Hittites years of the Old Hittite Kingdom, can be explained in part by the nature of the Hittite kingship at that time. During the Old Hittite Kingdom period prior to 1400 BC, the king of the Hittites was not viewed by the Hittite citizenry as a "living god", like the Pharaohs of Egypt, but rather as a first among equals. Only in the later period of the Hittite Empire, from 1400 BC until 1200 BC, did the kingship of the Hittites become more centralized and powerful. Also in earlier years the succession was not legally fixed, enabling the "war of the
Ariarathes I of Cappadocia conquering the Achaemenid Empire and installed a governor there (though two different names of this governor are given). Nevertheless, during the time Alexander was ruler of the Achaemenid Empire, Ariarathes had managed to assume power as the first king of Cappadocians and even expanded the kingdom by subduing Cataonia. After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, the Macedonian general and regent Perdiccas appointed Eumenes as governor of Cappadocia; but when Ariarathes refused to submit to Eumenes, Perdiccas made war upon him. Ariarathes was defeated, taken prisoner and crucified, together with many of his relations, in 322 BC. Eumenes then