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Numedides
Numedides
Numedides, drawn by John Buscema for the Marvel Comics adaptation of Conan the Liberator
Characters Adapted from Other Works
First Appearance: "The Phoenix on the Sword" (posthumous reference)
Creator: Robert E. Howard
Nationality: Aquilonia
Religion: Mitraist polytheism
Date of Birth: Hyborian Age
Date of Death: Hyborian Age
Cause of Death: Strangulation
Relatives: Vilerus (uncle)
Political Office: King of Aquilonia
Appearing in:
Shared Universe Story
Conan of Venarium
Fantasy
Type of Appearance: Contemporary references

Numedides III, King of Aquilonia, is a fictional character created by Robert E. Howard. In "The Phoenix on the Sword" (1932) and a few other stories, he is referenced posthumously as having been "strangled on his throne" and supplanted by Conan the Cimmerian. This coup was later depicted in Conan the Liberator (1979) by L. Sprague de Camp.

Numedides in Conan of Venarium[]

King Numedides assigned Count Stercus to a high rank in the Aquilonian armies conquering Cimmeria. This was a politically sound move, as the count had become embroiled in a sex scandal in Numedides' capital Tarantia. Yet it proved to be a grave mistake in the long run: Stercus' behavior caused the conquered people to revolt, leading to the rise of a young rabble rouser named Conan.

Aquilonian soldiers used Numedides' name as a battle-cry during the invasion. The Cimmerian militiaman Mordec thought it somewhat comical that they used the name as if it were something to be reckoned with, rather than simply the name of a slavemaster.

Royal offices
(Fictional Work)
Preceded by
Vilerus
King of Aquilonia Succeeded by
Conan I
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