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

MITHRIDATES. MITHRIDATES. -1097
from the Tanai's to the Tyras, totally defeated the as their sovereign.- Mithridates hereupon invaded
Roxolani, and rendered the whole of the Tauric Cappadocia again, and drove out this new comChersonese 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 his conquests in that (B. C. 93). Mithridates did not venture openly to
direction; but he 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, imdeath 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 reinp. 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, Ki. Schrijt. 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 so- 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; Appian, Mithr. 10, 12, 14; Membours, 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 all army, and quickly drove
Mithridates, but that monarch had hitherto avoided Nicomedes out of 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 exminority 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, Mit/sr. ii. 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 monarch. (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, 11i7tlr. 10, 11, 13;
him for a time; and it can hardly be doubted that Justin. xxxviii. 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 reVI., 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, Mithripadocia 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 turned 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 invited him to a court. (Appian, AMit/h. 11; 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,