Sauromates II was the ruler of the Bosporan Kingdom, a state located in eastern Crimea where a mixed population adopted the Greek language and culture and thrived on the export of wheat, fish, and slaves. As Romans came to dominate the Mediterranean world, the Bosporan Kingdom became a client state of Rome. Sauromates II claimed that he was a descendant of Hercules and appears to have been a handsome king. His reign brought a long period of peace to an abrupt end; he fought many wars with the natives and won victories against the Scythians and the Siraces, a hellenized tribe that inhabited the lands north of the Caucasus Mountains. He died in 210/211 CE.