Herod Antipas vs Mithridates VI of Pontus

Following the death of Herod the Great, Herod Antipas was appointed by Roman Emperor Augustus as tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. This division of Herod's kingdom established Antipas as a client ruler under Roman authority, governing these territories until 39 AD.

Herod Antipas married Herodias, his brother Philip's former wife, while she was still married. John the Baptist publicly condemned this marriage as unlawful. Antipas imprisoned John and later had him executed, an event recorded in the Gospels and by Josephus.

At a banquet, Herodias's daughter Salome requested the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod Antipas, bound by an oath made before his guests, ordered John's execution by beheading in the fortress of Machaerus. This act is recorded in the Gospels and by Josephus.

During Jesus's trial, Pontius Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who was in Jerusalem for Passover. Antipas questioned Jesus but received no answer. He and his soldiers mocked Jesus, then returned him to Pilate without issuing a verdict. This event is recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

Herod Antipas suffered a military defeat against King Aretas IV of Nabatea. The conflict arose from Antipas's divorce of Aretas's daughter to marry Herodias. The defeat was interpreted by some as divine punishment for the execution of John the Baptist, as reported by Josephus.

Herod Antipas was accused by his nephew Agrippa I of plotting rebellion against Rome. Emperor Caligula believed the accusation and exiled Antipas to Lugdunum Convenarum in Gaul (modern Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, France). Herodias accompanied him into exile. His tetrarchy was given to Agrippa I.

Mithridates VI, fearing assassination by poison, developed a universal antidote called mithridatium. He reportedly tested poisons on prisoners and himself to perfect the formula. This concoction, containing dozens of ingredients, was used by Roman emperors and remained influential in medicine for centuries.

Mithridates VI invaded the Roman province of Asia, capturing it with little resistance. He ordered the massacre of 80,000 Roman and Italian settlers in the Asiatic Vespers. This war ended with the Treaty of Dardanos in 85 BC, but Mithridates retained his kingdom.

Mithridates ordered the simultaneous massacre of all Roman and Italian residents in the cities of Asia Minor. An estimated 80,000 people were killed in a single day. This act was intended to unite the Greek cities against Rome and eliminate Roman influence in the region.

Mithridates fought against the Roman general Lucius Licinius Murena, who attacked Pontus without Senate authorization. Mithridates defeated Murena and forced him to withdraw. The war ended with the status quo ante bellum, but it increased tensions between Rome and Pontus.

Mithridates launched a major war against Rome, initially defeating the Roman general Lucullus. However, Pompey the Great took command and decisively defeated Mithridates at the Battle of the Lycus in 66 BC. Mithridates fled to the Crimea, ending his expansionist ambitions.

After his final defeat, Mithridates attempted suicide by poison but failed due to his immunity from years of taking mithridatium. He then ordered a Gallic mercenary to stab him to death. His body was later found by Roman forces, ending the Pontic Kingdom.