A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1 096 MITHRIDATES. MITHRIDATES.
wealthy and powerful city of Sinope, hut it appears Romans; and muich 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 fabilous,
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 were
in sending magnificent presents to the Rhodians, marked by the appearance of comets of portentous
after the subversion oftheir city by an earthquake. magnitude. The same author tells us that im(Il. 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 Pharnaces. some of those who had conspired against his
[PHAINACES I.] father's life), but that he succeeded in eluding all
MITHRIDATES V., surnamed EUERGETES, was their machinations, partly by displaying a courage
the son of Pharnaces I.. and grandson of the pre- and address in warlike exercises beyond his years,
ceding. (Justin. xxxviii. 5; 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 ill 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, /llithr. 1 0.) been brought up at Sinope, where he 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. 1. 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, AIlithr. 12, 56, 57; The first steps of his career, like those of most
Oros. v. 10; Eutriop. 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 folated at Sinope by a conspiracy among his own lowed by the assassination of his brother. (Memimmediate 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 DioNYSIus, but more commonly known by the the throne of Pontus (under which name was comname 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, bewas 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 conwhich 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 Tanais. 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 a. 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 Sarmamay 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 arms