Biography
Mithridates VI was born in Sinope in the year 135 BC. It is said that his birth coincided with a shooting star. In his youth, he was well educated in multiple languages and in strategies of war. His rise to power was a long journey that began with education. While he was a good student, he was especially proficient in languages which would benefit him in his future conflicts with Rome. “Pliny who personally studied Mithridates’ library and letters declared, “Mithridates spoke or read the languages of 22 nations; he could address and listen to the petitions of all of his subject peoples without interpreters.”(254, Mayor) According to Mayor it is confirmed Mithridates spoke; Greek, Macedonian, Persian, Latin, Hebrew, Parthian, Armenian, Old Phrygian, New Phrygian, Cappadocian, and a Gaulish dialect.(254, Mayor).
Growing up Mithridate watched his father keep peace with the Roman Empire often acting as its ally. However, it was widely rumored that he was simply biding his time. In the end it seems his father waited too long to strike. In 119 BCE Mithridates VI was forced to become king after his father was assassinated with poison. At fourteen the young king was left with a wealthy kingdom. Mithridates was very motivated by his heroes, most notably Alexander the Great. “There is ample evidence of Mithridates’ implacable hatred of Rome, pride in Persian-Greek ancestry, and his imitation of Alexander the Great.” (44, Mayor) Despite his young age, Mithridates knew the importance of patience. He built up his reputation as a capable leader and was able to gain the loyalty of his soldiers. Mithridates VI was motivated by his goal to be the next Alexander the Great as well as his pride in his Persian-Greco roots. Mithridates VI was said to have reflected many traits of Alexander. This led to him being seen as a symbol of Persian-Greek pride. As the Romans would soon learn, allowing your enemies to have an idol can prove very dangerous. After slowly building support from Rome’s enemies, Mithridates struck during his thirty-first year on the throne. "In 88 BCE, he orchestrated the mass killing of up to 150,000 Roman and Italian noncombatants in a single day, if the number of victims Plutarch gave is to be believed, and over the course of decades, he was embroiled in intermittent, bitter conflicts with the Roman Republic."(Hyden). He was able to do this using his linguistic skills to unite Rome's enemies and hurt the seemingly unbeatable empire. Mithridates VI had impressive battle tactics including surprise attacks and chariot warfare. “At the Amnias River, Mithridates’ generals brought out only a small force, 40,000 light infantry and Arcathius’s 10,00 Armenian calvary, greatly outnumbered by the Bithynian-Roman coalitions. But hidden behind the ranks of men and horses, a deadly surprise awaited the invaders: Mithridates 130 war chariots equipped with whirling scythes.” (148, Mayor). Additionally, Mithridates VI used Rome’s neglect of its conquered people against it. Rome had forgotten that its diplomacy was what made them so successful in the first place. “Roman taxes plunged entire cities into overwhelming debt, forcing them to sell artwork and other treasures, their land, and their own people. Even the wealthiest kings succumbed to bankrupty and blackmail. To oppose the Romans was to fight on the side of Truth and Light.” (47, Mayor) Mithridates VI would soon remind the Romans of the power and importance of loyal citizens.
Mithridates was also known for his expertise in toxicology. His obsession with poison was a result of his father was assassination by poisoning. Additionally, it should be understood the “Poisoning was a typical form of succession in this era.” (45, Mayor). In the hopes of avoiding the same fate, Mithridates set out to make himself immune to poisons. Mithridates discovered, “By ingesting minuscule amounts of arsenic each day, he learned that one could build up an immunity to larger doses that would otherwise be fatal.” (71, Mayor). He worked with some of his court to scientifically test the different concentrations of poison that would work for this objective. After much trial and error, it seemed Mithridates VI was successful in making himself immune. Even today people aim to recreate this supposed "Mithridatium" as a way to build immunity to common toxins. Despite this being an impressive scientific achievement, it ended up back-firing.
After his attack on Rome, the warrant for Mithridates capture was issued. Knowing his death was imminent but not wanting to leave his life in the hands of a cruel enemy, he poisoned himself and his many servants. Unfortunately, his immunization was too effective and left him alive. Despite this, Mithridates wanted to avoid capture and had one of his remaining servants slit his throat. He died in 63BCE at the old age of 72.