The Poison King

Widely noted folklorist and science historian Adrienne Mayor brings to life the story of the world’s first experimental toxicologist. Her book The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome’s Deadliest Enemy examines the brilliant rebel leader who challenged Roman imperialism in the first century B.C. The teenage Mithradates inherited a wealthy Black Sea kingdom after his mother poisoned his father. He fled into exile but returned in triumph to become a ruler of intelligence and ambition determined to build an empire to rival Rome. His uncanny ability to elude capture and surge back after devastating losses unnerved the Romans, while his mastery of poisons allowed him to foil assassination attempts and eliminate rivals. Mayor, a research scholar in classics and the history and philosophy of science at Stanford University, will explore how poison and power can operate in tandem to change the course of history. (DMNS.org)

Tickets: $10 (non-member), $8 (member)

More info and tickets: https://secure1.dmns.org/products/1515-the-poison-king.aspx