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The Poison King
The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy
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The Poison King
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Claiming Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia as ancestors, Mithradates, the ruthless king and visionary rebel who challenged the power of Rome in the first century BC, inherited a wealthy Black Sea kingdom at age fourteen after his mother poisoned his father. This title tells the story of Mithradates.
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Description
Machiavelli praised his military genius. European royalty sought out his secret elixir against poison. His life inspired Mozart's first opera, while for centuries poets and playwrights recited bloody, romantic tales of his victories, defeats, intrigues, concubines, and mysterious death.
But until now, no modern historian has recounted the full story of Mithradates, the ruthless king and visionary rebel who challenged the power of Rome in the first century BC. In this richly illustrated bookβthe first biography of Mithradates in fifty yearsβAdrienne Mayor combines a storyteller's gifts with the most recent archaeological and scientific discoveries to tell the tale of Mithradates as it has never been told before.
The Poison King describes a life brimming with spectacle and excitement. Claiming Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia as ancestors, Mithradates inherited a wealthy Black Sea kingdom at age fourteen after his mother poisoned his father. He fled into exile and returned in triumph to become a ruler of superb intelligence and fierce ambition.
Hailed as a saviour by his followers and feared as a second Hannibal by his enemies, he envisioned a grand Eastern empire to rival Rome. After massacring eighty thousand Roman citizens in 88 BC, he seized Greece and modern-day Turkey. Fighting some of the most spectacular battles in ancient history, he dragged Rome into a long round of wars and threatened to invade Italy itself.
His uncanny ability to elude capture and surge back after devastating losses unnerved the Romans, while his mastery of poisons allowed him to foil assassination attempts and eliminate rivals. The Poison King is a gripping account of one of Rome's most relentless but least understood foes.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Poison King by Adrienne Mayor has received considerable acclaim for its engaging storytelling and thorough research on Mithradates VI of Pontus. Critics praise the book for its vibrant narrative, scholarly depth, and ability to bring ancient history alive. The work has been characterised as a page-turner that successfully combines biography, history, and science, offering a nuanced view of its subject and enjoying significant recognition in historical literature.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780691150260
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 27 March 2011
Country: United States
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Illustration: 9 Maps
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 235.0mm
Weight: 680g
Pages: 480
About the Author
Adrienne Mayor is the author of Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs: Biological and Chemical Warfare in the Ancient World (Overlook) and The First Fossil Hunters: Paleontology in Greek and Roman Times (Princeton). She is a research scholar in classics and history of science at Stanford University.
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