Asiatic Vespers
The Asiatic Vespers (also known as the Asian Vespers, Ephesian Vespers, or the Vespers of 88 BC) refers to the massacres of Roman and other Latin-speaking peoples living in parts of western Anatolia c. early 88 BC by forces loyal to Mithridates VI Eupator, ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus, who orchestrated the massacre in an attempt to rid Asia Minor of Roman influence. An estimated 80,000 people were killed during the episode. The incident served as the casus belli or immediate cause of the First Mithridatic War between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Pontus.
| Asiatic Vespers | |
|---|---|
| Part of the First Mithridatic War | |
Asia Minor and surrounding region at the start of the First Mithridatic War, in 89 BC | |
| Location | Asia Minor |
| Date | c. early 88 BC |
Attack type | Mass murder and Genocide |
| Deaths | 80,000–150,000 |
| Victims | Romans and Latin-speaking peoples |
| Perpetrators | Mithridates VI Eupator |
| Motive | Purge Asia Minor of Roman influence |
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