Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy
A military biography of Mithridates VI ‘the Great’ of Pontus, Rome’s most persistent enemy. The Mithridiatic wars stretched over half a century and two continents, and have a fascinating cast of pirates, rebels, turncoats and poisoners (though an unfortunate lack of heroes with untarnished motives). There are pitched battles, epic sieges, double-crosses and world-class political conniving, assassinations and general treachery. Through it all, the story is built about the dominant character of Mithridates, connoisseur of poisons, arch-schemer and strategist, resilient in defeat, savage and vindictive in victory. Almost by definition, this book will break new ground, in that nothing has been written on Mithridates for the general public for almost half a century, though scholarly journals have been adding a steady trickle of new evidence, which is drawn upon here.

Few enough leaders went to war with Rome and lived long to tell the tale, but in the first half of the first century BC, Mithridates did so three times. At the high point of his career his armies swept the Romans out of Asia Minor and Greece, reversing a century of Roman expansion in the region. Even once fortune had turned against him he would not submit. Up to the day he died, a fugitive drive to suicide by the treachery of his own son, he was still planning an overland invasion of Rome itself.
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Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy
A military biography of Mithridates VI ‘the Great’ of Pontus, Rome’s most persistent enemy. The Mithridiatic wars stretched over half a century and two continents, and have a fascinating cast of pirates, rebels, turncoats and poisoners (though an unfortunate lack of heroes with untarnished motives). There are pitched battles, epic sieges, double-crosses and world-class political conniving, assassinations and general treachery. Through it all, the story is built about the dominant character of Mithridates, connoisseur of poisons, arch-schemer and strategist, resilient in defeat, savage and vindictive in victory. Almost by definition, this book will break new ground, in that nothing has been written on Mithridates for the general public for almost half a century, though scholarly journals have been adding a steady trickle of new evidence, which is drawn upon here.

Few enough leaders went to war with Rome and lived long to tell the tale, but in the first half of the first century BC, Mithridates did so three times. At the high point of his career his armies swept the Romans out of Asia Minor and Greece, reversing a century of Roman expansion in the region. Even once fortune had turned against him he would not submit. Up to the day he died, a fugitive drive to suicide by the treachery of his own son, he was still planning an overland invasion of Rome itself.
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Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy

Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy

by Philip Matyszak
Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy

Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy

by Philip Matyszak

Paperback(Reprint)

$24.95 
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Overview

A military biography of Mithridates VI ‘the Great’ of Pontus, Rome’s most persistent enemy. The Mithridiatic wars stretched over half a century and two continents, and have a fascinating cast of pirates, rebels, turncoats and poisoners (though an unfortunate lack of heroes with untarnished motives). There are pitched battles, epic sieges, double-crosses and world-class political conniving, assassinations and general treachery. Through it all, the story is built about the dominant character of Mithridates, connoisseur of poisons, arch-schemer and strategist, resilient in defeat, savage and vindictive in victory. Almost by definition, this book will break new ground, in that nothing has been written on Mithridates for the general public for almost half a century, though scholarly journals have been adding a steady trickle of new evidence, which is drawn upon here.

Few enough leaders went to war with Rome and lived long to tell the tale, but in the first half of the first century BC, Mithridates did so three times. At the high point of his career his armies swept the Romans out of Asia Minor and Greece, reversing a century of Roman expansion in the region. Even once fortune had turned against him he would not submit. Up to the day he died, a fugitive drive to suicide by the treachery of his own son, he was still planning an overland invasion of Rome itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781473828902
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication date: 02/20/2016
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 208
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

PHILIP ‘MATY’ MATYSZAK holds a doctorate in Ancient History from St John’s College, Oxford University, and has been studying, teaching and writing on the subject for over twenty years. He specializes in the history of Classical Greece and of the Late Republic and Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty has personal military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territorial Army in Britain. These days he splits his time between writing in his home in Canada’s Monashee Mountains and providing e-learning courses for Cambridge University’s Institute of Continuing Education.

Table of Contents

Preface vi

Acknowledgements viii

List of Plates ix

Maps x

Introduction xv

Chapter 1 Winning Pontus 1

Chapter 2 Building a Kingdom 13

Chapter 3 The First Clash With Rome 25

Chapter 4 Imperial Pontus 43

Chapter 5 Battleground Greece 57

Chapter 6 The Road to Dardanus 73

Chapter 7 The Failed Peace 89

Chapter 8 Mithridates Attacks 101

Chapter 9 Defeat and Exile 117

Chapter 10 The Return of the King 137

Chapter 11 The Last Stand 152

Epilogue 163

Notes 169

Bibliography 175

Index 177

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