Adrienne Mayor - The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Romes Deadliest Enemy

THE
POISON KING

ADRIENNE MAYOR

THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF

MITHRADATES

ROMES DEADLIEST ENEMY

Copyright 2010 by Adrienne Mayor

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mayor, Adrienne, 1946

The Poison King : the life and legend of Mithradates,

Romes deadliest enemy / Adrienne Mayor.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-691-12683-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, ca. 13263 B.C. 2. PontusKings and rulersBiography. 3. PontusHistory. 4. RomeHistoryMithridatic Wars, 8863 B.C. 5. PoisoningPolitical aspectsRomeHistory. 6. Mediterranean RegionHistory, Military. 7. Black Sea Region History, Military. I. Title.

DS156.P8M39 2009

939.33dc22 2009015050

British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

This book has been composed in Minion Typeface

Printed on acid-free paper.
press.princeton.edu

Printed in the United States of America

1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

for Gerry

19412006

Que les Romains, presss de lun lautre bout, Doutent o vous serez, et vous trouvent partout.

RACINE, Mithridate, 1673

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOR PLATES (following p. 168)

FIGURES

MAPS

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Major figures in Mithradates story

(other proper names are listed in the index)

ADOBOGIONA: Noble Galatian woman, rescued from poison banquet to become one of Mithradates concubines.

AQUILLIUS: Rogue Roman official whose avarice led him to invade Mithradates kingdom, beginning the First Mithradatic War; his greed was punished with molten gold.

ARCATHIUS: Mithradates son by Laodice, brilliant cavalry commander, led vast barbarian army to liberate Greece in the First Mithradatic War.

ARCHELAUS: Tough Greek commander, Mithradates star general in the liberation of Greece. Negotiated peace with Sulla, later joined Lucullus.

ARIATHES VI: Weak boy-king of Cappadocia controlled by his wife, Mithradates sister, Laodice the Elder; he lost his life when he asserted himself.

ARIATHES VII: Mithradates nephew and puppet ruler of Cappadocia. His defiance of his uncle cost him his life.

ARIATHES VIII: Doomed young pawn, set up as new king of Cappadocia by Nicomedes III.

ARIATHES IX: Mithradates bastard son, established as king of Cappadocia.

ARISTONICUS: Heroic young rebel of Pergamon, led Anatolian revolt of the Sun Citizens against Roman rule when Mithradates was a boy.

ATHENION: Greek philosopher sent by Athenians to request Mithradates liberation of Greece from Rome; elected commander in Athens to resist Sullas siege.

ATTALUS III: Last king of Pergamon, eccentric recluse devoted to studying pharmacology. His will bequeathing his kingdom to Rome was contested by his son Aristonicus.

BACCHIDES: One of Mithradates most trusted eunuch-advisers, assigned to save the royal harem from a fate worse than death at Roman hands.

BERENICE: Young woman from Chios whom Mithradates took into his harem, instead of condemning her with the rest of her people to slavery.

BITUITUS: Mithradates faithful bodyguard, cavalry officer from Gaul; he remained with Mithradates until the very end.

CALLISTRATUS: Mithradates secretary in charge of the kings papers, which may have included the formula for the Mithridatium; murdered by greedy Roman soldiers.

CASSIUS: Rogue Roman general who, along with Aquillius, Oppius, and Nicomedes IV, staged the disastrous, unauthorized invasion of Mithradates kingdom.

CHAEREMON: Wealthy citizen of Nysa who aided the Romans; Mithradates offered a reward for his head.

CLEOPATRA THE ELDER: Mithradates favorite daughter; at age sixteen she married Tigranes the Great and became queen of Armenia.

CYRUS THE GREAT: Founder of the vast Persian Empire; like Mithradates he fled as a youth to avoid assassination; served as a model for young Mithradates.

DAMOGORAS: Skilled Rhodian admiral allied with Rome, bested Mithradates in naval battle for Rhodes.

DARIUS I: Great Achaemenid conqueror of Persia; bestowed Mithradates ancestral lands.

DARIUS III: Noble Persian emperor vanquished by Alexander the Great; Alexanders respect for Darius influenced Mithradates vision of a new Greco-Persian golden age.

DORYLAUS: Orphaned boy of aristocratic Pontic family, raised as brother to Mithradates in the royal palace; friend and loyal commander in the Mithradatic Wars.

DRYPETINA: Devoted daughter of Mithradates; afflicted with double teeth.

FIMBRIA: Brutal Roman officer, overthrew his superior, Flaccus, and led his unruly legionnaires to ravage Anatolia; their lust for plunder undermined Luculluss authority.

GORDIUS: Noble Cappadocian, Mithradates friend, henchman, and special envoy.

HERMAEUS: Zoroastrian Magus, accompanied Mithradates to Kabeira, during war with Lucullus.

HYPSICRATEA: Valiant Amazon horsewoman-warrior from Caucasia; served as Mithradates groom; she became his companion in battle and last true love.

KRATEUAS OF PERGAMON: Influential Greek herbalist, father of botanical illustration; Mithradates fellow experimenter with antidotes and poisons.

LAODICE, QUEEN OF PONTUS: Mithradates murderous mother, suspected of poisoning his father. Her attempts to do away with young Mithradates were later avenged.

LAODICE THE ELDER: Mithradates oldest sister, regent of Cappadocia; thwarted her brother by marrying his enemy, Nicomedes III of Bithynia.

LAODICE THE YOUNGER: Mithradates younger sister and his first wife; treacherous like her mother, Queen Laodice, she plotted against Mithradates.

LUCULLUS: Dogged, capable Roman general, Sullas protg; lost control of his troops and failed to destroy Mithradates and Tigranes in the Third Mithradatic War.

MACHARES: Mithradates son by Laodice, viceroy of his fathers Bosporan Kingdom in the Crimea; went over to Lucullus and paid with his life.

MARIUS: Great Roman populist leader, enemy of Sulla in Romes Civil War; met Mithradates and vied for command of the First Mithradatic War.

METRODORUS THE ROME-HATER: Philosopher-statesman, invented memory and rhetorical techniques; Mithradates speech writer and envoy.