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

1102 MITHRIDATES. MITHRIDATES.
not venture to meet the enemy in the field, and by his generals Neoptolemus and Diophantus, and
avoided an action with Pompey, while he pro- having gathered around his standard. all these
tracted the campaign, and gradually withdrew barbarian nations, o. whose hostility towards Rome
towards the frontiers of Armenia. But he was no there could be no question, to throw himself
match for the generalship of his adversary, who with these accumulated masses upon the frontiers
attacked him during a night march through a nar- of the Roman state, and perhaps penetrate even
row pass which had been previously occupied by into Italy itself. With these views, he was busily
the Roman troops: the greater part of the army of engaged in assembling such a fleet and army as
Mithridates was cut to pieces, and the king him- would be sufficient for an enterprise of this magself escaped with only a few horsemen and his nitude. But his proceedings were much delayed
concubine Hypsicratea, the faithful companion of at first by a violent earthquake, which overthrew
all his fortunes, to the frontier fortress of Synoria. whole towns and villages, and subsequently by a
Here he once more assembled a considerable force, long and painful illness, which incapacitated him
with which he prepared to withdraw into Armenia; for any personal exertion. At length, however,
but Tigranes, who suspected him of fomenting the his preparations were completed, and he found
intrigues of his son against him, now refused to himself at the head of an army of 36,000 men and
admit him into his dominions, and no choice re- a considerable fleet. But during his illness, while
mained for Mithridates but to plunge with his he lived in complete seclusion, visible to none but
small army into the heart of Colchis, and thence a few chosen eunuchs, disaffection had made rapid
make his way to the Palus Maeotis and the Cim- progress among his followers. The full extent of
merian Bosporus. Arduous as this enterprise his schemes was probably communicated to few;
appeared it was successfully accomplished. After but enough had transpired to alarm the multitude,
crossing the Phasis he deemed himself secure from and neither the soldiers nor their leaders were disthe pursuit of Pompey, and took up his quarters posed to follow their aged monarch on an enterprise
for the winter at Dioscurias (the extreme eastern which they might well regard as little less than
limit of the Greek settlements in this part of the desperate. In this state of things an act of private
Euxine), where he levied additional troops and also revenge led to the revolt of the important town of
assembled a small fleet. With these combined Phanagoria. where the sons of Mithridates, who
forces he resumed his progress in the following held the citadel, were compelled to surrender to the
year (65), and succeeded in effecting his passage, insurgents, and the flame of insurrection quickly
partly by force, partly by persuasion, through all spread to several other cities of the Tauric Cherthe various barbarian tribes that occupied the sonese. Still the spirit of the old king was uncountry between the Caucasus and the Euxine, broken: he endeavoured to renew his alliances
and reached in safety the city of Phanagoria on the with the neighbouring Scythian chieftains, and
Bosporus. His son Machares, to whom he had sent some of his daughters to them as brides, under
confided the government of these regions, but who the escort of some confidential eunuchs, who, howhad long before made his submission to Lucullus, ever, followed the general example, and betrayed
fled on learning his approach, and soon after put their charge into the hands of the Romans. A
an end to his own life. Mithridates, in consequence, more formidable conspiracy was now organised by
established himself without opposition at Pantica- Pharnaces, the favourite son of Mithridates, and
paeum, the capital of the kingdom of Bosporus. whom he had declared heir to his crown. The
(Appian, IVit/kr. 97-102, 107; Dion Cass. xxxvi. designs of the young man were discovered, and his
28-33; Plut. Pomp. 32, 34, 35; Liv. Epit. ci.; accomplices put to death, but Mithridates was perOros. vi. 4; Strab. xi. pp. 496, 497, xii. p. 555.) suaded to spare his son's life, and Pharnaces imHe had now nothing -to fear from the pursuit of mediately availed himself of his impunity to break
Pompey, who appears to have at once abandoned out into open insurrection. He was quickly joined
all thoughts of following the fugitive monarch into both by the whole army and the citizens of Panthe wild and inaccessible regions beyond the ticapaeum, who unanimously proclaimed himking;
Phasis, and turned his arms first against Tigranes, and Mithridates, who had taken refuge in a strong
and afterwards against Syria. It was probably tower, after many fruitless messages and embassies
this sense of security that emboldened him in the to his son, saw that no choice remained to him but
year 64 to send ambassadors to Pompey to sue for death or captivity. Hereupon he took poison,
peace, offering to submit on terms similar to those which he constantly carried with him; but his
which had been lately granted to Tigranes, namely, constitution had been so long inured to antidotes,
that he should be allowed to retain possession of that it did not produce the desired effect, and he
his hereditary dominions, as a tributary to Rome. was compelled to call in the assistance of one of
Pompey, however, insisted that the king should his Gaulish mercenaries to despatch him with his
come in person to make his submission, and this sword. (Appian, Mithr. 107-111; Dion Cass.
Mithridates resolutely refused. The negotiations xxxvii. 3, 11-13; Plut. Pomlp. 41; Oros. vi 5;
were in consequence broken off; and while Pompey Eutrop. vi. 12; Liv. Epit. cii.; Flor. iii. 6; Joseph.
regulated the affairs of Pontus, which he reduced Ant. xiv. 3. ~ 4; Val. Max. ix. 2, ext. 3; Gell.
to the condition of a Roman province, Mithridates xvii. 16; Aur. Vict. de Vir. Illust. 76, 77; Veil.
on his part commenced the most extensive pre- Pat. ii. 40.)
parations for a renewal of the contest. Far from The death of Mithridates took place in the year
contenting himself with the possession of the re- 63 B.C. (Dion Cass. xxxvii. 10.) The dread that
mote province of the Bosporus, in which, from its his name still inspired at Rome is strongly disinaccessible position, he mhight defy the arms of played. in a passage of Cicero's speech on the
Rome, he now conceived the daring project of Agrarian laws, delivered early in that very year
marching round the north and west coasts of the (De Leg. Agrar. ii. 19), and we may thus readily
Euxine, through the wild tribes of the Sarmatians credit the statement of Plutarch, that his death was
and Getae, which had been in part already visited regarded by the army as equal to a great victory.