Mithridates facts for kids

Mithridates (pronounced like mith-rih-DAY-teez or mith-ruh-DAY-teez) is an ancient name from Iran. It means "given by Mithra." Mithra was an important god in ancient Persian beliefs, often linked to light, truth, and contracts. Today, a similar name in Modern Persian is Mehrdad.

Many important people throughout history, especially kings and rulers, were named Mithridates. This name was popular in different ancient kingdoms.

Famous People Named Mithridates

Many rulers from different kingdoms used the name Mithridates. Here are some of the most well-known ones.

Kings of Pontus

The Kingdom of Pontus was an ancient kingdom located in what is now modern-day Turkey.

• Mithridates I of Pontus (ruled around 281–266 BC): He was the founder of the Kingdom of Pontus. He was also known as Mithridates I Ctistes.
• Mithridates VI Eupator (ruled around 120–63 BC): He is often called Mithridates the Great. He was one of the most powerful and famous kings of Pontus. He fought several big wars against the Roman Republic, known as the Mithridatic Wars. These wars lasted for many years. He was known for his cleverness and for trying to become immune to poisons.

Kings of Parthia

Parthia was a powerful empire in ancient Iran.

• Mithridates I of Parthia (ruled 171–132 BC): He was also known as Mithridates I the Great. He greatly expanded the Parthian Empire.
• Mithridates II of Parthia (ruled 124–88 BC): He was another powerful ruler, sometimes called Mithridates the Great. He helped Parthia become a major power in the ancient world.

Kings of Commagene

Commagene was a small ancient kingdom located between the Roman and Parthian empires.

• Mithridates I Callinicus (ruled 109–70 BC): He was a king of Commagene.

Other Rulers

The name Mithridates was also used by kings in other ancient regions, including:

• Armenia
• Iberia (a kingdom in the Caucasus region)
• Bosporus (a kingdom around the Black Sea)

Other People Named Mithridates

Besides kings, other notable individuals also carried this name:

• Mithridates (Persian general) (died 334 BC): He was a Persian general and the son-in-law of King Darius III.
• Mitradates (Herdsman): An ancient story tells of a Median herdsman named Mitradates. He was ordered to kill the baby Cyrus the Great, who would later become a famous Persian king. But Mitradates secretly raised Cyrus instead.
• Flavius Mithridates: A Jewish translator from Italy in the 15th century.

Other Uses of the Name

The fame of Mithridates VI of Pontus led to his name being used in other ways.

Mithridatism

• Mithridatism is the practice of taking very small, increasing amounts of a poison. The goal is to build up an immunity to that poison over time. This practice is named after Mithridates VI of Pontus. Stories say he tried to make himself immune to poisons.

Plays and Operas

Several plays and operas have been created about Mithridates VI of Pontus:

• Mithridate (Racine) (1673): A famous play by the French writer Jean Racine.
• Mitridate, re di Ponto (1770): An opera by the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was based on Racine's play.
• Other operas like Mitridate Eupatore (1707) by Alessandro Scarlatti and Mitridate (1730) by Porpora also tell stories about him.

Other Books

• Mithridates, de differentiis linguarum...: This was a book that collected 22 different translations of the Lord's Prayer.

See also

In Spanish: Mitrídates para niños

• Mithras (disambiguation)
• Mitra (disambiguation)