Berenice of Chios
Encyclopedia
Berenice of Chios was an obscure Greek noblewoman
from the Greek island of Chios
and was the third wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus
.
In 86 BC, Mithridates VI through the agency of one of his generals, deported the inhabitants from Chios
the capital city of the Greek island Chios. Then the Pontian King, distributed the land to Pontian settlers he brought in.
At some point, Mithridates VI met Berenice who was a citizen from the capital of Chios. She became one his mistresses and eventually his third wife. There is a possibility that Mithridates VI renamed the capital city of Chios in honor of Berenice. The city bore her name until the Romans
had annexed the island about 85 BC. Little is known on Berenice’s relationship with Mithridates VI.
In 72/71 BC, Mithridates VI ordered Berenice to poison herself so she could avoid to be captured by the Roman consul Lucullus
. When the poison was not taking effect, she was strangled.
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
from the Greek island of Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
and was the third wife of King Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI of Pontus
Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI Mithradates , from Old Persian Mithradatha, "gift of Mithra"; 134 BC – 63 BC, also known as Mithradates the Great and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120 BC to 63 BC...
.
In 86 BC, Mithridates VI through the agency of one of his generals, deported the inhabitants from Chios
Chios (town)
Chios is the main town and a former municipality on the island of Chios, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Chios, of which it is a municipal unit. It is located on the eastern coast of the island facing the Turkish coastal town of Çeşme...
the capital city of the Greek island Chios. Then the Pontian King, distributed the land to Pontian settlers he brought in.
At some point, Mithridates VI met Berenice who was a citizen from the capital of Chios. She became one his mistresses and eventually his third wife. There is a possibility that Mithridates VI renamed the capital city of Chios in honor of Berenice. The city bore her name until the Romans
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
had annexed the island about 85 BC. Little is known on Berenice’s relationship with Mithridates VI.
In 72/71 BC, Mithridates VI ordered Berenice to poison herself so she could avoid to be captured by the Roman consul Lucullus
Lucullus
Lucius Licinius Lucullus , was an optimate politician of the late Roman Republic, closely connected with Sulla Felix...
. When the poison was not taking effect, she was strangled.
Sources
- M. Getzel, Hellenistic settlements in Europe, the islands and Asia Minor, Cohen University of California Press, 1995
- A. Mayor, The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy, Princeton University Press, 2009