Mithridates

Encyclopedia : M : MI : MIT : Mithridates

The name Mithridates (more accurately, Mithradates) is the Hellenized form of the Indo-Aryan Mithra-Datt, which means 'One given by Mithra". Mithra is the Indo-Aryan sun-god and Datt (Given by) derives from the Proto-Indo-European root da, "to give". That name was borne by a large number of kings, soldiers and statesmen in the Iranian dynasty Parthians and mostly by the Hellenistic royalty and nobility in Asia Minor:

Mithradates, a eunuch who helped Artabanus to assassinate Xerxes I.
Mithradates, who fought first with Cyrus the Younger and after his death with Artaxerxes against the Greeks, and is the ancestor of the kings of Pontus.
Mithridates of Persia, a son-in-law of Darius III
Mithridates I of Parthia (171–138 BC)
Mithridates II of Parthia (110–87 BC)
Mithridates III of Parthia (58–57 BC)
Mithridates IV of Parthia (AD 128–147)
Mithridates I of Kios
Mithridates II of Kios (337–302 BC)
Mithridates I of Pontus (302–266 BC)
Mithridates II of Pontus (c. 250–c. 220 BC)
Mithridates III of Pontus (c. 220–c. 185 BC)
Mithridates IV of Pontus (170–c. 150 BC)
Mithridates V of Pontus (c. 150–120 BC)
Mithridates VI of Pontus (120–63 BC)
Mithridates I of the Bosporus
Mithridates II of the Bosporus
Mithridates I of Kommagene
Mithridates II of Kommagene
Mithridates of Armenia (AD 35–51)
Mithridates I of Iberia
Mithridates II of Iberia
Mithridates III of Iberia
Mithridates IV of Iberia
Mithridates V of Iberia

Also, the word mithridates or mithridate was once synonymous with antidote, and mithridatism meant the practice of taking repeated low doses of a poison with the intent of building immunity to it. Mithridates was also a common title for books containing samples of several languages. These meanings were inspired by legends about Mithridates VI of Pontus who was famed for both his immunity to poisons and speaking over 25 languages. The name is very much in use in Persian-speaking countries such as Iran, and Tajikistan, usually as the native Mehrdad.

This is a [disambiguationdisambiguation] page: a list of articles associated with the same title. If an referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.