Mithridates Eupator: the death in Panticapaeum

Talakh Victor

Abstract

In the essay, the author analyzes the reports of ancient sources about the circumstances of the death of the Pontic king Mithridates Eupator, which occurred in the spring of 63 BC in Panticapaeum. A detailed examination of the texts allows us to distinguish two versions. They presumably come from two different biographers of Pompey, Posidonius of Apamea and Theophanes of Mytilene, although it is not possible to establish the individual authorship of each. One of them, contained in the writings of Titus Livius, derived from them, and Appian, claims that after a failed poisoning attempt, Mithridates ordered one of his guards to stab himself. A likely variant of the same version, distorted as a result of abridgement and translation into Latin, is a very brief report by Aulus Gellius that the Pontic king committed suicide. The second version, presented by Cassius Dio, says that the king was killed without his request by supporters of his rebellious son, Pharnaces. The first version aims to acquit Pharnak from charges of involvement in the murder of his father, while the second is more neutral. At the same time, some details cast doubt on the most famous historical legend about Mithridates Eupator, that he was unable to be poisoned due to an acquired immunity to poisons.

Kyiv, February 2026

Victor Talakh – Independent Researcher, Kyiv, Ukraine