Empire of the Black Sea: The Rise and Fall of the Mithridatic World

by Duane W. Roller

What is commonly called the kingdom of Pontos flourished for over two hundred years in the coastal regions of the Black Sea. At its peak in the early first century BC, it included much of the southern, eastern, and northern littoral, becoming one of the most important Hellenistic dynasties not founded by a successor of Alexander the Great. It also posed one of the greatest challenges to Roman imperial expansion in the east. Not until 63 BC, after many violent clashes, was Rome able to subjugate the kingdom and its last charismatic ruler Mithridates VI. This book provides the first general history of this important kingdom from its mythic origins in Greek literature to its entanglements with the late Roman Republic. Duane Roller presents its rulers and their complex relationships with the powers of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East, most notably Rome. He includes detailed discussions of Pontos' cultural achievements--a blend of Greek and Persian influences--as well as its political and military successes, especially under Mithridates VI, who proved to be as formidable a foe to Rome as Hannibal. Previous histories of Pontos have focused almost exclusively on the career of its last ruler. Setting that famous reign in its wide historical context, Empire of the Black Sea is an engaging and definitive account of a powerful yet little-known ancient dynasty.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Audiobook, Greece, Military History, War

296 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Historian, archaeologist, and classical scholar, Duane W. Roller is Professor Emeritus of Greek and Latin at The Ohio State University, and currently lives in Santa Fe, NM. He has excavated in Greece, Italy, Turkey, and the Levant. He is a three-time Fulbright scholar, most recently the Karl-Franzens Distinguished Chair of Cultural Studies at the University of Graz, Austria.

Reviews

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roller's work is well researched, easy to read, and highly enlightening. The in-depth evaluation and discussion of the Pontic Empire provides readers with valuable insight into the time period. This work successfully adds to the academic discussion of the time period and the events following the sweeping advances of Alexander the Great and those that took over following his demise. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in ancient history,

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time flies when you're having fun, and it seemed like only yesterday that I had read Adrienne Mayor's "The Poison King," a biography of Mithridates the Great, one of the Roman Republic's most determined enemies; turns out that was over a decade ago at this point! So, the question then becomes whether I prefer Roller's book over the earlier work, and the answer has to be yes, seeing as Roller gives you a history of the whole Pontic dynasty, how they fit in to the Hellenistic milieu, and gives you a better context for the career of Mithridates. This is at the same time that Roller is spending quality time on the travails of Rome, and its never ending cycle of conquest and retaliation, sustained by a foundation of organization that was just better than all the Republic's competitors. Roller's work is a bit dryer than Mayor's book, but it does seem considerably more reliable.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mithradates VI is my favorite figure from classical era history and I have read multiple books about him before. This one, keeping him in context with the entire long history of the Kingdom of Pontus from start to vassalization is by far the best of them. It is first and foremost a history of a state and region, and that is why it works better than the others.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s just okay. Its biggest contribution is that there isn’t a narrative history in English of the Pontic Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean the book is good.

The writing style is a bit scattered and the analysis of the sources and evidence is quite surface level. HOWEVER it does fill in a scholarly hole and is a great starting point for someone else to come in and better analyze Pontos and its rise as the last Hellenistic power against Rome. Of course our source material is scattered and at times quite scant, but the analysis of Mithridates VI at least could be improved.

I think that this book lays a framework for someone else to come in and apply different methodological lenses beyond simple narrative.

I wish he’d expanded more on themes such as East vs West and pondered more on Anatolia’s place in that tension. But maybe that’s where the next person can pick up.

I also find it very strange that this book from 2020 makes absolutely no use of Mayer’s biography of Mithridates VI. If you’re interested in Mithridates or Anatolia as the Romans come in, Roller’s book is worth reading, but keep a critical eye.

[Zac Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly dry history of the Pontic empire. Some parts were truly fascinating, however there was a lot of repetition in the material. For example, Roller would indicate that x person would do y, then in a few pages repeat the same thing with perhaps some extra detail. Like towards the end when Mithradates replaces his son and executes him. Stating the actions that were to occur before they should in the "narrative" makes it less interesting and more like a scholars notes on a time period. Additionally, packing all of the culture and personality traits of the king into the second to last chapter is almost criminal, since Mithradates VI is the driving force for the whole history and why it is so remembered today.

It is certainly well researched and factual, however I would not read this book unless you are interested in the Roman world and about the Pontic kingdom specifically. There was a lot to enjoy about the book, but overall light on insight and dry in delivery.

[Matt McCormick · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the events in Ukraine I thought it might add to my perspective to read some history of the region. I went a little too far back in time. With the exception of a brief mention of Olbia, on the shore of the Southern Bug estuary (Hypanis or Ὕπανις,) in Ukraine, near the current village of Parutyne, the author leads us to understand the region in 100 BCE was being populated by a group commonly referred to as the Scythians of which little is known. This group having moved south into the Black Sea for food supplies necessitated by increased population. This corner of the Black Sea played little meaningful roles in the period of the late Roman Empire.

Although my purpose was frustrated I found myself enjoying this history. Roller's matter-of-fact story telling enlightens the reader on the whole history of the period 300-100 BCE. He provides a concise summary of the establishment of the kingdoms created by Alexanders generals, the expansionism of Rome, and the internal conflicts of the Romans. He then describes the rise of a powerful kingdom few of us know much about; a kingdom which would ancestrally contribute to the power of Egypt and the beginnings of the Augustin period.

Mithridates VI was an interesting and obviously charismatic leader and like most despots could be charming and horrendously cruel. His solidification and expansion of a kingdom know as Pontos was a real and viable threat to Rome. Like Hannibal, had things gone just a bit differently, history would be more Persian/Greek than Roman.

The reader will struggle with names ( oh so many Mithridates) and wish for better maps, but the book is an easy and informative read. It's reflection on today may be limited but its interesting to know that those (examples being Hannibal and Mithridates) who believed the internal strife (corruption, dissolution of norms, violence) in Rome were an opening for conquest were sadly mistaken. Rome could spiral away from the republic while at the same time destroy foreign kingdoms. This, of course, makes one wonder if destabilized economy and internal dissent in Russia will at all deter Putin's aggression.

[S.B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hands down, believe Adrienne Mayor's The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy is a far better read than this. Information is same, but Mayor's version is clearly the one I will choose to re-read again. Roller's one I have found it to be dry, it reads more like in an essay format. Mithradates as a King is worth an admiration, not much is usually said about him & also not that he is something spoken or praised enough for his daring quests against Rome. But he is amongst my favourite ones from history, if you are new to the subject, go for Mayor's version eyes closed. That is in my shelf & has been one of my most pleasant reads.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get a great side view of Roman history from various perspectives with this book about Mithridates VI the King of Pontus region during the end of the Roman Republic as Roller devotes the first half of book to what is known about Mithridates I-V and the region of Black Sea with the various influences left over from Alexander Great as well as the Persian Empire while the second half is devoted to the king who spent thirty of his fifty year reign engaged in a series of hard fought wars using an endless supply of mercenary armies to both expand his own power while defying Rome's nearly ceaseless exploitations for power and territory.

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[Evan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't remember how this book came to my attention, but it sure was dry. Nothing against the author, who did a phenomenal amount of research. To me, history in this time period, in the general area of the Mediterranean is basically Roman history. It seemed as though all of the author's sources were Roman. The book did an excellent job of demonstrating that Mithridates was a horrible general. Unlike some of Rome's other enemies, e.g., Hannibal, he pretty much always lost. In the concluding chapters, the author notes that Mithridates was king of basically the last Greek culture not conquered by Rome, and thus, I think, maybe derives some of his fame.

[Thomas Ernst · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author tries to tell a story that has very "sketchy" ancient sources to rely on. Despite that handicap he manages to put together an interesting story that overall is well written and not another long boring academic history that puts you to sleep.

He uses a focus on Mithridates IV to review the history of events around the Black Sea in the 120 - 60 BC period. He gives an interesting picture of that part of the Greek speaking world during that time period. The exploits and life of Mithridates IV alone are worth the time to read the book.

[Carl Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed narrative history of the Hellenistic kingdom of Pontus, which under Mithridates VI (120–63 BC) encompassed Asia Minor, Thrace, Macedonia, Greece, and the litoral of the Black Sea including complete control of the Bosphorus and Crimea. Following the chain of events during the reign of Mithridates VI in particular is quite helpful to understanding the eclipse of the Hellenistic kingdoms and the concomitant expansion of the Roman Empire.

[Steve Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about an obscure subject. Excellent use of the primary sources as well as a thorough explanation of the weaknesses of the sources. The author seems a bit pretentious because of the way he spells many of the Eastern names (like Seleukid instead of Seleucid and Dareios I instead of Darius I). Still, it does not take away the excellence of the book.

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and well structured work on the Mithraditic kingdom, and is particularly valuable for its coverage of the less well-known period prior to the ascension of Mithridates VI. I did wish at several points for more detail, but as is frequent in the ancient world, there may simply not be much additional detail available.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a great historical accounting of the Pontic Wars against the Roman Republic. The author needed to write the book in a more historical type of way. I liked the book, but the way it was written and some of the information not about the history of the Pontic Empire and about the society and everything I did not find interesting.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had trouble engaging with this one. The author frequently noted how thin the source material was throughout the history, making for a story with a lot of missing pieces. Not the author's fault. Kind of unfortunate.

[Jonathan Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart. Very informative and can be dry at times. It doesn't help that fathers named their sons the same name, so there were several Mithridates!
It's an excellent book though. The research is very thorough.

[Mindy Burroughs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really glad I read this, I had a huge historical blind spot when it comes to Pontus and this gave me some good foundational insight. Also helpful in having an outsiders view of the Roman Empire. Highly recommend

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly interesting historical account! For me, the author brought to light a place and time that I wasn't familiar with - great book!

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little thin on the details and insights but not a bad read.

[Ian McGaffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good look at a part of the Roman world I was not previously that familiar with. The interesting mix of Persian and Greek influences led to a powerful challenger for the Roman world.

[Cranky Dragon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very dry. Lots of names and places and actions, but very little of it interesting.

[John Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the longest-running family dynasties of the ancient world.

[Matt Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic account of one of the least understood Hellenistic states, and one of the most famous kings of Antiquity. An enjoyable read.

[Sarah Wrase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit dry, would have appreciated more insights from the author rather than just an unending list of names and places.

[W M · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the sources will always be flimsy, this work gives the reader knowledge into the complex Greco-Persian east that Rome seeks to intervene in. It’s a similar last ditch effort at rebellion to keep home rule, as Cleopatra would demonstrate years later.

[Peter Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a place holder for testing.