- Mithridates VI of Pontus (134-63 BCE) was King of Pontus and Armenia Minor between 113-63 BCE and fought the Roman Empire in a series of conflicts called the Mithridatic Wars (88-63 BCE).
- He was also known as ‘Mithridates the Great’ or ‘Eupator Dionysius’. The name Mithridatha means the ‘Gift of Mithra’ in Persian.
Mithridatium
- In constant fear of being poisoned, he invented Mithridatium, a cure against all types of poisoning. The ingredients consisted of 65 types of herbs and spices.
Mithridatic Wars
- When in c. 113 BCE Mithridates became King of Pontus, he set out to build a wider Empire using Sea Power..
- He first turned Colchis into a client Kingdom.
- He then made the Crimean Chersonesus Taurica and the Bosphoran Kingdom into a Client Kingdom.
- He then planned to take over Bithynia.
- In 89 BCE Nicomedes IV of Bithynia combined his army with two Roman Legions and attacked Mithridates, but he defeated them.
- In 88 BCE Mithridates organised rebellions against Roman Rule in Asia Minor.
- First Mithridatic War (88-84 BCE)
- Second Mithridatic War (83-81 BCE)
- Murena was left behind, and attacked Mithridates to prevent him becoming too powerful. Murena failed to conquer Mithridates and again had to conclude a Peace treaty.
- Third Mithridatic War (73-63 BCE)
- Bithynia was bequeathed to Rome by her King in 73 BCE. To prevent Rome annexing the State, Mithridates sent his Armies against Bithynia. The Romans attacked Mithridates under Lucullus. Eventually Sulla overwhelmed his Forces.
- Death of Mithridates
Pontus