Kingdom of Pontus
The Asiatic Vespers (also known as the Asian Vespers, Ephesian Vespers, or the Vespers of 88 BC) refers to the genocide of Roman and other Latin-speaking peoples living in parts of western Anatolia in 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, which is considered one of the deadliest recorded genocides in Classical antiquity. The incident served as the "casus belli" or immediate cause of the First Mithridatic War between the Roman Republic and the Kingdom of Pontus.