Mithridates
Family: barbarians · Role: king · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 20
In Book 1, Chapter 20, Mithridates employed Aristion as ambassador to the Greek States; Aristion persuaded Athens’ democracy to prefer Mithridates’ friendship to Rome’s. Archelaus and Taxilus served as his generals. In Book 3, Chapter 23, Menophanes, another general, massacred and enslaved the people of Delos, robbed it, and razed it; the account says he may have acted on Mithridates’ orders or from his own insolence.
The account says that Mithridates was later driven from place to place by the Romans after his power was destroyed, and was compelled to become “his own executioner.” In Book 9, Chapter 7, the Thebans joined his war against Rome. At Chæronea, Sulla and the Romans defeated Taxilus and Mithridates’ army and erected two trophies.
Relationship record
Life events
- Aristion persuaded Athens’ democracy to prefer Mithridates’ friendship to Rome’s.(Book 1 · Chapter 20 · 📍 Greek States)
- With: Aristion
- “he persuaded the Athenians to prefer the friendship of Mithridates to that of the Romans.”
- Menophanes massacres, robs, enslaves, and razes Delos, possibly acting under Mithridates’ orders.(Book 3 · Chapter 23 · 📍 Delos)
- With: Menophanes
- “Menophanes a General of Mithridates, either of his own insolence or obeying the orders of Mithridates, (for to a man looking only to lucre divine things come after gain), seeing that Delos had no fortifications and that the inhabitants were unarmed, sailed to it and slew all the resident aliens, and the Delians also, and robbed the merchants of much money, and carried off all the votive offerings, and also enslaved the women and children, and razed Delos to the ground.”
- Mithridates becomes his own executioner after his power is destroyed and the Romans drive him from place to place.(Book 3 · Chapter 23)
- “and Mithridates subsequently was compelled by the god to be his own executioner when his power was entirely destroyed, and he driven hither and thither by the Romans.”
- Thebans joined Mithridates in his war against Rome.(Book 9 · Chapter 7)
- “For they joined Mithridates in his war against Rome, I think only out of friendship to the Athenian people.”
- Sulla and the Romans defeated Taxilus and Mithridates's army and erected two trophies.(Book 9 · Chapter 40 · 📍 Chæronea)
Book 1 · Chapter 20
- servant: Aristion (Mithridates employed Aristion as an ambassador.) “There was an Athenian called Aristion, whom Mithridates employed as ambassador to the Greek States”
- servant: Archelaus (Archelaus was Mithridates's general.) “Archelaus was the general of Mithridates”
- servant: Taxilus (Taxilus was another general serving Mithridates.) “Taxilus another general of Mithridates happened to be investing Elatea in the Phocian district”
Book 3 · Chapter 23
- with Menophanes (Menophanes was a general serving under Mithridates.) “Menophanes a General of Mithridates, either of his own insolence or obeying the orders of Mithridates,”
- with Menophanes (Mithridates was Menophanes's commander.) “Menophanes a General of Mithridates, either of his own insolence or obeying the orders of Mithridates”
Book 9 · Chapter 7
- enemies with Sulla “When he began the war with Mithridates”
Book 9 · Chapter 40
- enemies with Sulla “There are two trophies erected at Chæronea by Sulla and the Romans, for the victories over Taxilus and the army of Mithridates.”
Book 10 · Chapter 34
- servant: Taxilus (Mithridates is identified as Taxilus's superior.) “Taxilus the general of Mithridates”
- with Taxilus (Taxilus is identified as Mithridates' general.) “They also contrived to hold out against Taxilus the general of Mithridates, for which good service the Romans gave them freedom and immunity from taxation.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.