My vote goes to DU- he wrote an outstanding piece summarizing the labyrinthian intrigues and bold actions of the Kings of Pontus, from its relatively late inception to its utter demise.
There were a few grammatical mistakes towards the end, though:
"After his death his son Darius" maybe should read:
"After his death, his son Darius"
"they endured their Asian subjects to them" I feel would be better as:
" they endeared their Asian subjects to them"
" Perhaps if they had commanded men and resources comparably to what the Seleucid"-comparably to comparable like so:
" Perhaps if they had commanded men and resources comparable to what the Seleucid"
And this "Pharnaces broke the peace treaty and conquered Colchis and parts of Armenia with an overwhelming. "- missing a word at the end of the sentence. An overwhelming victory, or an overwhelming army?
Aside from those small grammatical errors, it was a very enjoyable piece and well-researched. It fulfilled all requisite criteria handily and easily. Thus it is a worthy recipient of my vote, which counts twice as I am a member of the Guild of the Skalds.