§Mithr.1'Rex Mithridates regi Arsaci salutem.
'King Mithridates to King Arsaces, greeting.
Omnes, qui secundis rebus suis ad belli societatem orantur, considerare debent, liceatne tum pacem agere, dein, quod quaesitur, satisne pium tutum gloriosum an indecorum sit.
All who, in their prosperity, are asked to join a war alliance, ought to consider whether they are allowed to keep peace at that time, and then, whether what is asked of them is sufficiently pious, safe, glorious, or disgraceful.
§Mithr.2tibi si perpetua pace frui licet, nisi hostes opportuni et scelestissumi, egregia fama, si Romanos oppresseris, futura est, neque petere audeam societatem et frustra mala mea cum bonis tuis misceri sperem.
If you were allowed to enjoy perpetual peace, unless, with the enemy being vulnerable and most wicked, extraordinary glory is to be yours if you crush the Romans, I should neither dare to seek an alliance nor vainly hope for my misfortunes to be mixed with your blessings.
§Mithr.3atque ea, quae te morari posse videntur, ira in Tigranem recentis belli et meae res parum prosperae, si vera existumare voles, maxume hortabuntur.
And those very things which seem to make you hesitate — your anger at Tigranes from the recent war and my less than prosperous affairs — will, if you wish to judge truly, most strongly encourage you.
§Mithr.4ille enim obnoxius qualem tu voles societatem accipiet; mihi fortuna multis rebus ereptis usum dedit bene suadendi et, quod florentibus optabile est, ego non validissumus praebeo exemplum, quo rectius tua conponas.
For he, being submissive, will accept whatever kind of alliance you wish; as for me, fortune, though taking away many things, has given me the experience of advising well, and, what is desirable for those in prosperity, I, though not the strongest, provide an example by which you may order your own affairs more rightly.
§Mithr.5Namque Romanis cum nationibus populis regibus cunctis una et ea vetus causa bellandi est: cupido profunda imperi et divitiarum.
For the Romans have one and that an old cause for waging war with all nations, peoples, and kings: a deep-seated lust for empire and riches.
qua primo cum rege Macedonum Philippo bellum sumpsere, §Mithr.6dum a Carthaginiensibus premebantur, amicitiam simulantes.
Out of this, they first took up war against Philip, king of the Macedonians, while they were hard pressed by the Carthaginians, feigning friendship.
ei subvenientem Antiochum concessione Asiae per dolum avortere, ac mox fracto Philippo Antiochus omni cis Taurum agro et decem milibus talentorum spoliatus est.
When Antiochus came to his aid, they turned him away by guile with the concession of Asia, and soon after Philip was broken, Antiochus was despoiled of all his territory this side of Taurus and ten thousand talents.
§Mithr.7Persen deinde, Philippi filium, post multa et varia certamina apud Samothracas deos acceptum in fidem callidi et repertores perfidiae, quia pacto vitam dederant, insomniis occidere.
Then Perseus, the son of Philip, after many and various contests, having been received into protection at the sanctuary of the gods of Samothrace, they — cunning and the inventors of treachery — put to death by depriving him of sleep, because they had granted him his life by the treaty.
§Mithr.8Eumenem, quoius amicitiam gloriose ostentant, initio prodidere Antiocho pacis mercedem; post, habitum custodiae agri captivi, sumptibus et contumeliis ex rege miserrumum servorum effecere, simulatoque inpio testamento filium eius Aristonicum, quia patrium regnum petiverat, hostium more per triumphum duxere; Asia ab ipsis obsessa est.
Eumenes, whose friendship they boastfully display, they first betrayed to Antiochus as the price of peace; later, having kept him as the guardian of captured territory, through expenses and insults they turned him from a king into the most wretched of slaves, and, fabricating a false and impious testament, they led his son Aristonicus in triumph in the manner of enemies, because he had claimed his father's kingdom; Asia was occupied by them.
§Mithr.9postremo Bithyniam Nicomede mortuo diripuere, quom filius Nysa, quam reginam appellaverat, genitus haud dubie esset.
Finally, Bithynia they plundered upon the death of Nicomedes, although a son had undoubtedly been born of Nysa, whom he had called queen.
§Mithr.10Nam quid ego me appellem? quem diiunctum undique regnis et tetrarchiis ab imperio eorum, quia fama erat divitem neque serviturum esse, per Nicomedem bello lacessiverunt, sceleris eorum haud ignarum et ea, quae accidere, testatum antea Cretensis, solos omnium liberos ea tempestate, et regem Ptolemaeum.
For why should I mention myself? Whom, separated on all sides from their empire by kingdoms and tetrarchies, because there was a rumor that I was rich and would not serve, they provoked to war through Nicomedes. I was well aware of their wickedness and had previously warned of the events that occurred to the Cretans, the only free people of all at that time, and to King Ptolemy.
§Mithr.11atque ego ultus iniurias Nicomedem Bithynia expuli Asiamque, spolium regis Antiochi, recepi et Graeciae dempsi grave servitium.
And I, having avenged my wrongs, expelled Nicomedes from Bithynia, recovered Asia, the spoil of King Antiochus, and removed heavy servitude from Greece.
§Mithr.12incepta mea postremus servorum Archelaus exercitu prodito impedivit.
My undertakings were hindered by Archelaus, the lowest of slaves, who betrayed the army.
illique, quos ignavia aut prava calliditas, ut meis laboribus tuti essent, armis abstinuit, acerbissumas poenas solvunt, Ptolemaeus pretio in dies bellum prolatans, Cretenses inpugnati semel iam neque finem nisi excidio habituri.
And those whom cowardice or wicked cunning kept from arms, so that they might be safe through my labors, are paying the bitterest penalties: Ptolemy is spinning out the war day by day with money, while the Cretans, having been attacked once already, will have no end but destruction.'