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PONTIC KINGDOM. Mithradates VI (120-63 BC). AV stater (20mm, 8.28 gm, 1h). NGC Choice AU 5/5 - 4/5. By this time, the source of the previous coin in this collection, Ephesus, and most of modern-day Turkey, were in the hands of Mithradates VI King of Pontus.
Types of Lysimachus of Thrace, Callatis, ca. 88-86 BC. Diademed head of deified Alexander III right, wearing horn of Ammon / ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ / ΛYΣΙΜΑΧΟY, Athena enthroned left, Nike crowning royal name in right hand, left arm leaning on grounded shield, transverse spear beyond; HPO monogram below right arm, KAΛ on throne, filleted trident left in exergue. Müller 265. There are more than 1,000 of these graded by NGC, many in this grade or finer. That said, many even in mint state are sloppily cut dies. This one is pretty good for this run. There is another series struck by Mithradates VI in gold also during his wars with Rome, but, it features a realistic portrait of himself and a different reverse. Those cost 8 times more than this kind.
Mithradates, in Greek, Μιθραδάτης, Μιθριδάτης, from Old Persian Miθradāta, "gift of Mithra") (135–63 BC), also known as Mithradates the Great (Megas) and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120–63 BC. Mithridates is remembered as one of the Roman Republic’s most formidable and successful enemies, who engaged three of the prominent generals from the late Roman Republic in the Mithridatic Wars: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. He has been called the greatest ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus.
Mithridates presided over the massacre of Romans and Italians in Asia in May of 88 BC. In Bithynia Mithridates got advice from a prominent Greek philosopher at his court, Metrodoros of Skepsis, who was known as ho misoromaios (the Roman-hater). Metrodoros suggested that in order to bind the communities of the Roman province to the Pontic cause the king should arrange for the extermination of all Romans in the province without regard to age or sex and force the participation of all the Greek civic authorities, thus shaking off Roman rule permanently and irrevocably. Sort of a burn the ships on the beach move.
The massacre was carefully planned and co-ordinated to take the victims by surprise, in every community and all at once. In writing to all the civic authorities of the province, detailing the measures to be taken, the king stipulated that the killings were to be carried out exactly one month after the date of his letter. The date in question is not recorded but fell around early May 88 BC.
What took place on that day profoundly affected Roman/Hellenistic relations. Appian states that 80,000 Romans and Italians were killed in these "Asiatic Vespers", while Plutarch gives a much higher number. Not long after, Sulla would be at the walls of Athens, and not in a good way. This did not reflect well on Greeks, even though let's face it, Mithridates was just part Greek.
Mithridates VI was a prince of Persian and Greek ancestry. He claimed descent from Cyrus the Great, the family of Darius the Great, the Regent Antipater, the generals of Alexander the Great as well as the later kings Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator.
He developed resistance to most poisons by regularly dosing himself with small amounts of them over his lifetime. This was inspired by the poisoning of his father. He is the subject of a good book called "The Poison King." At the end of his own life, he was not able to kill himself with poison as his enemies closed in. Frustrated, he needed his companion to stab him with a sword.