Mithridates II of Cius
Encyclopedia
Mithridates of Cius succeeded his kinsman or father Ariobarzanes II
in 337 BC as ruler of the Greek town of Cius
in Mysia
(today part of Turkey
). Diodorus
assigns him a rule of thirty-five years, but it appears that he did not hold uninterrupted possession of the sovereignty during that period. What circumstances led to his expulsion or subjection we know not; nothing is heard of him till his death in 302, but it appears that he had submitted to the Macedon
ian Antigonus
, who now, to prevent him from joining the league of Cassander
and his confederates, procured his assassination in Cius. According to Lucian
, he was not less than eighty-four years of age at the time of his death, which renders it not improbable that he is the same as the Mithridates, son of Ariobarzanes, who in his youth circumvented and put to death Datames
.
King Mithridates I of Pontus
was his kinsman, possibly not directly his son however.
As said, he possibly was the same Mithradates, son of Ariobarzanes
prince of Cius
, who is mentioned by Xenophon
as having betrayed his father, and the same circumstance is alluded to by Aristotle
. During the Satraps' Revolt in the 360s BCE, this Mithridates frauded Datames
to believe in him, but in the end arranged Datames' murder in 1362. Similarly, Mithridates gave his own father Ariobarzanes of Phrygia to the hands of the Persian overlord, so Ariobarzanes was crucified in 1362.
Presumably he was not the same Mithridates who accompanied the younger Cyrus
in c.401 BCE - there is no proof of this. Neither he presumably was the same Mithridates mentioned by Xenophon as satrap
of Cappadocia
and Lycaonia
in the late 400s BCE.
Between 362 and 337 BCE the family fiefdom of Cius in Mysia was held by Ariobarzanes II
(possibly Mithridates' brother).
Ariobarzanes II of Cius
Ariobarzanes succeeded his kinsman or father, Mithridates or alternatively succeeded another Ariobarzanes I of Cius, as ruler of the Greek town of Cius in Mysia, governing 26 years between 363 and 337 BC for the Persians. It was seemingly his family which in mid-360s BCE revolted from Artaxerxes...
in 337 BC as ruler of the Greek town of Cius
Cius
Cius or Kios , later renamed Prusias ad Mare after king Prusias I of Bithynia, was an ancient Greek city bordering the Propontis , in Bithynia , and had a long history, being mentioned by Aristotle, and Strabo. It was colonized by the Milesians and became a place of much commercial importance...
in Mysia
Mysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...
(today part of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
). Diodorus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
assigns him a rule of thirty-five years, but it appears that he did not hold uninterrupted possession of the sovereignty during that period. What circumstances led to his expulsion or subjection we know not; nothing is heard of him till his death in 302, but it appears that he had submitted to the Macedon
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian Antigonus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus , son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian nobleman, general, and satrap under Alexander the Great. During his early life he served under Philip II, and he was a major figure in the Wars of the Diadochi after Alexander's death, declaring himself king in 306 BC and...
, who now, to prevent him from joining the league of Cassander
Cassander
Cassander , King of Macedonia , was a son of Antipater, and founder of the Antipatrid dynasty...
and his confederates, procured his assassination in Cius. According to Lucian
Lucian
Lucian of Samosata was a rhetorician and satirist who wrote in the Greek language. He is noted for his witty and scoffing nature.His ethnicity is disputed and is attributed as Assyrian according to Frye and Parpola, and Syrian according to Joseph....
, he was not less than eighty-four years of age at the time of his death, which renders it not improbable that he is the same as the Mithridates, son of Ariobarzanes, who in his youth circumvented and put to death Datames
Datames
Datames was a general and satrap of Cappadocia under the Persian empire. A Carian by birth, he was the son of Camissares by a Scythian or Paphlagonian mother...
.
King Mithridates I of Pontus
Mithridates I of Pontus
Mithridates I Ctistes was the founder of the kingdom of Pontus in Anatolia....
was his kinsman, possibly not directly his son however.
As said, he possibly was the same Mithradates, son of Ariobarzanes
Ariobarzanes I of Cius
Ariobarzanes , Ariobarzan or spelled as Ario Barzan or Aryo Barzan, perhaps signifying "exalting the Aryans" , was Satrap of Phrygia, leader of independence revolt, and the first known of the line of rulers of the Greek town of Cius from which were eventually to stem the...
prince of Cius
Cius
Cius or Kios , later renamed Prusias ad Mare after king Prusias I of Bithynia, was an ancient Greek city bordering the Propontis , in Bithynia , and had a long history, being mentioned by Aristotle, and Strabo. It was colonized by the Milesians and became a place of much commercial importance...
, who is mentioned by Xenophon
Xenophon
Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates...
as having betrayed his father, and the same circumstance is alluded to by Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. During the Satraps' Revolt in the 360s BCE, this Mithridates frauded Datames
Datames
Datames was a general and satrap of Cappadocia under the Persian empire. A Carian by birth, he was the son of Camissares by a Scythian or Paphlagonian mother...
to believe in him, but in the end arranged Datames' murder in 1362. Similarly, Mithridates gave his own father Ariobarzanes of Phrygia to the hands of the Persian overlord, so Ariobarzanes was crucified in 1362.
Presumably he was not the same Mithridates who accompanied the younger Cyrus
Cyrus the Younger
Cyrus the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and general. The time of his birth is unknown, but he died in 401 B.C. The history of Cyrus and of the retreat of the Greeks is told by Xenophon in his Anabasis. Another account, probably from Sophaenetus of...
in c.401 BCE - there is no proof of this. Neither he presumably was the same Mithridates mentioned by Xenophon as satrap
Satrap
Satrap was the name given to the governors of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as the Sassanid Empire and the Hellenistic empires....
of Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
and Lycaonia
Lycaonia
In ancient geography, Lycaonia was a large region in the interior of Asia Minor, north of Mount Taurus. It was bounded on the east by Cappadocia, on the north by Galatia, on the west by Phrygia and Pisidia, while to the south it extended to the chain of Mount Taurus, where it bordered on the...
in the late 400s BCE.
Between 362 and 337 BCE the family fiefdom of Cius in Mysia was held by Ariobarzanes II
Ariobarzanes II of Cius
Ariobarzanes succeeded his kinsman or father, Mithridates or alternatively succeeded another Ariobarzanes I of Cius, as ruler of the Greek town of Cius in Mysia, governing 26 years between 363 and 337 BC for the Persians. It was seemingly his family which in mid-360s BCE revolted from Artaxerxes...
(possibly Mithridates' brother).