Bosporan War under Diocletian?

[Nathan Ross]

You may already be aware of it but the late Russian historian Benjamin Nadel wrote a paper on this supposed war in the 60s

I wasn't - thanks! A very interesting, and very detailed paper. I do think that Nadel has perhaps too readily overlooked the possibilities of this supposed war having happened at a different date though - although there's so very little to go on it's all speculation. But he makes a lot out of a little even so!

I did wonder whether a conflict like this might have happened as a repercussion of civil war within the empire - if the king of the Bosporus was perhaps a client or supporter of the losing side, and his invasion of Pontus intended to support his candidate by threatening the northern frontier, then he could still be 'pro-Roman'. If the war was under Diocletian, it might have happened early and been connected with the Margus campaign; if under Severus, the Bosporans could have been backers of Pescennius Niger, perhaps. Such a sideshow could easily have been ignored by Roman historians, more intent on what was happening on the main stage...