Pontus pursued Mithridates through those countries which are situated near the Caucasus. The barbarous nations through which he passed, chiefly the Albanians and Iberians, attempted to stop his march, but were soon put to flight. The excessive cold and the deep roads, however, obliged him to pass the winter near the river Cyrus. Early in the spring he pursued his march; but meeting with great opposition from the Iberians, a warlike nation, and entirely devoted to Mithridates, most part of the summer was spent in reducing them to subjection. In the mean time, Mithridates, who had wintered at Dioscurias, on the isthmus between the Euxine and Caspian Seas, and had there been joined by such of his troops as had made their escape from the late unfortunate battle, continued his flight through the countries of the Achaeans, Zygians, Heniochians, Cercetans, Moschi ans, and Colchians. Of these nations some received him kindly, and even entered into alliance with him; whilst he was forced to fight his way through others with the sword.

Pompey took the same route, directing his course by the stars, especially in the northern parts of Scythia, and even carrying with him a supply of water for the army in the vast deserts through which he marched. He spent two years in warring with these nations, and was often in danger of losing both his life and his army. But at last he overcame them all; and believing Mithridates, of whom he could obtain no account, to be dead, he marched back into Armenia Minor, where he allowed some rest to his soldiers, who were quite worn out with the hardships they had endured in the expedition. Having refreshed his army, he marched into Pontus to reduce some strongholds which were still garrisoned by the king's troops. Whilst he was at Aspis in Pontus, many of the king's concubines were brought to him; but he sent them all home to their parents, without offering them the least injury, and thereby gained the affections of the chief lords of Pontus, whose daughters they were. The strong castle of Symphori was delivered up to him by Stratonix, one of the king's concubines, upon no other terms than that he would spare her son Xiphares, who was with the king, in case he should fall into his hands. She likewise discovered to him treasures hidden under ground, which he, with great generosity, bestowed upon her, reserving for himself only some vessels to set off his triumph. Having taken another fort, called the New Castle, hitherto regarded as impregnable, he found in it great store of gold, silver, and other valuable things, which he afterwards consecrated to Jupiter Capitolinus. Here, in looking over the king's manuscripts, he came to discover where the rest of his treasures were concealed, what troops he could raise and maintain, and what sums were yearly paid him by his subjects and tributaries, so that he could form a true estimate of his whole power and wealth. Amongst other manuscripts, he found some books of physic, written by Mithridates himself, which he commanded Leneas, a learned grammarian, to translate into Latin.

Pompey having thus reduced all Pontus, marched into Syria with a design to recover that kingdom, and, passing through Arabia, to penetrate as far as the Red Sea. But whilst he was employed in this expedition, accounts were brought him that Mithridates, whom he believed to be dead, had appeared unexpectedly in Pontus at the head of a considerable army, and surprised Panticaeum, a famous emporium at the mouth of the Euxine Sea. All this time he had lain concealed in the territories of a Scythian prince, adjoining to the Palus Maeotis; but hearing that Pompey had left Pontus, and was engaged in other wars, he ventured out of his hiding-place, resolved either to recover his paternal kingdom, or perish in the attempt. He returned privately into Pontus, and managed matters there so dexterously that the Roman garrisons knew nothing of his arrival till he appeared with a considerable army in the field. He advanced first to the castle of Symphori; and understanding that Stratonix had delivered it up to Pompey, on condition that he would save the life of her son in case he should take him prisoner, the king immediately caused the youth, who was in his army, to be put to death, and his body to be left unburied; Stratonix beholding from the walls the cruel and unnatural murder, for he was her son by Mithridates, and had served him with great fidelity. At the same time he sent ambassadors to Pompey to treat of a peace, offering to pay a yearly tribute to the republic, upon condition of being restored to his kingdom. Pompey replied, that he would hearken to no proposals whatsoever, unless the king came to treat with him in person, as Tigranes had done. But this Mithridates looked upon as nowise consistent with his dignity, and therefore, laying aside all thoughts of an accommodation, he began to make what preparations he could for renewing the war.

He summoned all his subjects who were able to bear arms to meet at an appointed place; and having chosen out several of the whole multitude sixty cohorts, each consisting of a hundred men, he incorporated them with the regular troops that were already on foot. Being now in a condition to act offensively, for Pompey had left but a small number of troops in Pontus, he possessed himself of Phanagorium, Chersonesus, Theodosis, Nymphaeum, and several other important places. But, in the mean time, Castor, whom Mithridates had appointed governor of Phanagorium, falling out with Tripho, one of the king's favourite eunuchs, killed him, and, dreading the king's resentment, stirred up the inhabitants to a revolt. By this means Phanagorium was again lost; but the castle, which was defended by four of the king's sons, Artaphernes, Darius, Xerxes, and Oxathres, held out for some time. The king hastened to their relief; but the castle being set on fire by the rebels, they were forced to surrender to Castor before his arrival. These four sons, with one of the king's daughters, by name Cleopatra, Castor sent to the Romans; and fortifying himself in the town, persuaded most of the neighbouring cities, which were oppressed with heavy taxes, and greatly harassed by the king's collectors, to join in the rebellion.

Mithridates finding that he could neither rely upon the Discontented soldiery, most of whom were forced into the service, nor on his other subjects, who were dissatisfied by reason of the exorbitant taxes, sent ambassadors to invite the princes of Scythia to come to his relief, and with them his daughters, to be bestowed in marriage on such as showed themselves most inclined to assist him. But as the ambassadors he employed on this occasion were eunuchs, a race of men no less abhorred by the army than favoured by the king, over whom they had a great ascendant, especially in his old age, the soldiers who were sent to attend them on their journey put them all to the sword as soon as they were out of the king's reach, and delivered his daughters up to the Romans. Mithridates, finding himself thus deprived of his children, betrayed by his army, and forsaken even by those on whom he chiefly relied, could not yet be induced to submit to the Romans, though Pompey promised him honourable conditions, provided he came to treat with him in person.

In this desperate condition he left no stone unturned to stir up the princes of Asia against the Romans, especially of invading the Parthians; but finding them awed by the great opinion they all had of Pompey, he had recourse at last to the European Gauls, whom he understood to be at war with the Romans; and having sent some of his trusty friends to engage them in his favour, taking leave of his own kingdom, he began his long march, designing to pass through Bosphorus Cimmerius, Scythia, and Pannonia, and, joining the Gauls, to pass the Alps, and invade Italy. This design was no sooner known in the army, than the soldiers openly began to complain and mutiny; exaggerating the boldness of the attempt, the length of the march, and the insurmountable difficulties which must necessarily attend such a desperate enterprise. The chief commanders did all that lay in their power to divert him from it; representing to him, that if he was not able to cope with the Romans in his own kingdom, much less would he be a match for them in Italy or Gaul, where they could daily receive new supplies; whereas he would lose the greater part of his army in so long and difficult a march, and the rest, perhaps, in the first engagement, without any possibility of repairing the loss. But all was to no purpose. They found him so unalterably fixed in his resolution, that he caused those to be put to death who with most warmth remonstrated against it, not sparing even his own son Exipodras, for dropping some unguarded expressions on that occasion. Thus they were forced to let him pursue his own measures, until they found a more proper opportunity to oppose them, which soon afterwards presented itself, as they were encamped at Bosphorus Cimmerius, on their march into Scythia.

Here Pharnaces, the king's favourite son, whom he had appointed to succeed him, observing the general discontent that reigned in the army, began to entertain thoughts of placing the crown on his own head; and not doubting but the soldiery would stand by him, if he declared against the intended expedition into Italy, openly protested amongst the Roman deserters, who were a considerable part of the army, that if they would follow him he would return into Pontus. The Romans, who were well apprised of the danger that attended such an undertaking, and had most of all exclaimed against it, promised to support him to the utmost of their power, and even encouraged him to assume the title of king, a title which his father seemed determined to hold till he had destroyed, by his rash and desperate attempts, himself, his friends, and his army. Pharnaces, finding he could depend upon the Romans, engaged the same night most of the principal commanders in his party, and by their means the greater part of the soldiery. It was agreed, that next morning by break of day all those who had declared in his favour should appear in arms, and with a loud shout proclaim Pharnaces king. This was accordingly done, and the shout returned even by those persons whom Pharnaces had not thought proper to let into the secret. The king, who had taken up his quarters in the city, being awakened by the noise, sent out some of his domestics to ascertain what had happened in the army. Neither did the officers or soldiers dissemble the matter, but boldly answered, that they had chosen a young king instead of an old dotard governed by eunuchs.

Hereupon Mithridates, mounting on horseback, and attended by his guards, went out to appease the tumult; but his guards forsaking him, and his horse being killed under him, he was obliged to fly back into the city, whence he sent several of his attendants one after another to desire of his son a safe-conduct for himself and his friends. But as none of the messengers returned, some being slain, and others siding with the new king, Mithridates endeavoured to move his son to compassion, by signifying to him from the walls the distressed condition to which he was reduced by a son whom he had favoured above the rest of his children; but finding him nowise affected by this speech, turning to the gods, he beseeched them with many tears to make his son know one day by experience the grief and agony which a father must feel in seeing his love and tenderness requited with such base and monstrous ingratitude. Having thus spoken, he thanked in a very obliging manner those who had stood by him to the last, and exhorted them to make their submission to the new king on the best terms they could procure; adding, that as for himself, he was determined not to outlive the rebellion of a son whom he had always distinguished with particular marks of paternal affection.

After this, he withdrew into the apartment of his wives and concubines, where he first took poison himself, and then presented it to them, and to his favourite daughters Mithridatis and Nissa, who not long before had been betrothed to the kings of Egypt and Cyprus. To the women it proved immediate death; but on the king, who from his infancy had imurred his constitution to poisonous potions, it had so slow an operation, that he was forced, through fear of falling into the rebels' hands, to recur to his sword. Neither did the wound, as he was greatly weakened by the poison, prove mortal; so that the rebels, having in the mean time stormed the town, and broken into the house, found the king wallowing in his blood, but still alive, and in his senses. Pharnaces, hearing this, sent some of those that were about him to dress his wounds, with a design to deliver him up to the Romans, and thereby ingratiate himself with Pompey. But, in the mean time, a Gaul, who had served in the army, by name Bitactus, or Bithocous, entering the king's room in quest of booty, and being touched with compassion at seeing him forsaken by all his friends, and struggling on the bare ground in the agonies of death, drawing his sword, put an end to his misery, and thus prevented the insults which he apprehended if he should fall alive into his son's hands. The barbarian, when he first saw the king, is said to have been so awed by the majesty of his countenance, that, forgetful of his booty, he fled out of the room; but being called back, and earnestly entreated by the dying prince to put an end to his misery, he summoned all his courage to perform that office, which he did with a trembling hand; and immediately retired without touching anything that belonged to the king, though the hope of a rich booty was the only motive that had led him thither.

Pompey, who was at that time engaged in a war with the Excessives Jews, received the first notice of the death of Mithridates joy of the as he was on his march to Jerusalem. The messenger who Romans at brought the joyful tidings was sent by Pharnaces, and appeared unexpectedly before Pompey with the branch of a laurel, as was customary on the like occasions, twisted round the head of his javelin. When he heard what had happened at Panticapaeum, he was so impatient to impart it to the soldiery, that he could not even wait until they had raised him a mount of turf from which to address the army, according to the custom of the camp, but ordered those who were beside him to form a kind of mount with their saddles; and from thence he acquainted the soldiery that Mithridates had laid violent hands on himself, and that his son Pharnaces was ready to acknowledge the kingdom as a gift of the people of Rome, or resign it if they were unwilling he should reign. This news was received with joyful shouts by the whole army, and the day solemnized with feasts and sacrifices throughout the camp, as if in Mithridates alone all the enemies of the republic had expired. Pompey despatched without delay a messenger with letters to the senate, acquainting them with the death of Mithridates, and the submission of his son Pharnaces. When his letters were read, the senators were so overjoyed, that, at the proposal of Cicero, then consul, they appointed twelve days for returning due thanks to the gods, who had delivered them from such an insulting and powerful enemy: and the tribunes of the people enacted a law, by which Pompey, in consideration of his eminent service in the Mithridatic war, was to wear a crown of laurel, with the triumphal gown at the Circensian games, and a purple gown at the scenical shows.

Pharnaces, when he heard of his father's death, caused his body to be preserved in brine, proposing to present it to Pompey, who had promised to return into Pontus after the reduction of Judaea, and there settle matters to his satisfaction. Accordingly, the latter, having taken the city and temple of Jerusalem, set out with two legions for Pontus; and on his arrival at Sinope, he was there met by ambassadors from Pharnaces, acquainting him that their master had forborne assuming the title of king till his will and pleasure were known; that he put both himself and the kingdom entirely into his hands; and that he was willing to attend him at any time or place which he might think fit to appoint.

The same ambassadors delivered up to Pompey those who had taken Manius Aquilinus the Roman legate, whom Mithridates had put to a cruel death; all the prisoners, hostages, and deserters, whether Romans, Greeks, or barbarians; and the body of Mithridates, with his rich apparel and arms, which were greatly admired by Pompey and the other Romans. Both soldiers and officers flocked to see the king's body; but Pompey declined that sight, saying that all enmity between that great prince and the people of Rome had ended with his life, and, returning the body to the ambassadors, caused it to be interred with the utmost pomp and magnificence amongst his ancestors in the burying-place of the kings of Pontus, the Roman commander defraying all the charges of the ceremony. With the body Pompey restored his wearing apparel and armour; but the scabbard of his sword, which cost four hundred talents, was stolen by Rubilius, a Roman, and sold to Ariarathes king of Cappadocia; and his cap or turban, which was a curious piece of workmanship, was privately taken by one Caius, who presented it to Faustus the son of Sylla, in whose house it was kept, and shown for many years afterwards amongst the rarities which Sylla had brought out of Asia.

Pompey bestowed the kingdom of Bosphorus on Pharnaces, and honoured him with the title of friend and ally of the people of Rome. Pharnaces, being thus acknowledged king of Bosphorus, sent orders to all the garrisons of Pontus to submit themselves, delivering up the castles and treasures with which they had been intrusted, to Pompey, who by that means amassed an immense booty. In the city of Talaura, which Mithridates used to call his wardrobe, he found two thousand cups of onyx set in gold, with such store of gold and silver vessels, of costly furniture, of saddles, bridles, and trappings, set with jewels and precious stones, that the Roman commissioners spent thirty days in taking an inventory of the whole. Nor was this all. In another castle he found three large tables with nine salvers of massive gold, enriched with precious stones to an inestimable amount; the statues of Minerva, Mars, and Apollo, of pure gold and most curious workmanship; and a pair of gaming-tables of two precious stones, three feet broad and four feet long, on which was a moon of gold weighing thirty pounds, with their pieces, all of the same precious stone. In a fort situated amongst the mountains, were also delivered up to him the king's statue of massive gold, eight cubits high, his throne and sceptre, and the bed of Darius the son of Hystaspes. Most of these treasures had been transmitted to him from his ancestors, chiefly from Darius king of Persia; some belonged to the Ptolemies of Egypt, and had been deposited by Cleopatra in the hands of the Coans, who delivered them to Mithridates; and great part of them had been collected by the king himself, who was very fond of rich and stately furniture.

Pompey having thus got entire possession of Pontus, and reduced it to the form of a Roman province, marched into Asia properly so called; and having wintered at Ephesus, he early in the spring set out for Italy with a fleet of seven hundred ships. As he brought over his army with him, the senate was under no small apprehension lest he should make himself absolute, and rule without control. But he had no sooner landed at Brundusium, than he disbanded the army, without waiting for any decree either of the senate or people; a proceeding which neither his friends nor his enemies had expected. His triumph lasted two whole days; and although he was attended in his triumphal chariot by three hundred and twenty-four captives of distinction, amongst whom were five sons and two daughters of Mithridates, yet he would not suffer any of them to be put to death, as had been done by others, but sent them all back, except such as were of royal extraction, to their respective countries, and even supplied them with money to defray the charges of their journey. After his triumph, he delivered into the treasury twenty thousand talents, though, at the disbanding of the army, he had divided sixteen thousand talents amongst the tribunes and centurions, two thousand sesterces amongst the questors, and had given to each soldier fifty sesterces.

Pompey had no sooner left Asia, than Pharnaces fell unexpectedly upon the Phanagorenses, a people of Bosphorus, whom Pompey had declared free, because they had been the first to revolt against his father Mithridates, and by their example had induced others to abandon the king's party. Pharnaces besieged their chief city Phanagoria, and kept them blockaded till, for want of provisions, they were forced to sally out, and put all to the issue of a battle; and this proving unsuccessful, they delivered up themselves and the city to the conqueror. Some years afterwards, when the civil war broke out between Caesar and Pompey, he laid hold of that opportunity to recover the provinces which his father had formerly possessed; and, having raised a considerable army, overran Pontus, Colchis, Bithynia, Armenia, and the kingdom of Moschis, where, as Strabo observes, he plundered the temple of the goddess Leucothea. He took the strong and important city of Sinope, but failed to reduce Amisus. In the mean time, Caesar, having vanquished Pompey and his party, appointed Cn. Domitius Calvinus governor of Asia, enjoining him to make war upon Pharnaces with the legions which were quartered in that province. Domitius immediately despatched ambassadors to Pharnaces, commanding him to withdraw his troops from Armenia and Cappadocia. The king returned for answer, that he was willing to abandon Cappadocia; but as to the kingdom of Armenia Minor, it was part of his hereditary dominions, and therefore he would not resign it till he had an opportunity of laying his pretensions before Caesar himself, whom he was ready to obey in all things. Hereupon Domitius, drawing together all the forces he could collect, marched into Cappadocia, which he recovered without opposition, Pharnaces having abandoned it to make a stand in Armenia, which lay nearer his own dominions. Domitius pursued him thither, and having overtaken him near Nicopolis, found his army drawn up in battle array, and the king ready to come to an engagement.

As Domitius did not decline the combat, both armies advanced, and the king, at the head of a chosen body of defeated men, fell upon the left wing of the Romans, consisting mostly of raw and undisciplined Asiatics; and having with little difficulty put them to flight, he penetrated to the centre, where the thirty-fifth legion, after a faint resistance, gave ground, and, retiring to the neighbouring mountains, left their allies to shift for themselves. The latter were all cut off, and Domitius, with the remains of his scattered army, marched back into Cappadocia, and thence, winter being now at hand, into the province of Asia. The king elated with this victory, and hearing that Caesar, with the flower of the Roman forces, was engaged in the siege of Alexandria, appointed Asander governor of Bosphorus, and marched into Cappadocia in pursuit of Domitius, with a design of invading Asia, and recovering all the provinces which had once been subdued by his father. Bithynia and Cappadocia readily submitted; but Armenia the Lesser, which was held by Dejotarus, made so vigorous a resistance that he was forced to abandon the enterprise, lest the Romans should in the mean time strengthen themselves in Asia, whither he was in haste to march, in hopes of meeting there with the same success as his father Mithridates had done. But before he reached that province, he was informed that Asander had revolted, in hopes of gaining the favour of the Romans, and obtaining from them the kingdom of Bosphorus for himself. At the same time, he received intelligence that Caesar, having at last reduced Alexandria, and settled the affairs of Syria, was marching into Armenia. Pharnaces, being not a little dismayed at this news, immediately despatched ambassadors to sue for peace, hoping that Caesar, who was hastening into Italy with a design to pass into Africa, would willingly listen to any proposals of a pacific nature. Cæsar courteously entertained the ambassadors; and though he did not intend to agree to their conditions, yet, that he might come upon Pharnaces unawares, he showed himself very desirous of entering into a treaty of peace. But nevertheless he pursued his march with all possible expedition; and, arriving on the confines of Pontus, ordered all the troops that were quartered in the neighbouring provinces to join him; having brought from Alexandria only one legion, namely, the sixth, and that consisting of only a thousand men. Besides this veteran legion, he found at the place of general rendezvous three others, but all of them very indifferently armed, and worse disciplined. With these forces, however, such as they were, he advanced against Pharnaces, who being greatly frightened at his approach, by reason of the success which had attended him in all his expeditions, again despatched ambassadors with a crown of gold, offering him his daughter in marriage, and promising to do whatever he should require. The ambassadors took care to let him know, that their master, though highly obliged to Pompey, yet had never been prevailed upon to send him any supplies during the civil war, as had been done by Dejotarus, king of Armenia the Lesser, whom he had honoured with his friendship. Cæsar returned for answer, that he was willing to conclude a peace with Pharnaces, provided he retired without delay from Pontus, restored all the captives and hostages, whether Romans or their allies, and give back the goods of the Roman citizens and publicans which he had seized since he first took up arms. He added, that as to his not sending supplies to Pompey, they ought rather to have concealed such an ungrateful proceeding of their master, than alleged it as any merit, since the forsaking of one to whom he was indebted for his crown bespoke him a man of mean, selfish, and unworthy principles.

Pharnaces, on the return of his ambassadors, acquainted Cæsar that he agreed to the conditions; but finding that Cæsar's affairs called him into Italy, he required a longer period of time for the performance of what was stipulated between them, starting daily new difficulties, in hopes that Cæsar would in the mean time be obliged to depart, and leave the affairs of Pontus in the same posture in which he had found them. Cæsar, disgusted at these evasions, and unable any longer to brook the king's deceitful behaviour, determined to put himself at the head of his army, and attack the enemy in his camp when he least expected it. Accordingly, having marched out in the night, he came by break of day in sight of the king's army; and uttering these words, "Shall this treacherous parricide go unpunished?" broke into the camp at the head of a thousand horse. The king's chariots, which were armed with scythes, caused some small disorder amongst Cæsar's horse; but in the mean time the rest of his army coming up, he put the enemy to flight, and obtained a complete victory. This battle was fought near the place where Mithridates had routed with great slaughter the Roman army under the command of Triarius. Most of the king's army were either taken or cut in pieces; but Pharnaces himself had the good luck to make his escape whilst the Romans were occupied in plundering the camp. This victory was so quickly decided, that Cæsar, in a letter to his friend Anitius, at Rome, expressed it in three words; "I came, I saw, I conquered." He ever afterwards used to call Pompey a fortunate rather than a great commander, since he had gained his chief glory in the Mithridatic war, fighting with so cowardly an enemy. He divided amongst his soldiers the rich booty and the spoils of the camp; and because Mithridates had erected a trophy near that place as a monument of his victory over Triarius, which, as it was consecrated to the gods, Cæsar did not think lawful to pull down; he set up another over against it, to transmit to posterity his victory over Pharnaces. After this victory he recovered and restored to the allies of the Roman people all the places which Pharnaces had made himself master of during the war, declared Amisus a free city, and appointed Mithridates Pergamenes king of Bosphorus instead of Pharnaces.

Having thus settled the affairs of Pontus, he set sail for Death of Italy, leaving Domitius Calvinus to pursue the war against Pharnaces. Pharnaces if he should again appear in the field. After the battle, Pharnaces had retired to Sinope with a thousand horse, where he was quickly besieged by Domitius, to whom he surrendered the town, upon no other condition than that he should be suffered to retire into Bosphorus with the small body that attended him. This Domitius willingly granted, but caused all the king's horses to be killed, since he had asked a safe conduct only for his horsemen. With these and a band of Scythians and Sarmatians he attempted to recover the kingdom of Bosphorus; but being met between Theodocia and Panticapaeum, both which cities he had reduced, by Asander, who was still in possession of the kingdom, a sharp engagement ensued, in which the king's men, not being used to fight on foot, were put to flight, and Pharnaces himself, who remained alone in the field, was surrounded by the enemy, and cut in pieces, after having reigned in Bosphorus Cimmerius, the kingdom which Pompey had bestowed upon him, fifteen or sixteen years.

Upon the death of Pharnaces the kingdom of Pontus was Pontus again reduced into the form of a province, and so continued till the triumvirate of Antony, who, after the battle of Philippi, conferred it upon Darius the son of Pharnaces, for his services during the civil war. He continued faithful to the Romans, but during his reign performed nothing worth mentioning.

Darius was succeeded in the kingdom by Polemon, who Polemon was likewise preferred to that honour by Mark Antony. He was the son of Zenus, an orator of Laodicea, and greatly favoured by Antony. From him that part of Pontus which borders on Cappadocia derived the name of Polemoniacus. He attended Mark Antony in his expedition against the Parthians; and being taken prisoner in the unsuccessful battle fought by Statianus, he was sent by the king of the Medes, an ally of the Parthians, to conclude a peace with the Romans. In this embassy he acquitted himself so well that Antony added the kingdom of Armenia to his other dominions. In the war between Antony and Augustus he joined the former; but after the battle of Actium he was received into favour by the latter; and being sent by Agrippa against Scribonius, who, upon the death of Asander had usurped the kingdom of Bosphorus, he overcame him, and reduced the kingdom of Colchis, which was bestowed upon him by Agrippa, who likewise honoured him with the title of "friend and ally of the people of Rome." He afterwards waged war with the neighbouring barbarians refusing to live in subjection to the Romans; but was overcome, taken, and put to death, by the Aspungitani, a people bordering on the Palus Mæoticus.

Upon his death, his son Polemon II. was by the Emperors Caligula raised to the throne of Bosphorus and Pontus. But the emperor obliged him to exchange the kingdom of Bosphorus for part of Cilicia; and Nero, with his consent, reduced that part of Pontus which he enjoyed into the form of a province. He fell in love with Berenice, daughter of Agrippa, king of Judæa; and in order to marry her he embraced the Jewish religion. But as she soon became tired of his riotous way of living, and returned to her father, so he renounced his new religion, and again embraced the superstitions of paganism. Polemon dying without issue, the ancient kingdom of Pontus was parcelled out into several provinces, and added to those of Bithynia, Galatia, Pontypool and Cappadocia, that part of it only which was called Pontus Polemoniacus retaining the dignity of a distinct and separate province. During the civil discords between Vespasian and Vitellius, Anicetus, first a slave, afterwards freedman of Polemon, and lastly commander of the royal navy, took up arms with the design of rescuing the kingdom from the Roman yoke; and, being joined by great multitudes drawn together by the prospect of spoil, overran the country, and possessed himself of Trapesund, a city founded by the Grecians on the utmost confines of Pontus. Here he cut in pieces a cohort formed of the inhabitants, but which had been formerly invested with the privilege of Roman citizens. He likewise burned the fleet, and Mucianus having called to Byzantium most of the Roman galleys, swept the seas. Hereupon Vespasian, who at that time was in Syria, sent Verdus Gennius into Pontus with a chosen body of auxiliaries from the legions. The latter having assailed the enemy whilst they were in disorder, and roaming about in pursuit of prey, drove them into their vessels; then with some galleys chased Anicetus into the mouth of the river Chobus, where he thought himself safe under the protection of Sedochus, king of the Lazians, whose alliance he had purchased by large sums and rich presents. Sedochus at first refused to deliver him up to the Romans; but was soon prevailed upon, partly by threats, and partly by presents, to surrender both him and all the fugitives who had taken sanctuary in his dominions. Thus ended that servile war; and the kingdom of Pontus continued to be a province of the empire till the time of David and Alexis Commenus, who being driven from Constantinople by the French and the Venetians in the year 1204, under the command of Baldwin earl of Flanders, settled, the one at Heraclea, and the other at Trebisond. The troubles which arose amongst the Latins gave Alexis Commenus an opportunity of erecting here a new empire, which comprehended great part of Pontus, and was known by the name of the Empire of Trebisond. The Commeni held it about 250 years, till the time of Mahommed II, who carried David Commenus, the last emperor of Trebisond, prisoner to Constantinople, in the year 1462, with all his family, and subjected his empire to that of Constantinople.