DIITHRIDA TES (more properly, MITEERADATES, a name formed from the Persian _Maras, or Mithra, "the sun," and an Aryan root da, to give; hence "sun-given" or "sun-born" prince), the name of several kings of Pontus, Armenia, Commagene, Par thia, and the Bosporus, all of whom have sunk into insignificance, with the excep tion of Mithridates VI. of Pontus, surnamed EUPATOR. and DIONYSUS, but more gen erally known as MITFIRIDATES The GREAT. Little is known of his early career. He succeeded his father, probably about 120 B.C., while under 13 years of age, and soon after subdued the tribes who bordered on the Euxine, as far as the Chersonesus Taurica (Crimea), and after the death of Parysatis, incorporated the kingdom of the Bosporus with his dominions. The jealous behavior of the Romans, and the promptings of his own ambitious spirit, now incited him to invade Cappadocia and Bithynia, but a whole some fear of the power of the Great Republic induced him to restore his conquests. The First Mithridatic liras was commenced by the king of Bithynia (88 B c.), who, at the instigation of the Romans, invaded Pontus. Mithridates sent an ambassador to Rome to complain of this treatment, but he was sent back with an evasive reply. Mithridates immediately commenced hostilities, and his generals repeatedly defeated the Asiatic levies of the Romans, and he himself took possession of Bithynia, Cappadocia, Phrygia, and the Roman possessions in Asia Minor, the inhabitants of which last hailed him as a deliverer. By his orders, a great massacre of the Romans took place, in which, accord ing to one account, 80,000, and according to another 150,000 were slain. He also sent three powerful armies to aid the Greeks in their rebellion, but the disastrous battles of Chaironea and Orchomenus broke his power in that country. He was, however, driven from Pergamus (85 a.c.) by Flavius Fimbria, and reduced to the necessity of making peace with Sulla, relinquishing all his conquests in Asia, giving up 70 war-galleys to the Romans, and paying 2,000 talents. The wanton aggressions of Murena, the Roman legate, gave rise to the Second ..Ilithridatic War, in 83 B.C. Mithridates was wholly successful in this war, but peace was concluded on the statues quo, 81 B.C. Mithridates felt, however,
that this was merely a truce, and lost no time in preparing for a third contest, in alliance with Tigranes, king of Armenia, the next most powerful monarch of Asia. Tigranes seized Cappadocia, 76 B.C., and Mithridates, in the following year, invaded Bithynia, commencing the Third ifithridatic War. Mithridates formed analliance with Sertorius (q.v.), and obtained the services of Roman officers of the Marian party, who trained his army after the Roman manner. The arms of Mithridates were at first successful; but afterward the Roman consul Lucullus (q.v.) compelled him to take refuge with Tigranes, 72 B.C. Luenllus then conquered Poutus, defeated Tigranes, 69 B.C., at Tigranocerta, and both Tigranes and Mithridates at Artaxata, 68 B.C. Mithridates, however, recovered possession of Pontus. After the war had lingered for some time, Cneius Pompeii's (sec PostrEY) completed the work of Lucullus, 66 B.C., defeating Mithridates on the Euphrates, and compelling him to flee to the Bosporus. Here his indomitable spirit prompted him to form a new scheme of vengeance, which was, however, frustrated by the rebellion of Phartiaces, who besieged him. in Pariticaptkenni. Deeming his cause hopeless, Mithridateu put an end to his own life, 63 B.C. Mithridates was a specimen of the true eastern despot, but he possessed great ability, and extraordinary energy and perseverance. his want of success was owing not to his defects as a general, but to the impossibility of raising and training an army capable of coping with the Roman legions, and his system of tactics during tha third Mithridatic war plainly shows his thorough conviction of this fact. He had received a Greek education at Sinope, could speak no less than 25 different languages and dialects, and possessed considerable love for the arts, of which his magnificent collections of pictures, statues, and engraved gems were a proof. In the estimation of the Humans, he was the most formidable opponent they ever encountered, and occasional reports of his various successes spread the utmost terror among them.