Publication
Recorded Books (2011)
Original publication date
2009
Collections
Awards
National Book Award (Finalist — Nonfiction — 2009)
Independent Publisher Book Awards (Gold — Biography — 2010)
PROSE Award (Honorable Mention — 2010)
Description
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 and feared as a second Hannibal by his enemies, he envisioned a grand Eastern empire to rival Rome. After massacring eighty thousand Roman citizens in 88 BC, he seized Greece and modern-day Turkey. Fighting some of the most spectacular battles in ancient history, he dragged Rome into a long round of wars and threatened to invade Italy itself. His uncanny ability to elude capture and surge back after devastating losses unnerved the Romans, while his mastery of poisons allowed him to foil assassination attempts and eliminate rivals. The Poison King is a gripping account of one of Rome's most relentless but least understood foes.Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member yeremenko
No doubt Mithradates is a fascinating figure in history. But, little is known of him, but that does not stop Mayor from writing a detailed biography. This is really historical fiction dressed up as a real biography. Mayor couches his choices by presenting two sides of what may have happened then to
An interesting book but the presentation borders on academic dishonesty.
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seem unbiased chooses to support a version of events that includes all the most exciting elements but tempers them with minor adjustments. For example there is evidence that Mithadates stayed home after his father's death rather than go on the solo adventure described in accounts written by his ancients era spin doctors after his rise to prominence. So we are faced with a biographical detail that has little support for having happened. That does not stop Mayor from having an entire chapter written in novel level of detail including whispering to his trusted friend, his reasons for leaving his brother at home, even the route he took and the a description of his horses, packs and dogs. All of this for journey that it is not even known happened. He puts in phrases like "perhaps" "would have wanted to" "like other travelers of that time."An interesting book but the presentation borders on academic dishonesty.
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LibraryThing member Shrike58
A friend of mine noted that your reputation is made once you have a war named after you, in which case just think of what it might mean that it took four wars for the Roman republic to be done with Mithradates of Pontus, and even then it was a family coup that finished off the man's career. What I
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like about this work is that it casts a stark light on that machine of destruction and terror that was the late Roman republic, while at the same time making one appreciate the achievements of the Greco-Persian amalgamation of the Hellenistic world. For all the color and fascinating anecdotes though I still might have preferred if this book had been written in a little less of popular tone. Not to mention that I have to point out the editorial gaffe that the word "whipsawed" should have been used at one point instead of 'ripsawed." Show Less
LibraryThing member Bibliotecaboy
A very well written book that held my interest to the end and had me wanting more! This book read more like an adventure yarn and the author achieved the difficult task of writing a book on Mithradates that was both scholarly and exciting.
A book that broadened my intellectual horizons and gave me
A book that broadened my intellectual horizons and gave me
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lots of enjoyment. Many thanks to the author Adrienne Mayor! Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
An entertaining look at Mithradates that is as much speculation as history. So much of what was written by and about Mithradates VI has been lost that once again, we're left with an incomplete account of just why Rome feared and hated him. Overall his life reads like a traditional tale of a Greek
The thing that really sticks out about Mithradates is how much studying and reading he seemed to do. Not only Greek histories, tragedies and poetry, but the lives of people he admired like Cyrus the Great and Alexander (also Great). But unlike some rulers who might only know the facts presented, Mithradates seems to have actually learned from them and put some contrary schemes into practice. One that Tigranes (oh, he's Great, too) should have listened to was to NOT engage directly with Roman legions who time after time, wiped the floor with the often cobbled-together eastern armies, but to engage them with guerrilla type actions. In addition to his ideas about military tactics, he was a master of toxicology, probably pioneering that field and inventing what would go on to be a famous concoction for inuring oneself against poison. I wouldn't have wanted to be his enemy during his experimentation phase. And if that wasn't enough it was determined through his writings and various treaties and spy networks that he spoke and read at least a dozen languages with so much fluency that he almost never needed translators. What an intellect.
At the end after his defeat by Pompey (another Great!), the author speculates that Mithradates's death may have been a hoax and that he may have lived with his last remaining "wife", Hypsicratea, in her native lands. I say remaining wife because through his direct action, most of his previous queens were put to death because of suspected plots against him and just plain getting tired of them. Sucks to be on the receiving end of Mithradates's favors. His family didn't escape either with most of his siblings and children either exiled, imprisoned or executed. It ran in the family though, with is own mother trying to bump him off when he was a child so that is far more pliable brother (also called Mithradates) could be put into power instead. Ah, poor mom. She should have known better.
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hero. It is speculated in this book that Mithradates was aware of the hero checklist and went out of his way to make sure that he hit as many as possible. Part Greek democrat, part Persian autocrat, he was a character and despite his reputation as a martial winner, not much of a military man. That much I think he got from his Persian side; that participating in battle personally was just not done and beneath the dignity of a ruler.The thing that really sticks out about Mithradates is how much studying and reading he seemed to do. Not only Greek histories, tragedies and poetry, but the lives of people he admired like Cyrus the Great and Alexander (also Great). But unlike some rulers who might only know the facts presented, Mithradates seems to have actually learned from them and put some contrary schemes into practice. One that Tigranes (oh, he's Great, too) should have listened to was to NOT engage directly with Roman legions who time after time, wiped the floor with the often cobbled-together eastern armies, but to engage them with guerrilla type actions. In addition to his ideas about military tactics, he was a master of toxicology, probably pioneering that field and inventing what would go on to be a famous concoction for inuring oneself against poison. I wouldn't have wanted to be his enemy during his experimentation phase. And if that wasn't enough it was determined through his writings and various treaties and spy networks that he spoke and read at least a dozen languages with so much fluency that he almost never needed translators. What an intellect.
At the end after his defeat by Pompey (another Great!), the author speculates that Mithradates's death may have been a hoax and that he may have lived with his last remaining "wife", Hypsicratea, in her native lands. I say remaining wife because through his direct action, most of his previous queens were put to death because of suspected plots against him and just plain getting tired of them. Sucks to be on the receiving end of Mithradates's favors. His family didn't escape either with most of his siblings and children either exiled, imprisoned or executed. It ran in the family though, with is own mother trying to bump him off when he was a child so that is far more pliable brother (also called Mithradates) could be put into power instead. Ah, poor mom. She should have known better.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
An --on the whole-favorable life of Mithradates of Pontus, who fought a series of bitter wars against first-class Roman generals - Sulla, Lucullus, Pompey and came close to setting up a Hellenistic/Persian kingdom in Asia Minor. It is useful as being the first full-length biography in a long time,
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and almost the first favorable one They author came to Mithradates from an interest in ancient science and Mithradates' experiments with poisons which supposedly produced a universal antidote. Show Less
LibraryThing member Luftwaffe_Flak
A good overall book but the author got bogged down in the what if's and hypothesizing. She states very clearly when she is simply hypothesizing but I found she did it too much for my taste.
LibraryThing member janerawoof
Very complete, detailed and readable biography of Mithradates, King of Pontus, during the time of the Roman Republic. The book covers from his boyhood until his death in his 70s, still a fighter till the last. Raised among court intrigue: Persian and Greek, he early on began a lifelong study of
My only quibble was the amount of speculation: "perhaps", "it could have been this way....", "maybe". But this work seemed well researched as far as it went, with incomplete primary sources.
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poisons and their antidotes, testing them on criminals and each day of his life ingesting a bit, to render himself immune to their effects. He supposedly came up with a theriac [also called Mithridatium], a universal antidote; the formula for that has been lost. So far there has been no comprehensive biography of this man who led an amazing life: expansion from Pontus into a Black Sea Empire, and three wars attempting to ward off Romans and subjugation to them. Successful at first against Aquillius, Sulla and Lucullus, he finally succumbed to Pompey. His life was a series of highs and lows, victories and defeats, betrayals and loyalties. Cicero called him "the greatest king since Alexander." I could not believe the extent of his vengeance against people from the Italian peninsula in Asia Minor in 88 BC: fully 80,000 people were slaughtered, as revenge against unfairness of taxes and cruelty of Romans. My only quibble was the amount of speculation: "perhaps", "it could have been this way....", "maybe". But this work seemed well researched as far as it went, with incomplete primary sources.
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LibraryThing member GlennBell
This is an excellent book with fascinating facts that help you understand the life and times of Mithradates. I enjoyed the biography and learned alot about the history of Rome and the surrounding areas. I found myself feeling the struggle of Mithradates and felt for his losses and admired his
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persistence. I strongly recommend this book. Show Less
Media reviews
"I read this biography as a layperson, not a scholar, but I can say without reservation that it's a wonderful reading experience, as bracing as a tonic, the perfect holiday gift for adventure-loving men and women."
Language
Original language
English