Ancient NEWSmismatics: "I Came, I Saw" A Gold Stater of

Pharnaces II by L.A. Hambly

1


Pharnaces II is not exactly a household name of ancient history, but he played a
critical role in creating one of the worlds most enduring three-word maxims.."Veni,
Vidi, Vici" He was the youngest son of the Pontic king Mithridates VI the Great, who
had waged a nearly 30-year-long war against the worlds sole superpower, the Roman
Republic. He was raised as the kings favored heir (it was dangerous to be anything
otherwise, as Mithridates had no qualms about
killing family members who displeased him) and
instilled with his fathers hatred of Rome. But when
at last Mithridates was cornered by Pompey the
Great in 63 BC, it was Pharnaces who led the Pontic
army to rebel against the old king and persuaded him
to give up the long struggle. Mithridates reluctantly
opted to take his own life, which proved difficult as
hed made himself immune to most poisons, and so
he had to employ his loyal Celtic bodyguard to run
him through. With Mithridates out of the way,
Pharnaces submitted to Pompey and negotiated a deal
whereby he received rule of the Bosporan Kingdom,
which encompassed the Crimea and the northern
coastline of the Black Sea, along with the humiliating
title Friend and Ally of Rome. Pompey directly
annexed the rest of the Pontic Kingdom and it joined
it to Bithynia as a Roman province. For the next
dozen years Pharnaces bided his time, building up his
army and waiting for the right opportunity to reclaim
his fathers lost kingdom. Upon the death of the
Armenian king Tigranes II the Great in 55/4 BC,
Pharnaces assumed Tigranes' title Great King of
Kings, claiming leadership of all Eastern monarchs.

He struck a limited number gold staters bearing the title, of which our Platinum Night
example is one of perhaps 50 surviving specimens. Pharnaces big chance came when
civil war erupted between Pompey and the upstart J ulius Caesar, tearing the Roman

BOSPORAN AND PONTIC KINGDOMS. Pharnaces II (63-47 BC). AV stater
(21mm, 8.19 gm, 12h). Panticapaeum, dated Pontic Year 245 (53/2 BC). Diademed
bust of Pharnaces right, with luxuriant hair / BAIE BAIE-N above,
MEAOY APNAKOY below, Apollo enthroned left, holding laurel branch over
tripod, left elbow resting on lyre at his side; date EM to right. K.V. Golenko and J.P.
Karyszkowski, 'The Gold Coinage of King Pharnaces of the Bosporus,' in Numismatic
Chronicle 1972, p. 35, 4 (same dies). Very rare! Slight reverse die wear, otherwise
Choice Extremely Fine.

Ancient NEWSmismatics: "I Came, I Saw" A Gold Stater of
Pharnaces II by L.A. Hambly

2


world asunder. With his enemies preoccupied, Pharnaces invaded Anatolia in 48 BC and
defeated a provincial Roman army sent out to stop him under the legate Gn. Domitius
Calvinus. In the meantime, J ulius Caesar had crushed Pompey at Pharsalus and run him
to ground in Egypt. Caesar spent a year in Alexandria, divided between enduring siege
and privation and enjoying a luxurious wallow with the young Cleopatra, before urgent
letters from Rome stirred him to march against Pharnaces with his loyal Sixth Legion.
The climactic battle took place at Zela in mid-47 BC. While Pharnaces' army fought
bravely, it was no match for Caesar's hardened legionaries. Describing the quick, sharp
battle, Caesar sent a famous three-word dispatch to the Roman Senate: "Veni, vidi, vici"
("I came, I saw, I conquered."). Pharnaces survived and surrendered to Caesar, who
imposed a heavy indemnity and released him. But upon his return to the Bosporus,
Pharnaces found his throne usurped by Asander, his chief minister. He raised an army
and tried to retrieve his kingdom, but lost and was eliminated by his rival. The Bosporus
remained a semi-independent client state of Rome for the next four centuries.