Mithridates the Great dies before war with Rome?

What if, during his duel with Nicomedes or some other event after his conquest of the roman vassal states? Rome was busy with the Social War and wouldn't be able to help her clients for awhile.

Maybe if he dies someone else could take the thrown and at least get a generation of consolidation before Rome begins its inevitable war against them (they went to war against just about any powerful state they knew of)

i'm just getting into ancient history and alt history discussions are the easiest way i've found to learn more.
 
Well without Mithradates, Pontus will not be a powerful state at all. He made Pontus into a powerful state. Before Mithradates, Pontus was a loyal friend and ally of the Romans. They would likely remain just that.
 
Well without Mithradates, Pontus will not be a powerful state at all. He made Pontus into a powerful state. Before Mithradates, Pontus was a loyal friend and ally of the Romans. They would likely remain just that.
that what is so intriguing, he apparently ended up at war with Rome because even though he had one of the largest resource and manpower pools around at the time (thanks to Rome of course :cool:) but a dumb population that could not use it accordingly. If he could somehow modernized and didn't interfere in Greek affairs as much (maybe he should have just invited greek politicians, economists, scholars, and generals?) his country could have become equally as strong as Rome but he just hated the Romans (I don't blame him they were kinda dicks) so i say kill him off his son seemed to be a semi-Romanophile.

Then maybe they could later turn their attention to the Caucasus?
 
Perhaps he dies from over dosing himself with one of the Mithraditic Poisons? This early in his career he might have made a fatal error of this sort or met an untimely end at the hands of a rival
 
that what is so intriguing, he apparently ended up at war with Rome because even though he had one of the largest resource and manpower pools around at the time (thanks to Rome of course :cool:) but a dumb population that could not use it accordingly. If he could somehow modernized and didn't interfere in Greek affairs as much (maybe he should have just invited greek politicians, economists, scholars, and generals?) his country could have become equally as strong as Rome but he just hated the Romans (I don't blame him they were kinda dicks) so i say kill him off his son seemed to be a semi-Romanophile.

Then maybe they could later turn their attention to the Caucasus?

Well I still think any replacement for Mithradates would have the ability (if not the will) to nab the Bosporous Kingdom for himself without Rome batting an eyelid.

Mithradates problem wasn't necessarily overreach (though that did kind of contribute) with his expansion into Greece, he just simply lost the important battles there. It was because his army wasn't the reformed Pontic army he would use later to great success that he lost to Sulla.
 
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