Mithridates II (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
: Mιθριδάτης; lived 3rd century BC),
third king of
Pontus and son of
Ariobarzanes, whom he succeeded on the throne.
Early life
He was a minor when his father died, but the date of his accession cannot be determined. It seems probable that it must have taken place well before 240 BC, as
Memnon tells us that he was a child at his father's death, and he had a daughter of marriageable age in 222 BC. Shortly after his accession, his kingdom was invaded by the
Gauls
The Gauls (; , ''Galátai'') were a group of Celts, Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age Europe, Iron Age and the Roman Gaul, Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). Th ...
, who were eventually repulsed.
After Mithridates attained manhood, he married
Laodice, a sister of
Antiochus Hierax and
Seleucus II Callinicus
Seleucus II Callinicus Pogon (; ''Callinicus'' meaning "beautifully triumphant", ''Pogon'' meaning "the Beard"; July/August 265 BC – December 225 BC), was a ruler of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire, who reigned from 246 BC to 225 BC. Faced with ...
, with whom he is said to have received the province of
Phrygia
In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; , ''Phrygía'') was a kingdom in the west-central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River.
Stories of the heroic age of Greek mythology tell of several legendary Ph ...
as a dowry.
Reign
Conflict with Seleucus II Callinicus
In 245 BCE Antiochus Hierax, supported by his mother
Laodice I who held influence in Anatolia,
[Justin, Epitome of the Phillipic History of Pompeius Trogus, XXVII] demands the possession of Anatolia (Asia Minor) from his brother Seleucus II Callinicus and quickly declares his independence in order to expand his territory and his authority. Seleucus, struggling against the Ptolemaic forces in the south, has no choice but to tolerate.
Mithridates II fought with his mother-in-law and Hierax and their allies, against his other brother-in-law Seleucus during a war between Seleucus and
Antiochus Hierax. Eventually, Mithridates defeated Seleucus in a great battle at
Ancyra in 235 BC whereby Seleucus lost twenty thousand of his troops and narrowly escaped with his own life. Hierax died in 226 BCE.
Later Reign
In 222 BCE, Mithridates II gave his daughter
Laodice in marriage to the
Seleucid king
Antiochus III
Antiochus III the Great (; , ; 3 July 187 BC) was the sixth ruler of the Seleucid Empire, reigning from 223 to 187 BC. He ruled over the region of Syria and large parts of the rest of West Asia towards the end of the 3rd century BC. Rising to th ...
. Another of his daughters, also named
Laodice, was married about the same time to
Achaeus, the cousin of Antiochus.
In 220 BC, Mithridates declared war upon the wealthy and powerful city of
Sinope. However, he was unable to weaken it and the city did not come under the control of the kings of Pontus until 183 BC.
In 227 BC, Mithridates II vied with the other monarchs of Asia in sending magnificent presents to the
Rhodians, after the destruction of their city by an earthquake.
Death
The date of his death is unknown. He was succeeded by
Mithridates III, his son with
Laodice.
Notes
References
*Hazel, John. ''Who's Who in the Greek World''. "Mithridates II", 2003.
*
Smith, William (editor); ''
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' is a biographical dictionary of classical antiquity, edited by William Smith (lexicographer), William Smith and originally published in London by John Taylor (English publisher), Tayl ...
'', ,
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
, (1867).
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mithridates 02 Of Pontus
Mithridatic kings of Pontus
Ancient Persian people
3rd-century BC Iranian people
Ancient child monarchs
3rd-century BC kings of Pontus