Socrates Chrestus

Socrates Chrestus(Greek:Σωκράτης ό Χρηστός;Chrestus(The Good)^[1]died 90–88 BC) was the second son ofNicomedes III of Bithynia.He usurped theBithynianthrone by deposing his elder brother or half brother,Nicomedes IV of Bithynia.

Life[edit]

There is very little information about Socrates. We have only brief references byAppian,Granius Licinianus,JustinandMemnon of Heracleawithin the context of conflict inAsia Minorand military interventions in the kingdoms of Bithynia andCappadociabyMithridates VI,the king ofPontus.

Socrates was a second son Nicomedes III had with a concubine called Hagne who was fromCyzicus.He sent Socrates and Hagne to Cyzicus with 500 talents.^[2]He had an older half-brother namedNicomedes IV,and two younger half siblings namedNysaandPylaemenes III.

When Nicomedes III died in 94 BC, theRoman senateappointed Nicomedes IV to be the king of Bithynia as his successor. However,Mithridates VI,the king ofPontus,set up Socrates as a rival to Nicomedes.^[3]Mithridates gave Socrates a splendid reception and called him Chrestus (The Good).^[4]He helped Socrates to usurp the throne by giving him an army. He put Socrates on the throne even "though Socrates was of a quiet disposition and thought it right that his elder brother should reign."^[5]He then sent him to Rome to ask for his recognition as king. The Roman senate turned this down.^[4]Justin wrote that Mithridates drove Nicomedes IV out of Bithynia. He probably wrote this because it was Mithridates who engineered Socrates' usurpation. Nicomedes IV fled to Rome and asked the Romans for help. The Roman senate decreed that both Nicomedes IV andAriobarzanes I of Cappadocia,who had been deposed and driven out ofCappadociaby Mithridates, be able to return to rule their states and commissionedManius Aquilliusand Manlius Maltinus to enforce this.^[6]The Romans' wishes prevailed, despite the opposition of Mithridates.^[4]

Manius Aquillius, with the help of Cassius, the governor of theRoman province of Asia,who recruited a large force fromGalatiaandPhrygia,restored both Nicomedes IV and Ariobarzanes I.^[7]According to Granius Licinianus, Socrates was not tempted by jealously to seek control of the kingdom, because he had had enough trouble from his previous adventures.^[2]These restorations are mentioned in thePeriochae.An entry forLivy's book 74 records that in 88 BC "[i]n Bithynia Nicomedes was restored to the throne and Ariobarzanes in the kingdom of Cappadocia."^[8]

According to Granius Licinianus, Socrates went back to Cyzicus. He murdered his sister out of greed. Both the people of Cyzicus and Nicomedes IV pursued him and he fled to the Greek island ofEuboea,where he was welcomed and hosted by a certain Cornelius, who was a Romanequite.^[4]According to Justin, Socrates was murdered by Mithridates.^[9]

References[edit]

^Mayor,The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemyp.XVII
^^a ^bGranius Licinianus, History of Rome, 29
^Memnon, History of Heracleia 22.5
^^a ^b ^c ^dGranius Licinianus, History of Rome, 30
^Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 10, 13
^Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories, 38.3.4,8
^Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 11
^Livy, Periochae, 74. 6
^Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories, 38.5.8

Sources[edit]

Primary

Appian, The Foreign Wars, Book 12, The Mithridatic Wars, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014;ISBN 978-1503114289

Granius Licinianus, Grani Liciniani Quae Supersunt (Classic Reprint),Forgotten Books, 2018;ISBN 978-0428904401
Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus (Classical Resources Series, No 3), Society for Classical Studies Classical Resources, Oxford University Press, U.S.A., 1994;ISBN 978-1555409517
Memnon of Heraclea, History of Heracleia[1]

Secondary

Mayor, A.,The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemy,Princeton University Press,2009,ISBN 978-0691150260
McGing, B.C., The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator, King of Pontus, BRILL, 1986

[1] Mayor,The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome’s deadliest enemyp.XVII

[Licinianus29-2] Granius Licinianus, History of Rome, 29

[3] Memnon, History of Heracleia 22.5

[Licinianus30-4] Granius Licinianus, History of Rome, 30

[5] Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 10, 13

[6] Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories, 38.3.4,8

[7] Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 11

[8] Livy, Periochae, 74. 6

[9] Justin, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories, 38.5.8

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Monarchs of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta(regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
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