Mithridates (also spelled Mithradates) VI Eupator (132-63 BCE), King of Pontus from 120 to 63, was a competing power with the Romans in what the latter called "Asia," due to expansionist aims on both sides. At the height of his power, in the spring of 88, he had almost all Romans and Italians in Asia Province killed, with figures told between 80,000 and 100,000. Few escaped the massacre; the best known survivor was P. Rutilius Rufus, the exiled consul and historian who lived out a long age in Smyrna -- modern historians mourn the loss of his Historiae and autobiography (De vita sua). In all, it took a time span of 26 years and three wars to defeat the king.
The First Mithridatic War was fought by Sulla and concluded
in 85, with the Peace of Dardanus, which
basically was an armistice, as Sulla had to rush back to Rome to try and regain his power. The Second (83-82) amounted to not much and really does not
deserve its name. The Third Mithridatic War lasted ten years from 73-63 and was
conducted on the Roman side by M. Aurelius Cotta, L. Licinius
Lucullus, Sulla's able lieutenant in the First War, and eventually Cn. Pompeius Magnus (Pompey the Great). The
latter, in many people's mind, simply conducted a mopping-up operation. However that
may be, Pompey reorganized the eastern provinces and kingdoms.
Mithridates, finally cornered through defeat, loss of power, and intrigues by his adversaries, died by committing suicide. There were many stories about of his ruthless hold onto power by killing numerous of his relatives, and his taking increasing doses of poisons until he was able to tolerate lethal doses, which supposedly made his suicide a prolonged affair. The alleged practice resulted in the term mithridatism.
An online biography of Mithridates
Appian's History of Rome: The Mithridatic Wars
(both at livius.org)
Mithridates VI of Pontus at Wikipedia
Mithridates at Ancient/Classical History at About.com
Again, we also have an opera, as a matter of fact Mozart's first opera seria, Mozart - Mitridate / Bartoli, Dessay, Sabbatini, Asawa, Piau, Flórez, Les talens lyriques, Rousset
The opera will be performed at this year's Salzburg Festival.
For those who have access to JSTOR (check your local university or public library), there is a discussion of the opera, which Mozart composed at the age of 14: A Note on Mozart's First Serious Opera, Stanley Sadie, The Musical Times, Vol. 113, No. 1547 (Jan., 1972), pp. 41-42.
