Mithridates
From Open Encyclopedia
The name Mithridates (more accurately, Mithradates) is derived from the Persian sun-god Mithra and the Indo-European root da, "to give" — i.e. "given by Mithra." That name was borne by a large number of kings, soldiers and statesmen in Asia Minor:
- Mithradates, a eunuch who helped Artabanus to assassinate Xerxes I.
- Mithradates, who fought first with Cyrus the Younger and after his death with Artaxerxes against the Greeks, and is the ancestor of the kings of Pontus.
- Mithridates of Persia, a son-in-law of Darius III
- Mithridates I of Parthia (171–138 BC)
- Mithridates II of Parthia (110–87 BC)
- Mithridates III of Parthia (58–57 BC)
- Mithridates IV of Parthia (AD 128–147)
- Mithridates I of Kios
- Mithridates II of Kios (337–302 BC)
- Mithridates I of Pontus (302–266 BC)
- Mithridates II of Pontus (c. 250–c. 220 BC)
- Mithridates III of Pontus (c. 220–c. 185 BC)
- Mithridates IV of Pontus (170–c. 150 BC)
- Mithridates V of Pontus (c. 150–120 BC)
- Mithridates VI of Pontus (120–63 BC)
- Mithridates I of the Bosporus
- Mithridates II of the Bosporus
- Mithridates I of Kommagene
- Mithridates II of Kommagene
- Mithridates of Armenia (AD 35–51)
Also, the word mithridates or mithridate was once synonymous with antidote, and mithridatism meant the practice of taking repeated low doses of a poison with the intent of building immunity to it. Mithridates was also a common title for books containing samples of several languages. These meanings were inspired by legends about Mithridates VI of Pontus.
de:Mithridateses:Mitrídates fr:Mithridate it:Mitridate nl:Mithridates ru:Митридат
