The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy
A History, Ancient History, Biography book. Archaeologists have discovered special-issue gold and silver coins with images of Dionysus (god of liberation) and Mithradatic devices...
Machiavelli praised his military genius. European royalty sought out his secret elixir against poison. His life inspired Mozart's first opera, while for centuries poets and playwrights recited bloody, romantic tales of his victories, defeats, intrigues, concubines, and mysterious death. But until now no modern historian has recounted the full story of Mithradates, the ruthless king and visionary rebel who challenged the power of Rome in the first century BC. In this richly illustrated book--the first biography of Mithradates in fifty years--Adrienne Mayor combines a storyteller's gifts with the most recent archaeological and scientific discoveries to tell the tale of Mithradates as it has never been told before.The Poison King describes a life brimming with spectacle and excitement. Claiming Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia as ancestors, Mithradates inherited a wealthy Black Sea kingdom at age fourteen after his mother poisoned his father. He fled into exile and returned in triumph to become a ruler of superb intelligence and fierce ambition. Hailed as a savior by his followers...
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- Filetype: PDF
- Pages: 472 pages
- ISBN: 9781400833429 / 1400833426
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More About The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy
Archaeologists have discovered special-issue gold and silver coins with images of Dionysus (god of liberation) and Mithradatic devices commemorating the communications between Mithradates and the insurgents in Italy from this time. Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy // While war ravaged Rome, Mithradates gloried in the victories of the Greek campaign. Halleys Comet was taken as a good omen by Mithradates Magi and by his allies. In Athens, the philosopher Aristion succeeded Athenion, elected on a pro-Mithradates platform; Aristions name appeared with Mithradates on Athenian coins of 8786 BC. Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy // The rebels issued coins showing the Italian Bull goring the Roman Wolf. Archaeologists have also discovered gold Italian coins similar to Mithradates Pontic coins, showing Dionysus, an allusion to Mithradates nickname and a symbol of rebellion against Rome.17 Adrienne Mayor, The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy //
A very good recreation of the famous king and his life-long struggle against Rome; indomitable in spirit but a mediocre general, Mithridates long reign was due as much to Rome's internal troubles as to his skill and the book only partially reflects that since in pretty much any direct encounter the roman legions trounced the mithridatic... I really enjoyed The Poison King. If you are interested in Ancient Rome, try reading up on their opponents and other kingdoms in Eurasia. I was fascinated to learn about the blended Greek/Persian culture in Pontus and will probably go back for more. In terms of the writing, Adrienna Mayor says up front that the historical record is... Mithradates VI of Pontus did nothing by half measures. In the spring of 88 BC he organized the slaughter of essentially all the Roman and Italian residents of the Province of Asia which encompassed western Turkey. Men, women and children, masters and slaves were rounded up and killed without mercy. Those who attempted to gain sanctuary...
