MAIASP. 2025. No. 19 Michael Choref (Ness Ziona, Israel) Mithridates III: The Man and the RulerDespite centuries of study, the biography and history of the reign of Mithridates III are still not fully known. Unfortunately, none of the surviving Bosporan inscriptions contain information about its origin. So the assumption that he was the son of Aspurgus is still debatable. We know nothing about the internal and external policies of the Bosporus under Mithridates III. Was he really going to fight Rome? The question of the size of this sovereign's sphere of influence remains debatable. And finally, it is necessary to find out what offenses he inflicted on Claudius I? Through a comprehensive analysis of the available sources, this study argues that Mithridates III continued the political course of his father, Aspurgus, and mother, Gepaepyris, and harbored no intentions of war with Rome. His downfall is attributed to the false denunciation by Kotys, which was believed by the paranoid emperor Claudius I, leading to Mithridates’ deposition. Key words: history, archaeology, numismatics, Bosporus, Mithridates III. |