruled by Polemon I, his queen Pythodorida and their son.

Origins

In 37 BCE Mark Antony made Polemon, son of the orator Zeno of Laodicea, king of part of the former Kingdom of Pontus. Polemon kept his throne after Actium by switching to Augustus and was also made king of the Bosporan Kingdom.

Rule and society

The kingdom covered the eastern Pontic coast and inland valleys, including Trapezus and Zela. After Polemon was killed c. 8 BCE, his widow Pythodorida, a granddaughter of Mark Antony, ruled in her own name for many years. Strabo, a native of the region, praised her government.

Decline and legacy

Caligula gave the kingdom to her grandson Polemon II in 38 CE. Nero deposed him in 62 CE and annexed Pontus to the Roman Empire.

Lineage

Kingdom of Pontus 281 BCE – 63 BCEPolemonid PontusRoman Empire 27 BCE – 476 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Polemonid Pontus. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/polemonid-pontus
MLA
“Polemonid Pontus.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/polemonid-pontus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Polemonid Pontus.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/polemonid-pontus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Polemonid Pontus’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/polemonid-pontus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻