Mithridatization is the practice of protecting oneself against a poison by gradually self-administering non-lethal amounts. The word derives from Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus, who so feared being poisoned that he regularly ingested small doses in the hope of developing immunity. Having been defeated by Pompey, Mithridates attempted to kill himself with poison - but his mithridization proved too successful, and he was compelled to order a mercenary to stab him to death. Mithridates VI of Pontus, (132 BC- 63 BC), called Eupator Dionysius, was the king of Pontus in Asia Minor and one of Romes most formidable and successful enemies. ... Pontus was a name applied in ancient times to extensive tracts of country in the northeast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) bordering on the Euxine (Black Sea), which was often called simply Pontos (the Main), by the Greeks. ... Pompey is also a common nickname for the English City of Portsmouth. ...