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

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

and one of the wives of King

Mithridates VI of Pontus 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 ...

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

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

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 Crown (headgear), crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of Monarch, royalty. Overview The word derives from the Ancient Greek, Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", fro ...

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 (; ; ; may ultimately derive from ) was an Ancient Greece, ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, in present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of Apasa, the former Arzawan capital ...

. 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. 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 Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

at the capture of the fortress at Caenon Phrourion.

In fiction

Monime is a character in Racine's five-act tragedy '' Mithridate''. 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 wit ...

and

Rachel Rachel () was a Bible, Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph (Genesis), Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban (Bible), Laban. Her older siste ...

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 () or Blockade Crown (''corona obsidionalis'') was the highest and rarest of all military decorations in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was presented only to a general, commander, or officer whose actions saved a ...

''.

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 ...

, year=2009 70s BC deaths 1st-century BC Greek women 1st-century BC Asian people People from the Kingdom of Pontus 1st-century BC Greek people Roman-era Macedonians Ancient Pontic Greeks Mithridatic dynasty Wives of Mithridates VI Eupator Ancient Anatolian Greek women