Mithridates or Mithradates V Euergetes (, which means "Mithridates the Benefactor"; died 120 BC) was a prince and the seventh king of the

Kingdom of Pontus Pontus ( ) was a Hellenistic kingdom centered in the historical region of Pontus in modern-day Turkey, and ruled by the Mithridatic dynasty of Persian origin, which may have been directly related to Darius the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty. ...

Life

Mithridates V was of Greek Macedonian and Persian ancestry. He was the son of the King Pharnaces I and Queen Nysa, while his sister was Nysa of Cappadocia. His mother is believed to have died during childbirth, while giving birth to either him or his sister. He was born and raised in the Kingdom of Pontus. Mithridates V succeeded his paternal aunt Laodice and paternal uncle Mithridates IV on the Pontian throne, but the circumstance of his accession is uncertain. Mithridates V continued the alliance with

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

started by his predecessors. He supported them with some ships and a small auxiliary force during the

Third Punic War The Third Punic War (149–146 BC) was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between Carthage and Rome. The war was fought entirely within Carthaginian territory, in what is now northern Tunisia. When the Second Punic War ended in 20 ...

and at a subsequent period rendered them useful assistance in the war against the King of

Pergamon Pergamon or Pergamum ( or ; ), also referred to by its modern Greek form Pergamos (), was a rich and powerful ancient Greece, ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It is located from the modern coastline of the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north s ...

Eumenes III Eumenes III (; ; (died 129 BC) originally named Aristonicus; in Greek Aristonikos Ἀριστόνικος) was a pretender to the throne of Pergamon. He led the revolt against the Pergamene regime and found success early on, seizing various cities ...

(131–129 BC). For his services on this occasion, Mithridates V was rewarded by the Roman consul Manius Aquillius with 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 ...

. However, the acts of the Roman consul were rescinded by the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...

on the grounds of bribery, but it appears that he maintained his possession of Phrygia until his death. Mithridates V also increased the power of Pontus by the marriage of his eldest child, his daughter Laodice to King

Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VI Epiphanes Philopator (), was the Ariarathid king of Cappadocia from 130 BC to 116 BC. He was the youngest son of Ariarathes V of Cappadocia and Nysa of Cappadocia. Name "Ariarathes" is the Hellenized form of an Old Iranian name, ...

. The end of his reign can only be approximately determined based on statements concerning the accession of his son Mithridates VI, which is assigned to the year 120 BC, signaling the end of the reign of Mithridates V. Mithridates V was assassinated around 120 BC in Sinope, poisoned by unknown persons at a lavish banquet which he held. Mithridates V was a great benefactor to the Hellenic culture which shows on surviving coinage and honorific inscriptions stating his donations in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

and

Delos Delos (; ; ''Dêlos'', ''Dâlos''), is a small Greek island near Mykonos, close to the centre of the Cyclades archipelago. Though only in area, it is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. ...

and held the Greek God

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

in great veneration. A bilingual inscription dedicated to him is displayed at the

Capitoline Museums The Capitoline Museums () are a group of art and archaeology, archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, facing ...

. Mithridates V was buried in the royal tombs of his ancestors at

Amasya Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol ...

Family

Mithridates V married the Greek Seleucid Princess

Laodice VI Laodice VI (; died 115–113 BCE) was a Greek Seleucid princess and through marriage was a queen of the Kingdom of Pontus. Biography Laodice was the daughter born from the sibling union of the Seleucid rulers Antiochus IV Epiphanes and Laodice I ...

, who was the daughter of

Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( 215 BC–November/December 164 BC) was king of the Seleucid Empire from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. Notable events during Antiochus' reign include his near-conquest of Ptolemaic Egypt, his persecution of the Jews of ...

and Laodice IV.Walbank, ''Cambridge ancient history: The hellenistic world, Volume 7 '' p.491 Mithridates V and Laodice VI were related, thus he was connected to the

Seleucid dynasty The Seleucid dynasty or the Seleucidae (; , ', "descendants of Seleucus") was a Macedonian Greek royal family, which ruled the Seleucid Empire based in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded by Seleucus I Nicator, a general an ...

. Laodice bore Mithridates V eight children:

Laodice of Cappadocia Berenice or Laodice of Cappadocia, also known as Laodice ( ''Laodíkē''; flourished from the mid-120s BC to the 90s BC) was a princess from the Kingdom of Pontus and a queen of the Kingdom of Cappadocia by marriage to Ariarathes VI, and queen o ...

Mithridates VI Mithridates or Mithradates VI Eupator (; 135–63 BC) was the 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 effective, ambitious, and r ...

Mithridates Chrestus Mithridates Chrestus (; ''the Good'', flourished 2nd century BC, died 115 BC-113 BC) was a Prince and co-ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus. Chrestus was of Greek and Persian ancestry. He was the second son and among the children born to the Pontian ...

, Laodice, Nysa (sometimes spelt as Nyssa), Roxana and Statira. Roxana and Statira were compelled to kill themselves with poison after the fall of Pontus in 63 BC. Nysa was taken prisoner by the Romans and made to march in the triumphs of two Roman generals.

References

Sources

* 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) * * Walbank, W. The Cambridge ancient history: The Hellenistic world, Volume 7 F. Cambridge University Press, 1984 * McGing, B.C. The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, BRILL, 1986 * Hazel, J. Who's Who in the Roman World, "Mithridates V Euergetes", 2002 * Erciyas, D.B. Wealth, aristocracy and royal propaganda under the Hellenistic kingdom of the Mithradatids in the Central Black Sea Region in Turkey, BRILL, 2006 * Mayor, A. The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy, Princeton University Press, 2009 * Dakshveer Singh

External links

Callatay, Francois, The First Royal Coinages of Pontos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mithridates 05 Of Pontus 2nd-century BC births 120s BC deaths Mithridatic kings of Pontus Ancient Persian people 2nd-century BC Iranian people Iranian people of Greek descent 2nd-century BC murdered monarchs 2nd-century BC kings of Pontus Year of birth unknown