Bosporos under the Rule of Mithridates VI Eupator

Tür:

Kitap Bölümü

Yazar:

Evgenij A. Molev

Yayın yılı:

2009

Yayıncı:

Aarhus University Press

In the present paper I aim to investigate a single question in Bosporan history: the status of Bosporos in the Pontic state under the rule of Mithridates VI. Bosporos was incorporated into the Pontic Kingdom after the defeat of the Scythians under Saumakos in about 107/6 BC. Undoubtedly, the Scythian riot together with the death of the last Spartokid king changed the presupposed conditions of this incorporation. After the crushing defeat, Bosporos could no longer aspire to the role of a vassal kingdom, as Oresnikov supposed, 1 and as the issue was probably resolved by negotiations with Pairisades V. Nor could it be a vice-kingdom, as Reinach believed. 2 Both variants overlook one major point – the king was under the control of Mithridates and at the same time enjoyed his confidence. According to Selov: “Bosporos, which was united with Pontos by a personal union, continued to be an isolated political unit; its head was a special governor-general appointed by the king, whose sons in turn took on this role”. 3 Being too young, however, the sons of Mithridates could not have governed Bosporos immediately after its subjection. The earliest mention of the fact that Bosporos was governed by the sons of Mithridates belongs to 87/6 BC (Plut. Sul. 11). Moreover, this passage tells us about the governing of both Pontos and Bosporos. Gajdukevic offers a different opinion viewing Bosporos as a province or a satrapy within the Pontic Kingdom. 4 The absence of sources related specificall…

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