Mithridates I of the Bosporus
Encyclopedia
Mithridates I of the Bosporus sometimes known as Mithridates II of the Bosporan and Mithridates of Pergamon (flourished 1st century BC), was a nobleman from Anatolia
. Mithridates was one of the sons born to King Mithridates VI of Pontus
from his mistress, the Galatia
n Celtic Princess Adobogiona
. He also had a full blooded sister called Adobogiona. The Pontic Prince was of Persian
, Greek Macedonian
and Celtic ancestry.
His father sent Mithridates to Pergamon
to be educated, where he became a leading citizen of that city. Mithridates was a tetrarch over the Trocmi
tribe. In the winter of 48/47 BC, Roman dictator
Julius Caesar
became trapped in Alexandria
Egypt
. Caesar was besieged in Alexandria by the armies of Achillas, guardian and general for King Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
of Egypt. Mithridates raised an army and came to Caesar’s relief. In the aftermath of the Battle of Zela
, Caesar made him king of the Bosporan Kingdom
, by commanding Mithridates to declare war on his niece Dynamis
and her husband Asander
(who were then the ruling monarchs) to keep the kingship for himself. Dynamis and Asander were defeated by Mithridates and his army, and Mithridates became King of the Bosporan. However after Caesar’s death in 44 BC, the Bosporan Kingdom was restored to Dynamis and Asander by Caesar’s great nephew and heir, Octavian (future Roman Emperor
Augustus
). Sometime after Mithridates abdicated his throne from the Bosporan Kingdom, he died.
Mithridates was portrayed by Furio Meniconi in the 1963 film Cleopatra
.
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
. Mithridates was one of the sons born to 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...
from his mistress, the Galatia
Galatia
Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. Galatia was named for the immigrant Gauls from Thrace , who settled here and became its ruling caste in the 3rd century BC, following the Gallic invasion of the Balkans in 279 BC. It has been called the "Gallia" of...
n Celtic Princess Adobogiona
Adobogiona
Adobogiona was a Celtic Galatian princess from Anatolia. She was the daughter of Deiotarus and sister to Brogitarus from the Tolistobogii tribe. Her cousin was the King Deiotarus, a Roman client king of the triumvir Pompey....
. He also had a full blooded sister called Adobogiona. The Pontic Prince was of Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
, Greek Macedonian
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
and Celtic ancestry.
His father sent Mithridates to Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
to be educated, where he became a leading citizen of that city. Mithridates was a tetrarch over the Trocmi
Trocmi
The Trocmii or Trocmi were one of the three ancient tribes of Galatia in central Asia Minor, together with the Tolistobogii and Tectosages, part of the possible Celtic group who moved from Macedonia into Asia Minor in the early third century BCE ....
tribe. In the winter of 48/47 BC, Roman dictator
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...
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
became trapped in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Caesar was besieged in Alexandria by the armies of Achillas, guardian and general for King Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator
Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator was one of the last members of the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt.- Co-ruler of Egypt, inner turmoil :...
of Egypt. Mithridates raised an army and came to Caesar’s relief. In the aftermath of the Battle of Zela
Battle of Zela
The Battle of Zela was a battle fought in 47 BC between Julius Caesar and Pharnaces II of The Kingdom of Pontus.-Prelude:After the defeat of the Ptolemaic forces at the Battle of the Nile, Caesar left Egypt and travelled through Syria, Cilicia and Cappadocia to fight Pharnaces, son of Mithridates...
, Caesar made him king of the Bosporan Kingdom
Bosporan Kingdom
The Bosporan Kingdom or the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus was an ancient state, located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus...
, by commanding Mithridates to declare war on his niece Dynamis
Dynamis (Bosporan queen)
Dynamis named Philoromaios was a Roman Client Queen of the Bosporan Kingdom during the Roman Republic and the reign of the first Roman Emperor Augustus.-Life:...
and her husband Asander
Asander (Bosporan King)
Asander named Philocaesar Philoromaios was an aristocrat and a man of high rank of the Bosporan Kingdom.Asander was of Greek and possibly of Persian ancestry. There is not much is known on his family and early life. He started his political and military career as a general under Pharnaces II, King...
(who were then the ruling monarchs) to keep the kingship for himself. Dynamis and Asander were defeated by Mithridates and his army, and Mithridates became King of the Bosporan. However after Caesar’s death in 44 BC, the Bosporan Kingdom was restored to Dynamis and Asander by Caesar’s great nephew and heir, Octavian (future Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
). Sometime after Mithridates abdicated his throne from the Bosporan Kingdom, he died.
Mithridates was portrayed by Furio Meniconi in the 1963 film Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy...
.
Source
- Mayor, Adrienne: "The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy" Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-691-12683-8
See Also
- Bosporan KingdomBosporan KingdomThe Bosporan Kingdom or the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus was an ancient state, located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus...
- Roman CrimeaRoman CrimeaRoman Crimea is the area of actual Crimea that was under control of the Roman Empire and mostly coincided with the Bosporan Kingdom. For nearly five centuries it was a Roman "Client State", but under emperor Nero it was briefly an area of the Roman Province of Moesia inferior .-History:Rome started...