Mithridates VI Eupator Dionysius, was a famous king of Pontus, a Hellenistic kingdom in Asia, Minor of Persian origin. He has also known as Mithridates the gates. He lived and ruled sometime between the 1st and 2nd centuries BC.
He was born around 130 BC and was 13 years old, when his father, King Mithridates V Euergetes was assassinated. He inherited the throne but he was too young to rule so his mother, Laodicea VI, who was a Seleucid princess ruled as a regent.
His mother was thought to have a hand in her husband’s death and this caused the prince to go into hiding. While he was hiding, he took numerous types of poison in little doses so he could develop immunity against them to prevent death if poisoned.
He is also known to have experimented with and formulated one of the best-known antidotes in antiquity. This antidote, known in English as Mithridate, is believed to have been a ‘universal antidote’ that could reverse any type of poison.
In 116 BC, he came out of hiding and faced his mother. He was able to dethrone her and he imprisoned her. She eventually died in prison. His younger brother, Mithridates Chrestus, who was his mother’s favourite, also went missing soon after he became king.
He became the ruler of the Pontic Kingdom and continued in his father’s footsteps by expanding his kingdom. Numerous neighboring countries surrendered their independence to him for protection.
He lived a long life and died in 63 BC. He had attempted poisoning himself but it didn’t work because of his immunity. He tried killing himself with his sword but he was too weak to do a proper job. Soon enough, some people who met him in that state, helped him finish the job with their swords.
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