Inventive Moments in History - Mithridates, The Poison King

Mithridates, The Poison King, was both feared and admired by his enemies. Known today as the father of experimental toxicology, he was a master in the art of poisons and was said to have developed a universal antidote called Mithridatium that would be used for centuries after his death.

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Documentary Credits:
Research: Invicta
Script: Invicta
Artwork: Robbie McSweeney
Narration: Invicta
Editing: Invicta
Music: Total War OST

Bibliography:
"The Poison King" by Adrienne Mayor

#ThePoisonKing
#History

[BaronVonQuiply]

If you get overthrown by the guy who spent his teenage years eating mercury then it's probably for the best anyway.

[CarrowMind]

If he were in a video game Mithridates would be the boss that would fight you by throwing poisoned daggers and primitive clay gas grenades. Once you get him to below 50% health the fight will pause as he gives an epic speech about how much poison is running through him, enough that he goes through a metamorphosis and transforms into a giant snake. When Snakethridates loses more and more health he becomes more bloated and grotesque until eventually he explodes in a shower of highly acidic goo.

[NUSensei]

"Our king is toxic." - Pontus

[eggyattorney]

Man this guy would've loved Australia. The most venomous snakes, spiders, jellyfish and more.

Sounds like a Metal Gear introduction.

Mithridates, Poison King.

Octavian, A man denied his inheritance

Hannibal, Crossing the Alps

[JoshuaKevinPerry]

He could poison others, but not himself...ironic.

[legateelizabeth]

The lost Dark Souls boss: Mithridates, the Poison King.

[Angelimir]

"Father of Experimental Toxicology" really does sound much better than "weird guy who forces various poisonous material down people's throats and powerful enough to get away with it"... 😅

[ebolasushi]

Guys if you can I highly recommend reading The Poison King by Adrienne Mayor by far it has been one of the most fascinating books I have ever read in my life, and I encourage you all to read it. Invicta could you possibly do a story on the rise of Mithridates' Pontus as well, and how he was known as the "Second Hannibal?"

[justsomeguy]

The quest to recover the recipe for Mithridatium, sounds like a good RPG story!

[alexandergrimes]

Mithridatium = Universal Antidote
Mithril = Universal Armor

Tolkien easteregg!

[everynametaken]

"There was a king reigned in the East:
There, when kings will sit to feast,
They get their fill before they think
With poisoned meat and poisoned drink.
He gathered all that springs to birth
From the many-venomed earth;
First a little, thence to more,
He sampled all her killing store;
And easy, smiling, seasoned sound,
Sate the king when healths went round.
They put arsenic in his meat
And stared aghast to watch him eat;
They poured strychnine in his cup
And shook to see him drink it up:
They shook, they stared as white’s their shirt:
Them it was their poison hurt.
—I tell the tale that I heard told.
Mithridates, he died old."
-A. E. Housman

[KrazyKolaMan]

That’s sucks he couldn’t kill himself with poison when he needs the most

[thatrandomguy]

I have been waiting so long for this I remember you talking about this in some of your total war battles. It really amazed me and I really hope you cover the pontic wars as well.

[barbiquearea]

It would have been funny if in his will Mithridates stipulated that upon his death his body should be cut up and fed to his enemies knowing that the amount of poison that is in his bloodstream could kill anyone.

[wwkillerk]

I always loved mithradates, it was said that one side of his family was descended to Alexander and other side was Darius of Persia. The poison king used Greek style phalanx troops and Persian style scythed chariots. He's my favorite Ancient leader.

[kaloarepo]

Mozart, when he was only 14 years of age.wrote an opera about Mithridates, but it is not about poison but about Mithridates 2 sons by a previous marriage, who tried to crack on to Mithridates" young wife while he was busy fighting the Romans.

[apostolispouliakis]

One of my favourite historical personalities

[dodobyrde]

He was one dangerous king. Took a guy like Sulla to crush him.

[amitabhakusari]

I wonder if he had ever crept up behind his enemy to whisper "You are already dead"
*Nani!?*