Mithridates

Mithridates is a Greek-rendered royal name associated with several rulers in Hellenistic Anatolia and Pontus. The name itself is derived from older Iranian elements and circulated in Greek and Roman sources to designate sovereigns in the region.

The best known bearer is Mithridates VI Eupator, commonly called Mithridates the Great. He ruled Pontus in northern Asia Minor from around 120 BCE to 63 BCE and sought to expand his kingdom at Rome’s expense. Mithridates VI led the Mithridatic Wars, a series of conflicts with Rome that spanned roughly 89 to 63 BCE, at times allying with Armenia and other eastern powers. His reign is noted for ambitious political and military campaigns, attempts to project Hellenistic royal authority, and a lasting place in classical historiography. He died by suicide during Rome’s final campaign to subdue Pontus as Pompey the Great consolidated Roman control.

Beyond Mithridates VI, the name was used by other rulers in the Pontic and surrounding realms, reflecting the popular practice of adopting Persian- or Iranian-origin royal identifiers in the region. In later antiquity and literature, Mithridates became a symbolic figure representing resistance to Rome and the complex interactions of Hellenistic kingdoms with the rising Roman state.

The legacy of Mithridates extends into cultural memory through associations with poison and antidotes. The term mithridatism—competition against poisons by gradually increasing tolerance—is sometimes linked to his legend, though its historical accuracy is debated.