Mithridates I. (kios)

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Mithridates was a Persian dynast in the 4th century BC.

In the historical literature, he is often seen as the ruler of the city of Kios on the Marmara Sea , but this cannot be substantiated in terms of sources. Mithridates is only mentioned in one entry in Diodorus . It says that on the death of Mithridates the satrap of Phrygia, Ariobarzanes , took over his kingdom. Diodorus added this information to the context of the beginning satrap revolt in 362 BC. (Molon was archon in Athens), but whether Mithridates died in that year and whether the satrap Ariobarzanes was his son cannot be explicitly inferred from it. The identity of his “kingdom” also remains unclear.

The satrap Ariobarzanes was born in 362 BC. Betrayed by his own son, who was also called Mithridates ( Mithridates of Kios ?), And then executed by crucifixion.

It is possible that Mithridates, inherited from Ariobarzanes, was identical to that named companion of Prince Cyrus († 401 BC) or that satrap of the same name from Cappadocia and Lycaonia who are known from the ana base of Xenophon .

Discussion in research

The statement by Diodorus that after the death of a Mithridates the satrap of Phrygia took over his kingdom has led to many discussions in research. Since the testimony of Diodorus was never questioned, attempts were made to bring traditions from other family members into line with him. That never worked.

A recent study casts doubt on Diodor's statement. In their opinion, Diodorus mutilated two dynasties of the same name into a single family. The consequence of this was that traditions of apparent family members had to be reconciled, which were incompatible in the context.

The new study by Bosworth and Wheatley therefore proposes in a hypothesis that the statement of Diodorus is wrong and that instead the ruler of Mariandynia and Mysia, who bears the same name as the satrap of Phrygia, succeeded Mithridates I. He would have been his son. His father, Mithridates I would then have been the ruler of Mariandynia, an empire that the family of Gobryas , a son of Darius I , inherited.

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Diodorus 15, 90, 3
  2. ↑ Xenophon Anabasis 2, 5, 35; 3, 3-4 and 8, 8, 25
  3. ↑ Brian C. McGing: The Kings of Pontus. Some Problems of Identity and Date. In: Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 129, 1986, pp. 248–259, here: p. 248 f.
  4. ^ AB Bosworth, PV Wheatley: The origins of the Pontic house. In: The Journal of Hellenic Studies 118, 1998, pp. 155-164, see Kingdom of Pontus # History , in which the entire family tree of the ancestors of the Pontic kings is listed.
predecessor Office successor
Ariobarzanes I. (Kios) Roots of King of Pontus
4th century 		Ariobarzanes II (kios)
personal data
SURNAME Mithridates I.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mithridates from kios
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ruler of kios
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH before 362 BC Chr.