Mithridates' Massacre of the Italians in 88 BC was a rebellion and large massacre of Romans by King Mithridates of Pontus in Anatolia, which came to be known as the "Asiatic Vespers", and would prove to be one of the most brutal and costly conflicts in Roman history. It would be years before peace was restored, and many lives would be lost on both sides. But in the end, Rome's power would be proven once more, and the rebellion would be quashed. It was a tragic and sobering reminder of the cost of empire.