) At an earlier period chief
authority
for the events of this period, both
we find him vying with the other monarchs of Asia the year of his birth and that of his accession wero.
we find him vying with the other monarchs of Asia the year of his birth and that of his accession wero.
William Smith - 1844 - Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities - b
31, as he is mentioned by Plu- xiii.
p.
625 ; Dion Cass.
xlii.
48 ; Appian, Mithr.
tarch in that year among the allies of Antony. 121 ; Cic. Phil. ii. 37, de Dirin. ii. 37. ) But the
(Plut. Ant. 61. )
kingdom of the Bosporus still remained to be won,
Mithridates II. was made king of Commagene the title being all that it was really in the power
by Angustus, B. C. 20, when a mere boy. Dion of Caesar to bestow, for Asander, who had revolted
Cassius tells us that his father had been put to death against Pharnaces and put him to death on his re-
by the previous king: hence it seems probable turn to his own dominions, was in fact master of
that he was a son of the preceding (Diop Cass. the whole country, and Mithridates having soon
The kings
scended fro:
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Anobarzai
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IT. 90. )
MITAR
whom he
(Diod. It
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first satte
and sixth
Great. (1
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extende
## p. 1095 (#1111) ##########################################
MITHRIDATES.
1095
MITHRIDATES.
P
after attempted to establish himself in his new countries, and thus became the founder of the
sovereignty and expel Asander, was defeated and kingdom of Pontus (Appian, Mithr. 9 ; Strab.
slain. (Strab. L c. ; Dion Cass. xlii. 48, xlvii. xii. p. 562 ; Plut. Demetr. 4. ) The period of the
26. )
(E. H. B. ) flight of Mithridates is uncertain, but it must have
MITHRIDA'TES, kings of Pontus. The first taken place as early as 318, as we find him at the
of these, however, was not really an independent close of 317 supporting Eumenes in the war against
monarch, but merely a satrap under the Persian Antigonus. (Diod. xix. 40. ) From this time we
king ; and it would be more correct to omit bim in hear no more of him till his death in B. C. 302, but
the enumeration, and reckon the one who comes it appears that he had submitted again to at least
next in order as Mithridates I. ; but the ordinary a nominal subjection to Antigonus, who now pro-
practice has been here followed for convenience. cured his assassination, to prevent him from joining
The kings of Pontus claimed to be lineally de the league of Cassander and his confederates. He
scended from one of the seven Persians who had seems, however, to have before this established
conspired against the Magi, and who was subse himself firmly in his kingdom, in which he was
quently established by Dareius Hystaspes in the succeeded without opposition by his son Mithri-
government of the countries bordering on the dates. (Diod. xx. 111; Appian, Milkr. 9. ) Ac-
Euxine Sea (Polyb. v. 43 ; Diod. xix. 40 ; Aur. cording to Lucian (Macrob. 13), he was not less
Vict de Vir. Ilust. 76. ) They also asserted their than eighty-four years of age at the time of his
descent from the royal house of the Achaemenides, death, which renders it not improbable, as suggested
to which the kings of Persia belonged, but we know by Clinton (F. H. jii. p. 422), that he is the same
not how they made out this part of their pedigree. as the Mithridates, son of Ariobarzanes, who in his
Very little is known of their history until after youth circumvented and put to death Datames.
the fall of the Persian empire.
(DATAMES. ] Plutarch is clearly in error when he
MITHRIDATES I. , son of Ariobarzanes (probably calls him a young man at the time of his flight,
of the first prince of that name), is mentioned by and a contemporary of Demetrius. (See Clinton,
Xenophon (Cyr. viii. 8. § 4) as having betrayed 4. C. , and Droysen, Hellenism. tom. i. p. 44, 298. )
his father, and the same circumstance is alluded to MITHRIDATES III. , son of the preceding, whom
by Aristotle (Pol. v. 10). Eckhel supposes him he succeeded on the throne in B. C. 302. He is
to be the same with the Mithridates who accom- said to have added largely to the dominions in-
panied the younger Cyrus, but there is certainly no herited from his father, by the acquisition of great
proof of this. He may, however, be the same with part of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, but whether
the Mithridates mentioned by Xenophon (Anab. by conquest or by the cession of the Macedonian
vii. 8. § 25) as satrap of Cappadocia and Lycaonia. rulers of Asia does not appear. (Diod. xx. 111. )
It appears that he was dead before B. C. 363, when In B. c. 281 we find him concluding an alliance
Ariobarzanes II. made himself master of the coun- with the Heracleans, to protect them against Se-
tries which had been subject to his rule. (Diod. leucus (Memnon, c. 11, ed. Orell. ); and at a sub-
xv. 90. )
sequent period, availing himself of the services of
MITHRIDATES II. , son of Ariobarzanes II. , the Gauls, then lately settled in Asia, to overthrow
whom he succeeded on the throne in B. C. 337. a force sent against him by Ptolemy, king of
(Diod. xvi. 90. ) He is frequently called ó KTIGTÁS, Egypt. (Steph. Byz. v. 'Aykupa) These are the
as having been the founder of the independent only events recorded of his reign, which lasted
kingdom of Pontus, and ought certainly to be dis- thirty-six years. He was succeeded by his son
tingished as Mithridates I. According to Appian Ariobarzanes III.
(Mithr. 112) he was eighth in descent from the MITHRIDATES IV. , grandson of the preced-
first satrap of Pontus under Dareius Hystaspes, ing, was the son and successor of Ariobarzanes
and sixth in ascending order from Mithridates the III. He was a minor at the death of his father,
Great. (Ibid. 9; see Clinton, F. H. vol. iii. p. 423. ) but the period of his accession cannot be deter-
Diodorus assigns him a reign of thirty-five years, mined. Clinton places it as low as 242 or 240
but it appears certain that he did not hold unin- B. C. , while Droysen (Hellenism. vol. ii. p. 355)
terrupted possession of the sovereignty during that carries it back nearly to 258. It seems probable
period. What circumstances led to his expulsion that it must be placed considerably before 240, as
or subjection we know not ; indeed we meet with Memnon tells us that he was a child at his father's
no farther notice of him from the date of his ac- death, and he had a daughter of marriageable age
cession already mentioned until some time after in 222. Shortly after his accession his kingdom
the death of Alexander, when we find him attend- was invaded by the Gauls, who were, however,
ing, apparently in a private, or at least subordinate, repulsed. (Memnon, c. 24, ed. Orell. ) After he
capacity, upon the court and camp of Antigonus. had attained to manhood he married a sister of
Probably he had been compelled to submit to the Seleucus Callinicus, with whom he is said to have
Macedonian yoke at the time that Cappadocia was received the province of Phrygia as a dowry.
conquered by Perdiccas, B. c. 322. He seems to (Euseb. Arm. p. 164 ; Justin. xxxviii. 5. ). But
have enjoyed a high place in the favour and con- notwithstanding this alliance, we find him, during
fidence of Antigonus, until that potentate, alarmed the war between Seleucus and Antiochus Hierax,
at a dream he had had, foretelling the future great taking part against the former, whom he defeated
ness of Mithridates, was induced to form the in a great battle, in which Seleucus lost 20,000 of
project of putting him to death. Mithridates, his troops, and narrowly escaped with his own life.
however, received from Demetrius timely notice of (Euseb. Arm. p. 165. ) In B. c. 222, Mithridates
his father's intentions, and fled with a few followers gave his daughter Laodice in marriage to Antiochus
to Paphlagonia, where he occupied a strong fortress, III. : another of his daughters, also named Laodice,
called Cimiata, and being joined by numerous was married about the same time to Achaeus, the
bodies of troops from different quarters, gradually cousin of Antiochus. (Polyb. v. 43, 74, viii. 22. )
extended his dominion over the neighbouring In B. C. 220 Mithridates made war upon the
3
TOT
EX
lim
warranty
117
## p. 1096 (#1112) ##########################################
1096
MITHRIDATES,
. -MITHRIDATES.
Rorok
Chenna
A fort
morth
marks
črecti
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death
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P. 306
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Roma
with
Michi
an op
his a
wealthy and powerful city of Sinope, but it appears | Romans ; and much of what has been transmitted
that he was unable to reduce it, and it did not fall to us wears a very suspicious, if not fabulous,
into the power of the kings of Pontus until long aspect. According to Justin, unfortunately our
afterwards. (Id. iv. 56.
) At an earlier period chief authority for the events of this period, both
we find him vying with the other monarchs of Asia the year of his birth and that of his accession wero.
in sending magnificent presents to the Rhodians, marked by the appearance of comets of portentous
after the subversion of their city by an earthquake. magnitude. The same author tells us that im-
(Id. v. 90. ) The date of his death is unknown, mediately on ascending the throne he found himself
but Clinton assigns it conjecturally to about B. c. assailed by the designs of his guardians (perhaps
190. He was succeeded by his son Pharpaces. some of those who had conspired against his
[PHARNACES I. ]
father's life), but that he succeeded in eluding all
MITHRIDATES V. , surnamed EVERGETES, was their machinations, partly by displaying a courage
the son of Pharnaces 1. . . and grandson of the pre and address in warlike exercises beyond bis years,
ceding. (Justin. xxxviii. 3; Clinton. F. H. vol. partly by the use of antidotes against poison, to
iii. p. 426. ) The period of his accession is wholly which he began thus early to accustom himself. In
uncertain ; we only know that he was on the order to evade the designs formed against his life,
throne in B. c. 154, when he is mentioned as send he also devoted much of his time to hunting, and
ing an auxiliary force to the assistance of Attalus took refuge in the remotest and most unfrequented
II. against Prusias, king of Bithynia. (Polyb. regions, under pretence of pursuing the pleasures
xxxiii. 10. ) But as much as twenty-five years of the chase. (Justin. xxxvii. 2. ) Whatever
before (B. c. 179), his name is associated with that truth there may be in these accounts, it is certain
of his father in the treaty concluded by Pharnaces that when he attained to manhood, and assumed in
with Eumenes, in a manner that would lead one to person the administration of his kingdom, he was not
suppose he was already admitted to some share in only endowed with consummate skill in all martial
the sovereign power. (Polyb. xxvi. 6. ) He was exercises, and possessed of a bodily frame inured
the first of the kings of Pontus who entered into a to all hardships, as well as a spirit to brave every
regular alliance with the Romans, whom he sup- danger, but his naturally vigorous intellect had been
ported with some ships and a small auxiliary force improved by careful culture. As a boy he had
during the third Punic war. (Appian, Mithr. 10. ) been brought up at Sinope, where be had probably
At a subsequent period he rendered them more received the elements of a Greek education; and so
efficient assistance in the war against Aristonicus powerful was his memory, that he is said to have
(B. c. 131-129), and for his services on this oc- learnt not less than twenty-five languages, and to
casion was rewarded by the consul M'. Aquillius have been able in the days of his greatest power to
with the province of Phrygia. The acts of Aquil- transact business with the deputies of every tribe
lius were rescinded by the senate on the ground of subject to his rule in their own peculiar dialect.
bribery, but it appears that Mithridates continued (Justin. l. c. ; Plin. H. N. xxv. 2; A. Gell. xvii.
in possession of Phrygia till his death. (Just. 17; Val. Max. viii. 7, ext. 16 ; Strab. xii. p. 545. )
xxxvii. 1, xxxviii. 5 ; Appian, Mithr. 12, 56, 57; The first steps of his career, like those of most
Oros. v. 10; Eutrop. iv. 20, who, however, con- Eastern despots, were marked by blood. He is
founds him with his son. ) The close of his reign said to have established himself in the possession
can only be determined approximately, from the of the sovereign power by the death of his mother,
statements concerning the accession of his son, to whom a share in the royal authority had been
which assign it to the year 120. He was assassin-left by Mithridates Euergetes ; and this was fol-
ated at Sinope by a conspiracy among his own lowed by the assassination of his brother. (Mem-
immediate attendants. (Strab. x. p. 477. ) non, c. 30 ; Appian, Mithr. 112. ) As soon as he
MITHRIDATES VI. , surnamed EUPATOR, and had by these means established himself firmly on
also Dionysus, but more commonly known by the the throne of Pontus (under which name was com-
name of the Great (a title which is not, how- prised also a part of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia),
ever, bestowed on him by any ancient historian), he began to turn his arms against the neighbouring
was the son and successor of the preceding. We nations. On the West, however, his progress was
have no precise statement of the year of his birth, hemmed in by the power of Rome, and the minor
and great discrepancies occur in those concerning sovereigns of Bithynia and Cappadocia enjoyed
his age and the duration of his reign. Strabo, the all-powerful protection of that republic. But
who was likely to be well informed in regard to on the East his ambition found free scope. He
the history of his native country, affirms that he subdued the barbarian tribes in the interior, be
was eleven years old at the period of his accession tween the Euxine and the confines of Armenia,
(x. p. 477), and this statement agrees with the including the whole of Colchis and the province
account of Appian, that he was sixty-eight or called Lesser Armenia (which was ceded to him by
sixty-nine years old at the time of his death, of its ruler Antipater), and even extended his con-
which he had reigned fifty-seven. Memnon, on quests beyond the Caucasus, where he reduced to
the other hand (c. 30, ed. Orell. ), makes him subjection some of the wild Scythian tribes that
thirteen at the time when he ascended the throne, bordered on the Tanaïs. The fame of his arms
and Dion Cassius (xxxv. 9) calls him above seventy and the great extension of his power led Parisades,
years old in B. C. 68, which would make him at king of the Bosporus, as well as the Greek cities of
least seventy-five at his death, but this last account Chersonesus and Olbia, to place themselves under
is certainly erroneous. If Appian's statement his protection, in order to obtain his assistance
concerning the length of his reign be correct, we against the barbarians of the North—the Sarmil-
may place his accession in B. c. 120.
tians and Roxolani, Mithridates entrusted the
We have very imperfect information concerning conduct of this war to his generals Diophantus and
the earlier years of his reign, as indeed during the Neoptolemus, whose efforts were crowned with
whole period which preceded his wars with the complete success : they carried their victorious artis
minor
which
father
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## p. 1097 (#1113) ##########################################
os
1097
MITHRIDATES.
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from the Tanaïs to the Tyras, totally defeated the as their sovereign. Mithridates hereapon invaded
Roxolani, and rendered the whole of the Tauric Cappadocia again, and drove out thiz new com-
Chersonese tributary to the kingdom of Pontus. petitor, who died shortly after. But the Roman
A fortress called the tower of Neoptolemus, at the senate now interfered, and appointed a Cappadocian
mouth of the river Tyras (Dniester), probably named Ariobarzanes to be king of that country
marks the extreme limit of liis conquests in that (B. C. 93). Mithridates did not renture openly to
direction ; but be is said to have entered into oppose this nomination, but he secretly instigated
friendly relations with and possessed much influ- Tigranes, king of Armenia, to invade Cappadocia,
ence over the Getae and other wild tribes, as far as and expel Ariobarzanes. The latter, being wholly
the borders of Thrace and Macedonia After the unable to cope with the power of Tigranes, im-
death of Parisades, the kingdom of Bosporus itself mediately fled to Rome ; and Sulla, who was at
was incorporated with his dominions. (Strab. vii. the time praetor in Cilicia, was appointed to rein-
p. 306, 307, 309-312, xi. p. 499, xii. p. 540, state him, B. c. 92. Mithridates took no part in
541, 555; Appian, Mithr. 15; Memnon, c. 30 ; preventing this; and clearly as all things were in
Justin. xxxvii. 3; Niebuhr, K%. Schrift. p. 388— fact tending to a rupture between him and Rome,
390. )
he still continued nominally to enjoy the friendship
While he was thus extending his own 50- and alliance of the Roman people which had been
vereignty, he did not neglect to strengthen himself bestowed by treaty upon his father. (Justin.
by forming alliances with his more powerful neigh. xxxviii. 1-3; Appinn, Mithr. 10, 12, 14; Mem-
bours, especially with Tigranes, king of Armenia, non, c. 30 ; Plut. Sull. 5. ) But this state of things
to whom he gave his daughter Cleopatra in mar- did not last long ; and the death of Nicomedes II. ,
riage, as well as with the warlike nations of the king of Bithynia, by opening a new field to the
Parthians and Iberians. He thus found himself in ambition of Mithridates, at length brought matters
possession of such great power and extensive re- to a crisis. That monarch was succeeded by his
sources, that he began to deem himself equal to a eldest son Nicomedes III. , but Mithridates took
contest with Rome itself. Many causes of dis- the opportunity, on what pretext we know not, to
sension had already arisen between them, and the set up a rival claimant in the person of Socrates, a
Romans had given abundant proofs of the jealousy, younger brother of Nicomedes, whose pretensions
with which they regarded the rising greatness of he supported with an army, and quickly drove
Mithridates, but that monarch had hitherto avoided Nicomedes out Bithynia, B. C. 90. It appears to
an open rupture with the republic. Shortly after have been about the same time that he openly
his accession they had taken advantage of his invaded Cappadocia, and for the second time ex-
minority to wrest from him the province of Phrygia, pelled Ariobarzanes from his kingdom, establishing
which had been bestowed by Aquillius upon his his own son Ariarathes in his place. Both the
father. (Justin. xxxviii. 5; Appian, Mithr. i. fugitive princes had recourse to Rome, where they
57. ) At a subsequent period also they had inter- found ready support: a decree was passed that
posed to prevent him from making himself master of Nicomedes and Ariobarzanes should be restored to
Paphlagonia, to which kingdom he claimed to be their respective kingdoms, and the execution of it
entitled by the will of the last inonarch. (Justin. was confided to two consular legates, the chief of
xxxvii. 4. ) On both these occasions Mithridates whom was M'. Aquillius, while L. Cassius, who
submitted to the imperious mandates of Rome ; commanded in the Roman province of Asia, was
but he was far from disposed to acquiesce per- ordered to support them with what forces he had
manently in the arrangements thus forced upon at his disposal. (Appian, Mithr. 10, 11, 13;
him for a time, and it can hardly be doubted that Justin. xxxvii. 3,5; Memnon, c. 30;
Liv. Epit.
he was already aiming at the conquest of the neigh- lxxiv. )
bouring states which enjoyed the protection of the It is not very easy to understand or account for
Roman republic, with a view to make himself the conduct of Mithridates at this period, as related
master of the whole of Asia Cappadocia above all to us in the very imperfect accounts which we
appears to have been the constant object of his possess. It seems probable that he was emboldened
ambition, as it had indeed been that of the kings to make these direct attacks upon the allies of
of Pontus from a very early period. Ariarathes Rome by the knowledge that the arms of the re-
VI. , king of that country, had married Laodice, public were sufficiently occupied at home by the
the sister of Mithridates, notwithstanding which, Social War, which was now devastating Italy.
the latter procured his assassination, through the But, although that war did in fact prevent the
agency of one Gordius. His design was probably Romans from rendering any efficient support to the
to remove his infant nephews also, and unite Cap-monarchs whose cause they had espoused, Mithri-
padocia to his own dominions ; but Laodice having dates offered no opposition to their proceedings,
thrown herself upon the protection of Nicomedes, but yielded once more, as it would seem, to the very
king of Bithynia, he tumed his arms against that name of Rome, and allowed the consular legates
monarch, whom he expelled from Cappadocia, and and L. Cassius, at the head of a few cohorts only,
set up Ariarathes, one of the sons of Laodice, and to reinstate both Nicomedes and Ariobarzanes.
his own nephew, as king of the country. But it He even went so far as to put to death Socrates,
was not long before he found a cause of quarrel whom he had himself incited to lay claim to the
with the young man whom he had thus established, throne of Bithynia, and who now, when expelled
in consequence of which he invaded his dominions by the Romans, naturally sought refuge at his
with a large army, and having inrited him to a court. (Appian, Mithr, ll; Justin. xxxviii. 5. )
conference, assassinated him with his own hand. Yet about this time we are told, that ambassadors
He now placed an infant son of his own, on whom having been sent to him by the Italian allies that
he had bestowed the name of Ariarathes, upon the were in arms against Rome to court his alliance,
throne of Cappadocia, but the people rose in re he promised to co-operate with them, when he had
bellion, and set up the second son of Ariarathes Vi. first expelled the Romans from Asia. (Diod.
on peut
5,2; A. Geri
Siratp.
ike shoxe d und
br blood. Bei
If in the parent
leath of time
anthority had been
8
is brother.
tarch in that year among the allies of Antony. 121 ; Cic. Phil. ii. 37, de Dirin. ii. 37. ) But the
(Plut. Ant. 61. )
kingdom of the Bosporus still remained to be won,
Mithridates II. was made king of Commagene the title being all that it was really in the power
by Angustus, B. C. 20, when a mere boy. Dion of Caesar to bestow, for Asander, who had revolted
Cassius tells us that his father had been put to death against Pharnaces and put him to death on his re-
by the previous king: hence it seems probable turn to his own dominions, was in fact master of
that he was a son of the preceding (Diop Cass. the whole country, and Mithridates having soon
The kings
scended fro:
conspired a
quently esta
government
Eurine Sea
Vic. de To
descent front
to which the
not how thi
Very little
the fall of t
MITHRI
of the first
Xenophon
his father,
by Aristoti
to be the
penied the
proof of th
the Mithr
TÜ 8. 923
It appears
Anobarzai
tries which
IT. 90. )
MITAR
whom he
(Diod. It
haring
kingdon
tingished
(Mitar. I
first satte
and sixth
Great. (1
Diodorus
bat it apo
terrupted
period.
or subjec
Do farthe
Cession
the deat
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Probabl
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to Papb
.
talled
bodies
extende
## p. 1095 (#1111) ##########################################
MITHRIDATES.
1095
MITHRIDATES.
P
after attempted to establish himself in his new countries, and thus became the founder of the
sovereignty and expel Asander, was defeated and kingdom of Pontus (Appian, Mithr. 9 ; Strab.
slain. (Strab. L c. ; Dion Cass. xlii. 48, xlvii. xii. p. 562 ; Plut. Demetr. 4. ) The period of the
26. )
(E. H. B. ) flight of Mithridates is uncertain, but it must have
MITHRIDA'TES, kings of Pontus. The first taken place as early as 318, as we find him at the
of these, however, was not really an independent close of 317 supporting Eumenes in the war against
monarch, but merely a satrap under the Persian Antigonus. (Diod. xix. 40. ) From this time we
king ; and it would be more correct to omit bim in hear no more of him till his death in B. C. 302, but
the enumeration, and reckon the one who comes it appears that he had submitted again to at least
next in order as Mithridates I. ; but the ordinary a nominal subjection to Antigonus, who now pro-
practice has been here followed for convenience. cured his assassination, to prevent him from joining
The kings of Pontus claimed to be lineally de the league of Cassander and his confederates. He
scended from one of the seven Persians who had seems, however, to have before this established
conspired against the Magi, and who was subse himself firmly in his kingdom, in which he was
quently established by Dareius Hystaspes in the succeeded without opposition by his son Mithri-
government of the countries bordering on the dates. (Diod. xx. 111; Appian, Milkr. 9. ) Ac-
Euxine Sea (Polyb. v. 43 ; Diod. xix. 40 ; Aur. cording to Lucian (Macrob. 13), he was not less
Vict de Vir. Ilust. 76. ) They also asserted their than eighty-four years of age at the time of his
descent from the royal house of the Achaemenides, death, which renders it not improbable, as suggested
to which the kings of Persia belonged, but we know by Clinton (F. H. jii. p. 422), that he is the same
not how they made out this part of their pedigree. as the Mithridates, son of Ariobarzanes, who in his
Very little is known of their history until after youth circumvented and put to death Datames.
the fall of the Persian empire.
(DATAMES. ] Plutarch is clearly in error when he
MITHRIDATES I. , son of Ariobarzanes (probably calls him a young man at the time of his flight,
of the first prince of that name), is mentioned by and a contemporary of Demetrius. (See Clinton,
Xenophon (Cyr. viii. 8. § 4) as having betrayed 4. C. , and Droysen, Hellenism. tom. i. p. 44, 298. )
his father, and the same circumstance is alluded to MITHRIDATES III. , son of the preceding, whom
by Aristotle (Pol. v. 10). Eckhel supposes him he succeeded on the throne in B. C. 302. He is
to be the same with the Mithridates who accom- said to have added largely to the dominions in-
panied the younger Cyrus, but there is certainly no herited from his father, by the acquisition of great
proof of this. He may, however, be the same with part of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, but whether
the Mithridates mentioned by Xenophon (Anab. by conquest or by the cession of the Macedonian
vii. 8. § 25) as satrap of Cappadocia and Lycaonia. rulers of Asia does not appear. (Diod. xx. 111. )
It appears that he was dead before B. C. 363, when In B. c. 281 we find him concluding an alliance
Ariobarzanes II. made himself master of the coun- with the Heracleans, to protect them against Se-
tries which had been subject to his rule. (Diod. leucus (Memnon, c. 11, ed. Orell. ); and at a sub-
xv. 90. )
sequent period, availing himself of the services of
MITHRIDATES II. , son of Ariobarzanes II. , the Gauls, then lately settled in Asia, to overthrow
whom he succeeded on the throne in B. C. 337. a force sent against him by Ptolemy, king of
(Diod. xvi. 90. ) He is frequently called ó KTIGTÁS, Egypt. (Steph. Byz. v. 'Aykupa) These are the
as having been the founder of the independent only events recorded of his reign, which lasted
kingdom of Pontus, and ought certainly to be dis- thirty-six years. He was succeeded by his son
tingished as Mithridates I. According to Appian Ariobarzanes III.
(Mithr. 112) he was eighth in descent from the MITHRIDATES IV. , grandson of the preced-
first satrap of Pontus under Dareius Hystaspes, ing, was the son and successor of Ariobarzanes
and sixth in ascending order from Mithridates the III. He was a minor at the death of his father,
Great. (Ibid. 9; see Clinton, F. H. vol. iii. p. 423. ) but the period of his accession cannot be deter-
Diodorus assigns him a reign of thirty-five years, mined. Clinton places it as low as 242 or 240
but it appears certain that he did not hold unin- B. C. , while Droysen (Hellenism. vol. ii. p. 355)
terrupted possession of the sovereignty during that carries it back nearly to 258. It seems probable
period. What circumstances led to his expulsion that it must be placed considerably before 240, as
or subjection we know not ; indeed we meet with Memnon tells us that he was a child at his father's
no farther notice of him from the date of his ac- death, and he had a daughter of marriageable age
cession already mentioned until some time after in 222. Shortly after his accession his kingdom
the death of Alexander, when we find him attend- was invaded by the Gauls, who were, however,
ing, apparently in a private, or at least subordinate, repulsed. (Memnon, c. 24, ed. Orell. ) After he
capacity, upon the court and camp of Antigonus. had attained to manhood he married a sister of
Probably he had been compelled to submit to the Seleucus Callinicus, with whom he is said to have
Macedonian yoke at the time that Cappadocia was received the province of Phrygia as a dowry.
conquered by Perdiccas, B. c. 322. He seems to (Euseb. Arm. p. 164 ; Justin. xxxviii. 5. ). But
have enjoyed a high place in the favour and con- notwithstanding this alliance, we find him, during
fidence of Antigonus, until that potentate, alarmed the war between Seleucus and Antiochus Hierax,
at a dream he had had, foretelling the future great taking part against the former, whom he defeated
ness of Mithridates, was induced to form the in a great battle, in which Seleucus lost 20,000 of
project of putting him to death. Mithridates, his troops, and narrowly escaped with his own life.
however, received from Demetrius timely notice of (Euseb. Arm. p. 165. ) In B. c. 222, Mithridates
his father's intentions, and fled with a few followers gave his daughter Laodice in marriage to Antiochus
to Paphlagonia, where he occupied a strong fortress, III. : another of his daughters, also named Laodice,
called Cimiata, and being joined by numerous was married about the same time to Achaeus, the
bodies of troops from different quarters, gradually cousin of Antiochus. (Polyb. v. 43, 74, viii. 22. )
extended his dominion over the neighbouring In B. C. 220 Mithridates made war upon the
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wealthy and powerful city of Sinope, but it appears | Romans ; and much of what has been transmitted
that he was unable to reduce it, and it did not fall to us wears a very suspicious, if not fabulous,
into the power of the kings of Pontus until long aspect. According to Justin, unfortunately our
afterwards. (Id. iv. 56.
) At an earlier period chief authority for the events of this period, both
we find him vying with the other monarchs of Asia the year of his birth and that of his accession wero.
in sending magnificent presents to the Rhodians, marked by the appearance of comets of portentous
after the subversion of their city by an earthquake. magnitude. The same author tells us that im-
(Id. v. 90. ) The date of his death is unknown, mediately on ascending the throne he found himself
but Clinton assigns it conjecturally to about B. c. assailed by the designs of his guardians (perhaps
190. He was succeeded by his son Pharpaces. some of those who had conspired against his
[PHARNACES I. ]
father's life), but that he succeeded in eluding all
MITHRIDATES V. , surnamed EVERGETES, was their machinations, partly by displaying a courage
the son of Pharnaces 1. . . and grandson of the pre and address in warlike exercises beyond bis years,
ceding. (Justin. xxxviii. 3; Clinton. F. H. vol. partly by the use of antidotes against poison, to
iii. p. 426. ) The period of his accession is wholly which he began thus early to accustom himself. In
uncertain ; we only know that he was on the order to evade the designs formed against his life,
throne in B. c. 154, when he is mentioned as send he also devoted much of his time to hunting, and
ing an auxiliary force to the assistance of Attalus took refuge in the remotest and most unfrequented
II. against Prusias, king of Bithynia. (Polyb. regions, under pretence of pursuing the pleasures
xxxiii. 10. ) But as much as twenty-five years of the chase. (Justin. xxxvii. 2. ) Whatever
before (B. c. 179), his name is associated with that truth there may be in these accounts, it is certain
of his father in the treaty concluded by Pharnaces that when he attained to manhood, and assumed in
with Eumenes, in a manner that would lead one to person the administration of his kingdom, he was not
suppose he was already admitted to some share in only endowed with consummate skill in all martial
the sovereign power. (Polyb. xxvi. 6. ) He was exercises, and possessed of a bodily frame inured
the first of the kings of Pontus who entered into a to all hardships, as well as a spirit to brave every
regular alliance with the Romans, whom he sup- danger, but his naturally vigorous intellect had been
ported with some ships and a small auxiliary force improved by careful culture. As a boy he had
during the third Punic war. (Appian, Mithr. 10. ) been brought up at Sinope, where be had probably
At a subsequent period he rendered them more received the elements of a Greek education; and so
efficient assistance in the war against Aristonicus powerful was his memory, that he is said to have
(B. c. 131-129), and for his services on this oc- learnt not less than twenty-five languages, and to
casion was rewarded by the consul M'. Aquillius have been able in the days of his greatest power to
with the province of Phrygia. The acts of Aquil- transact business with the deputies of every tribe
lius were rescinded by the senate on the ground of subject to his rule in their own peculiar dialect.
bribery, but it appears that Mithridates continued (Justin. l. c. ; Plin. H. N. xxv. 2; A. Gell. xvii.
in possession of Phrygia till his death. (Just. 17; Val. Max. viii. 7, ext. 16 ; Strab. xii. p. 545. )
xxxvii. 1, xxxviii. 5 ; Appian, Mithr. 12, 56, 57; The first steps of his career, like those of most
Oros. v. 10; Eutrop. iv. 20, who, however, con- Eastern despots, were marked by blood. He is
founds him with his son. ) The close of his reign said to have established himself in the possession
can only be determined approximately, from the of the sovereign power by the death of his mother,
statements concerning the accession of his son, to whom a share in the royal authority had been
which assign it to the year 120. He was assassin-left by Mithridates Euergetes ; and this was fol-
ated at Sinope by a conspiracy among his own lowed by the assassination of his brother. (Mem-
immediate attendants. (Strab. x. p. 477. ) non, c. 30 ; Appian, Mithr. 112. ) As soon as he
MITHRIDATES VI. , surnamed EUPATOR, and had by these means established himself firmly on
also Dionysus, but more commonly known by the the throne of Pontus (under which name was com-
name of the Great (a title which is not, how- prised also a part of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia),
ever, bestowed on him by any ancient historian), he began to turn his arms against the neighbouring
was the son and successor of the preceding. We nations. On the West, however, his progress was
have no precise statement of the year of his birth, hemmed in by the power of Rome, and the minor
and great discrepancies occur in those concerning sovereigns of Bithynia and Cappadocia enjoyed
his age and the duration of his reign. Strabo, the all-powerful protection of that republic. But
who was likely to be well informed in regard to on the East his ambition found free scope. He
the history of his native country, affirms that he subdued the barbarian tribes in the interior, be
was eleven years old at the period of his accession tween the Euxine and the confines of Armenia,
(x. p. 477), and this statement agrees with the including the whole of Colchis and the province
account of Appian, that he was sixty-eight or called Lesser Armenia (which was ceded to him by
sixty-nine years old at the time of his death, of its ruler Antipater), and even extended his con-
which he had reigned fifty-seven. Memnon, on quests beyond the Caucasus, where he reduced to
the other hand (c. 30, ed. Orell. ), makes him subjection some of the wild Scythian tribes that
thirteen at the time when he ascended the throne, bordered on the Tanaïs. The fame of his arms
and Dion Cassius (xxxv. 9) calls him above seventy and the great extension of his power led Parisades,
years old in B. C. 68, which would make him at king of the Bosporus, as well as the Greek cities of
least seventy-five at his death, but this last account Chersonesus and Olbia, to place themselves under
is certainly erroneous. If Appian's statement his protection, in order to obtain his assistance
concerning the length of his reign be correct, we against the barbarians of the North—the Sarmil-
may place his accession in B. c. 120.
tians and Roxolani, Mithridates entrusted the
We have very imperfect information concerning conduct of this war to his generals Diophantus and
the earlier years of his reign, as indeed during the Neoptolemus, whose efforts were crowned with
whole period which preceded his wars with the complete success : they carried their victorious artis
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Roxolani, and rendered the whole of the Tauric Cappadocia again, and drove out thiz new com-
Chersonese tributary to the kingdom of Pontus. petitor, who died shortly after. But the Roman
A fortress called the tower of Neoptolemus, at the senate now interfered, and appointed a Cappadocian
mouth of the river Tyras (Dniester), probably named Ariobarzanes to be king of that country
marks the extreme limit of liis conquests in that (B. C. 93). Mithridates did not renture openly to
direction ; but be is said to have entered into oppose this nomination, but he secretly instigated
friendly relations with and possessed much influ- Tigranes, king of Armenia, to invade Cappadocia,
ence over the Getae and other wild tribes, as far as and expel Ariobarzanes. The latter, being wholly
the borders of Thrace and Macedonia After the unable to cope with the power of Tigranes, im-
death of Parisades, the kingdom of Bosporus itself mediately fled to Rome ; and Sulla, who was at
was incorporated with his dominions. (Strab. vii. the time praetor in Cilicia, was appointed to rein-
p. 306, 307, 309-312, xi. p. 499, xii. p. 540, state him, B. c. 92. Mithridates took no part in
541, 555; Appian, Mithr. 15; Memnon, c. 30 ; preventing this; and clearly as all things were in
Justin. xxxvii. 3; Niebuhr, K%. Schrift. p. 388— fact tending to a rupture between him and Rome,
390. )
he still continued nominally to enjoy the friendship
While he was thus extending his own 50- and alliance of the Roman people which had been
vereignty, he did not neglect to strengthen himself bestowed by treaty upon his father. (Justin.
by forming alliances with his more powerful neigh. xxxviii. 1-3; Appinn, Mithr. 10, 12, 14; Mem-
bours, especially with Tigranes, king of Armenia, non, c. 30 ; Plut. Sull. 5. ) But this state of things
to whom he gave his daughter Cleopatra in mar- did not last long ; and the death of Nicomedes II. ,
riage, as well as with the warlike nations of the king of Bithynia, by opening a new field to the
Parthians and Iberians. He thus found himself in ambition of Mithridates, at length brought matters
possession of such great power and extensive re- to a crisis. That monarch was succeeded by his
sources, that he began to deem himself equal to a eldest son Nicomedes III. , but Mithridates took
contest with Rome itself. Many causes of dis- the opportunity, on what pretext we know not, to
sension had already arisen between them, and the set up a rival claimant in the person of Socrates, a
Romans had given abundant proofs of the jealousy, younger brother of Nicomedes, whose pretensions
with which they regarded the rising greatness of he supported with an army, and quickly drove
Mithridates, but that monarch had hitherto avoided Nicomedes out Bithynia, B. C. 90. It appears to
an open rupture with the republic. Shortly after have been about the same time that he openly
his accession they had taken advantage of his invaded Cappadocia, and for the second time ex-
minority to wrest from him the province of Phrygia, pelled Ariobarzanes from his kingdom, establishing
which had been bestowed by Aquillius upon his his own son Ariarathes in his place. Both the
father. (Justin. xxxviii. 5; Appian, Mithr. i. fugitive princes had recourse to Rome, where they
57. ) At a subsequent period also they had inter- found ready support: a decree was passed that
posed to prevent him from making himself master of Nicomedes and Ariobarzanes should be restored to
Paphlagonia, to which kingdom he claimed to be their respective kingdoms, and the execution of it
entitled by the will of the last inonarch. (Justin. was confided to two consular legates, the chief of
xxxvii. 4. ) On both these occasions Mithridates whom was M'. Aquillius, while L. Cassius, who
submitted to the imperious mandates of Rome ; commanded in the Roman province of Asia, was
but he was far from disposed to acquiesce per- ordered to support them with what forces he had
manently in the arrangements thus forced upon at his disposal. (Appian, Mithr. 10, 11, 13;
him for a time, and it can hardly be doubted that Justin. xxxvii. 3,5; Memnon, c. 30;
Liv. Epit.
he was already aiming at the conquest of the neigh- lxxiv. )
bouring states which enjoyed the protection of the It is not very easy to understand or account for
Roman republic, with a view to make himself the conduct of Mithridates at this period, as related
master of the whole of Asia Cappadocia above all to us in the very imperfect accounts which we
appears to have been the constant object of his possess. It seems probable that he was emboldened
ambition, as it had indeed been that of the kings to make these direct attacks upon the allies of
of Pontus from a very early period. Ariarathes Rome by the knowledge that the arms of the re-
VI. , king of that country, had married Laodice, public were sufficiently occupied at home by the
the sister of Mithridates, notwithstanding which, Social War, which was now devastating Italy.
the latter procured his assassination, through the But, although that war did in fact prevent the
agency of one Gordius. His design was probably Romans from rendering any efficient support to the
to remove his infant nephews also, and unite Cap-monarchs whose cause they had espoused, Mithri-
padocia to his own dominions ; but Laodice having dates offered no opposition to their proceedings,
thrown herself upon the protection of Nicomedes, but yielded once more, as it would seem, to the very
king of Bithynia, he tumed his arms against that name of Rome, and allowed the consular legates
monarch, whom he expelled from Cappadocia, and and L. Cassius, at the head of a few cohorts only,
set up Ariarathes, one of the sons of Laodice, and to reinstate both Nicomedes and Ariobarzanes.
his own nephew, as king of the country. But it He even went so far as to put to death Socrates,
was not long before he found a cause of quarrel whom he had himself incited to lay claim to the
with the young man whom he had thus established, throne of Bithynia, and who now, when expelled
in consequence of which he invaded his dominions by the Romans, naturally sought refuge at his
with a large army, and having inrited him to a court. (Appian, Mithr, ll; Justin. xxxviii. 5. )
conference, assassinated him with his own hand. Yet about this time we are told, that ambassadors
He now placed an infant son of his own, on whom having been sent to him by the Italian allies that
he had bestowed the name of Ariarathes, upon the were in arms against Rome to court his alliance,
throne of Cappadocia, but the people rose in re he promised to co-operate with them, when he had
bellion, and set up the second son of Ariarathes Vi. first expelled the Romans from Asia. (Diod.
on peut
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If in the parent
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is brother.
