Career
Since these were still very young the king thought to strengthen the throne by offering the guardianship of the infants to the sovereigns Ptolemy II of Egypt and Antigonus II of Macedonia. Also the city-states of Byzantium, Heraclea and Cius were added to the guardianship. However, Nicomedes" first-born, Ziaelas, refused to accept his father"s decision and started a war against the stepmother to conquer the kingdom.