Monime, sometimes known as Monima ( el, Μονίμη; died 72/71 BC), was a Macedonian Greek noblewoman from

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

and one of the wives of King

Mithridates VI of Pontus Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator ( grc-gre, Μιθραδάτης; 135–63 BC) was ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus in northern Anatolia from 120 to 63 BC, and one of the Roman Republic's most formidable and determined opponents. He was an e ...

. According to the ancient sources she was a citizen of either

Miletus Miletus (; gr, Μῑ́λητος, Mī́lētos; Hittite transcription ''Millawanda'' or ''Milawata'' (exonyms); la, Mīlētus; tr, Milet) was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in a ...

or Stratonicea, Caria. Monime was the daughter of a prominent citizen called Philopoemen.Mayor, ''The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy'' p.165 Monime was a beautiful, intelligent woman and was much talked about among the Greeks. When King

and his army successfully captured her native city in 89/88 BC, her beauty made a great impression on Mithridates VI. He was strongly drawn to her, as he was attracted to powerful personalities whose intelligence complemented his. Mithridates VI thought of making Monime the jewel of his harem, and began negotiations with Philopoemen. Mithridates VI offered him 1500 gold pieces. Monime rejected the offer and held out for more. Monime demanded from Mithridates VI a marriage contract and insisted that he give her a royal

Diadem A diadem is a type of crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of royalty. Overview The word derives from the Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", from διαδέω ''diadéō'', "I ...

and the title of Queen. Because he found Monime irresistible, Mithridates VI agreed. The royal scribes prepared the marriage contract. Mithridates VI tied a purple and gold ribbon around the head of Monime, the pair withdrew to the private rooms of the palace at Sinope. They married in 89/88 BC and through her marriage to Mithridates VI, Monime became his second wife and Queen of Pontus. Her father received his gold from Mithridates VI and was appointed overseer in

Ephesus Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in t ...

. Monime bore Mithridates VI a child, a daughter called Athenais. In the beginning of their marriage, she exercised great influence over her husband; however this did not last long. In the end they had an unhappy marriage and he later became dissatisfied with her.Mayor, ''The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy'' p.218 Monime later repented her marriage to Mithridates VI, her elevation, and leaving her native city. In 72/71 BC, when her husband was compelled to abandon his dominions and took refuge in the Kingdom of Armenia, Monime was put to death at

Pharnacia ''Pharnacia''Stål C (1877) ''Öfversigt af Kongliga Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar'' 34 (10): 40. is a tropical Asian genus of stick insects in the family Phasmatidae and subfamily Clitumninae (tribe Pharnaciini). Species The Catalogue ...

. Her correspondence to Mithridates VI, which was of a licentious character, fell into the hands of Roman General

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

at the capture of the fortress at Caenon Phrourion.

In fiction

Monime is a character in a tragedy of five acts called ''

Mithridate Mithridate, also known as mithridatium, mithridatum, or mithridaticum, is a semi-mythical remedy with as many as 65 ingredients, used as an antidote for poisoning, and said to have been created by Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus in the 1st cent ...

''. The actresses

Marie Champmeslé Marie Champmeslé ('' née'' Desmares; 18 February 1642 – 15 May 1698) was a French stage actress. Biography She was born in Rouen of a wealthy family; her father's name was Desmares. She made her first appearance on the stage at Rouen with ...

and

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

have played the part of Monime. She is also a character in

Steven Saylor Steven Saylor (born March 23, 1956) is an American author of historical novels. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. Saylor's best-known work is his ''Roma Sub Rosa'' historical mystery ...

's novel ''Wrath of the Furies''. She is characterized as an albino in Colleen McCollough’s novel ''

The Grass Crown ''The Grass Crown'' is the second historical novel in Colleen McCullough's ''Masters of Rome'' series, published in 1991. The novel opens shortly after the action of ''The First Man in Rome''. Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla eat dinner ...

''.

References

Sources

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110220182649/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2220.html * {{cite book , last=Mayor , first=A. , title=The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy , publisher=

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial su ...

, year=2009 70s BC deaths 1st-century BC women 1st-century BC Asian people People of the Kingdom of Pontus 1st-century BC Greek people Roman-era Macedonians Anatolian Greeks Ancient Macedonian queens consort Ancient Pontic Greeks Mithridatic dynasty