Pharnaces I of Pontus

Pharnaces I of Pontus; 185?–169 BC; Son of Mithridates III. The Greek inscription reads: "ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΦΑΡΝΑΚΟΥ", which means "[of] King Pharnaces".

Tetradrachm of Pharnaces I of Pontus

Pharnaces I (Greek: Φαρνάκης; lived 2nd century BC), fifth king of Pontus and was of Persian and Greek Macedonian ancestry. He was the son of King Mithridates III of Pontus and his wife Laodice, whom he succeeded on the throne.^[1] Pharnaces had two siblings: a brother called Mithridates IV of Pontus and a sister called Laodice who succeeded as Pontian monarchs on the throne.^[2] He was born and raised in the Kingdom of Pontus.

Life

The date of his accession cannot be fixed with certainty; but it is certain, at least, that he was on the throne before 183 BC, in which year he succeeded in reducing the important city of Sinope, which had been long an object of ambition to the Kings of Pontus. The Rhodians sent an embassy to Rome to complain of this aggression, but without effect.^[3] About the same time Pharnaces became involved in disputes with his neighbour, King of Pergamon, Eumenes II, which led to repeated embassies from both monarchs to Rome, as well as to partial hostilities. But in the spring of 181 BC, without waiting for the return of his ambassadors, Pharnaces suddenly attacked both Eumenes II and King Ariarathes IV of Cappadocia and invaded Galatia with a large force.

Bronze shield in the name of King Pharnakes, Getty Villa (80.AC.60)

Eumenes II opposed him at the head of an army: but hostilities were soon suspended by the arrival of the Roman Republic deputies, appointed by the Roman Senate to inquire into the matters in dispute. Negotiations were accordingly opened at Pergamon but led to no result, the demands of Pharnaces being rejected by the Romans as unreasonable; and the war was in consequence renewed. It continued, apparently with various interruptions, until the summer of 179 BC, when Pharnaces, finding himself unable to cope with the combined forces of Eumenes II and Ariarathes IV, was compelled to purchase peace by the cession of all his conquests in Galatia and Paphlagonia, with the exception of Sinope.^[4] How long he continued to reign after this we know not; but it appears, from an incidental notice, that he was still on the throne in 170 BC, while he was certainly dead in 154 BC, when his brother Mithridates IV of Pontus is mentioned as King.^[5] The Greek historian Polybius accuses Pharnaces of having an arrogant and violent character, siding with the opinion of Eumenes II and the Romans.

Pharnaces married a Greek Seleucid Princess called Nysa, who was the child of princess Laodice IV and crown prince Antiochus.^[6] Nysa and Pharnaces were related as the parents of Nysa were first cousins with Pharnaces. Pharnaces married Nysa either in 172 BC or 171 BC, through the diplomatic work of the Seleucid King Demetrius I Soter.^[7]

Honorific statues and inscriptions have survived that were dedicated to Pharnaces and Nysa. Pharnaces set about to establish good relations with the citizens of Athens and the Greek island of Delos. Pharnaces made a benefaction to the people of Athens. The exact nature of the benefaction is unknown, perhaps Pharnaces may have made some kind of voluntary donation to Athens, perhaps soon after 183 BC.^[8] A lengthy honorific inscription from the Athenians on Delos honors Pharnaces and Nysa. Pharnaces and Nysa received a crown of gold from them and bronze statues of themselves were set up on Delos. Their lengthy Athenian honorific inscription, is dated in the Archonship of the Athenian Tychandrus or Tychander which is now generally accepted as 160 BC or 159 BC.^[9]

Nysa bore Pharnaces two children: a son called Mithridates V of Pontus and a daughter called Nysa of Cappadocia, who is also known as Laodice.^[10] Nysa died at an unknown date in the 2nd century BC, she is believed to have died during childbirth, when she was giving birth to one of her children.^[11]

References

↑ Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus, xxxviii. 5, 6
↑ McGing, The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus p.90
↑ Polybius, Histories, xxiii. 9; Strabo, Geography, xii. 3; Livy, Ab urbe condita, xl. 2
↑ Polybius, xxiv. 1, 5, 8, 9 xxv. 2; Livy, xl. 20; Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca, xxix
↑ Polybius, xxvii. 17
↑ http://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_iv.html
↑ Grainger, A Seleukid prosopography and gazetteer p. 52
↑ McGing, The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus p.32
↑ McGing, The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus p.32
↑ Greek Wikipedia article of Nyssa of Pontus
↑ Greek Wikipedia article of Nyssa of Pontus

Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Pharnaces I", Boston, (1867)

Sources

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "^{article name needed}". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

B. C. McGing, The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, BRILL, 1986
J. D. Grainger, A Seleukid prosopography and gazetteer, BRILL, 1997
http://www.livius.org/la-ld/laodice/laodice_iv.html
Greek Wikipedia article of Nyssa of Pontus

Preceded by Mithridates III	King of Pontus c. 190 BC – c. 155 BC	Succeeded by Mithridates IV

Hellenistic rulers

Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV

Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)

Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion

Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus

Lysimachids	Lysimachus

Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes

Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III

Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I

Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenios Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebios Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II

Kings of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus

Kings of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II

Kings of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV

Kings of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus

Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’ attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I

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