| Pharnaces I | |
|---|---|
 Tetradrachm of Pharnaces I of Pontus | |
| King ofPontus | |
| Reign | c. 190 BC – c. 155 BC |
| Predecessor | Mithridates III of Pontus |
| Successor | Mithridates IV of Pontus |
| Spouse | Nysa |
| Issue | Mithridates V of Pontus Nysa of Cappadocia |
| Dynasty | Mithridatic dynasty |
| Father | Mithridates III of Pontus |
| Mother | Laodice |
Pharnaces I (Greek:Φαρνάκης; lived 2nd century BC) was thefifth king ofPontus. OfPersian andGreek ancestry, he was the son of KingMithridates III of Pontus and his wifeLaodice, whom he succeeded on the throne.[1] Pharnaces had two siblings: a brother calledMithridates IV of Pontus and a sister calledLaodice who both succeeded Pharnaces.[2] He was born and raised in the Kingdom of Pontus.
The date of his accession cannot be fixed with certainty; but it is certain, at least, that he was on the throne before 183 BC, in which year he succeeded in reducing the important city ofSinope, which had been long an object of ambition to the Kings of Pontus. TheRhodians sent an embassy toRome to complain of this aggression, but without effect.[3] About the same time Pharnaces became involved in disputes with his neighbour, King ofPergamon,Eumenes II, which led to repeated embassies from both monarchs to Rome, as well as to partial hostilities. But in the spring of 181 BC, without waiting for the return of his ambassadors, Pharnaces suddenly attacked both Eumenes II and KingAriarathes IV of Cappadocia and invadedGalatia with a large force.
Eumenes II opposed him at the head of an army; but hostilities were soon suspended by the arrival of theRoman deputies, appointed by theSenate to inquire into the matters in dispute. Negotiations were accordingly opened at Pergamon but led to no result, the demands of Pharnaces being rejected by the Romans as unreasonable, and the war was in consequence renewed. It continued, apparently with various interruptions, until the summer of 179 BC, when Pharnaces, finding himself unable to cope with the combined forces of Eumenes II and Ariarathes IV, was compelled to purchase peace with the cession of all his conquests in Galatia andPaphlagonia, with the exception of Sinope.[4]
How long he continued to reign after this we know not; but it appears, from an incidental notice, that he was still on the throne in 170 BC, while he was certainly dead in 154 BC, when his brotherMithridates IV of Pontus is mentioned as King.[5] The Greek historianPolybius accuses Pharnaces of having an arrogant and violent character, siding with the opinion of Eumenes II and the Romans.
Pharnaces married aSeleucid Princess calledNysa, who was the child of queenLaodice IV and kingAntiochus IV Epiphanes.[6] Nysa and Pharnaces were related as the parents of Nysa were Pharnaces' first cousins. Pharnaces married Nysa either in 160 BC or 159 BC, through the diplomatic work of the Seleucid KingDemetrius I Soter.[7]
Nysa bore Pharnaces two children: a son calledMithridates V of Pontus and a daughter calledNysa of Cappadocia, who is also known asLaodice.[8] Nysa died at an unknown date in the 2nd century BC; she is believed to have died during childbirth.[9]
Honorific statues and inscriptions have survived that were dedicated to Pharnaces and Nysa. Pharnaces set about to establish good relations with the citizens ofAthens and the Greek island ofDelos. Pharnaces made a benefaction to the people of Athens. The exact nature of the benefaction is unknown; Pharnaces may have made some kind of voluntary donation to Athens, possibly soon after 183 BC.[10] A lengthy honorific inscription from the Athenians on Delos honors Pharnaces and Nysa. Pharnaces and Nysa received a crown of gold from them and bronze statues of themselves were set up on Delos. Their lengthy Athenian honorific inscription is dated in theArchonship of the Athenian Tychandros or Tychander which is now generally accepted as 160 BC or 159 BC.[11]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870)."Pharnaces I".Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 3. p. 241.
| Preceded by | King of Pontus c. 190 BC – c. 155 BC | Succeeded by |