Slaves in the wars of Mithridates VI Eupator

The article examines the question of the extent to which the actions of the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator in relation to slaves serve as evidence of his plans for the social reconstruction of society. Ancient authors note that the king of Pontus first noted the role of slaves in his decree on the extermination of the Romans, issued in the city of Ephesus in 88 BCE. In this decree, the king calls on the slaves to inform on their masters. In subsequent decrees, the king frees the slaves and calls them into service in his army. The call of the king to inform on the masters, and the release of slaves for service in the army, according to the text of our sources, refer only to the slaves of the Roman province of Asia, conquered by Mithridates. Finally, Appian’s message indicates that Mithridates knew about the slave uprising in Italy under the leadership of Spartacus. Some authors interpret this information as the kind’s “large-scale plan of social reforms”. In a number of reports of ancient authors about the Mithridates’ wars, the actions of the Romans in relation to the slaves are also indicated, which practically do not differ from the actions of Mithridates. All this allows us to say that the king of Pontus did not have a plan for social reforms and his actions in relation to slaves were dictated exclusively by plans to fight against Rome.