Mithridates (soldier)


Mithridates was a young Persian soldier in the army of king Artaxerxes II who according to Plutarch's Life of Artaxerxes II, accidentally killed the rebel claimant to the throne Cyrus the Younger in the Battle of Cunaxa.

Background

In 404 B.C., the Persian king Darius II died, leaving behind two sons. Artaxerxes was the eldest, and assumed the role of king, while his younger brother Cyrus challenged this claim. Cyrus had their mother, Parysatis, on his side, and when Cyrus' plot to claim the throne failed, she intervened on his behalf. Cyrus escaped punishment and retreated to Sardis, from which he plotted another attack.

Account of events

In 401 B.C., Cyrus again raised an army, secretly planning to challenge Artaxerxes once again. Artaxerxes met his brother at Cunaxa, a town near the Euphrates River, and a battle ensued. This time, Cyrus managed to break through Artaxerxes' guard and the battle was nearly won.
Shortly after, Cyrus's death was reported to the king, Artaxerxes. Mithridates was given rich presents by the king, as defeating Cyrus secured Artaxerxes' position as king. However, it was Artaxerxes' wish that all men think it was he and he alone who had slain Cyrus, thus Mithridates was given the rewards for conveying the horse trappings of Cyrus to the king.
A while later when invited to a banquet, Mithridates then boasted that he was the one that killed Cyrus, not realizing that he was inducing his own undoing.

Execution

Furious, Artaxerxes allegedly ordered Mithridates to be murdered in a notoriously torturous way known as scaphism. His punishment was recounted as follows: