A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

1098 MITHRIDATES. MITHRIDATES.
xxxvii. Exe. Phot. p. 540.) It is difficult to judge efforts, was ultimately compelled to -abandon the
whether he was really meditating a war with siege. After this he made a fruitless attempt upon
Rome, but did not yet consider his preparations the city of Patara in Lycia;and then resigning
sufficiently advanced to commence she contest, or the command of the war in that quarter to his
was desirous by a show of moderation to throw general, Pelopidas, took up his winter-quarters at
upon the Romans the odium of forcing on the war. Pergamus, where he gave himself up to luxury and
If the latter were his object, his measures were enjoyment, especially to the society of his newlycertainly not ill chosen; for it is clear even from married wife Monima, a Greek of Stratoniceia.
the accounts transmitted to us, that whatever may (Appian, Mithr. 21, 23-27.) It was ill the
have been the secret designs of Mithridates, the midst of these revelries that he issued the sanimmediate occasion of the war arose from acts of guinary order to all the cities of Asia to put to
aggression and injustice on the part of the Romans death on the same day all the Roman and Italian
and their allies. citizens who were to be found within their walls.
No sooner was Nicomedes replaced on the throne So hateful had the Romans rendered themselves
of Bithynia than he was urged by the Roman during the short period of their dominion, that
legates to invade the territories of Mithridates, into these commands were obeyed with alacrity by
which he made a predatory incursion as far as almost all the cities of Asia, who found the opporAmastris. Mithridates offered no resistance, but tunity of gratifying their own vengeance at the
sent Pelopidas to the Romans to demand satis- same time that they earned the favour of Mithri,
faction, and it was not until his ambassador was dates, by carrying into effect the royal mandate
sent away with an evasive answer that he prepared with the most unsparing cruelty. The number of
for immediate hostilities, B. C. 88. (Appian, Mi/hr. those who perished in this fearful massacre is stated
11-15.) His first step was to invade Cappadocia, by Memnon and Valerius Maximus at eighty thoufrom which he easily expelled Ariobarzanes for the sand persons, while Plutarch increases the amount
third time. Shortly afterwards his two generals, to a hundred and fifty thousand. (Appian, Mithr.
Neoptolemus and Archelaus, advanced against 22, 23; Memnon, 31, Plut. Sull. 24; Liv. Epit.
Bithynia with an army of 250,000 foot and 40,000 lxxviii.; Dion Cass. Fr. 115; Eutrop. v. 5; Oros.
horse. They were met by Nicomedes, supported vi. 2; Flor. iii. 5; Cic..p. Leg. Manil. 3, pro Flacc.
by the presence of the Roman legate Aquillius and 24, 25; Tac. Ann. iv. 14; Val. Max. ix. 2.
Mancinus, with such forces as they had been able ext. 3.)
to raise in Asia, but with very few Roman troops, But while he thus created an apparently insuon the banks of the river Amneius in Paphlagonia, perable barrier to all hopes of reconciliation with
when a great battle ensued, which terminated in Rome, Mithridates did not neglect to prepare for
the complete victory of the generals of Mithridates. the approaching contest; and though he remained
Nicomedes fled from the field, and, abandoning inactive himself at Pergamus, he was busily emBithynia without another blow, took refuge at ployed in raising troops and collecting ships, so
Pergamus. Aquillius was closely pursued by that in the spring of B. C. 87 he was able to send
Neoptolemus, compelled to fight at disadvantage, Archelaus to Greece with a powerful fleet and
and again defeated; and Mithridates, following up army. During the subsequent operations of that
his advantage, not only made himself master of general [ARCHELAUS], Mithridates was continually
Phrygia and Galatia, but invaded the Roman pro- sending fresh reinforcements both by land and sea to
vince of Asia. Here the universal discontent of his support; besides which he entrusted the comthe inhabitants, caused by the oppression of the mand of a second army to his son Arcathias, with
Roman governors, enabled him to overrun the orders to advance through Thrace and Macedonia,
whole province almost without opposition: the to co-operate in the war against Sulla, The inRoman officers, who had imprudently brought this tended diversion was prevented by the death of
danger upon themselves, were unable to collect any Arcathias; but the following year (. c. 86) Taxiles
forces to oppose the progress of Mithridates, and followed the same route with an army of 110,000
two of them, Q. Oppius and Aquillius himself, the men; and succeeded in uniting his forces with
chief author of the war, fell into the hands of the those of Archelaus. Their combined armies were
king of Pontus. (Appian, Mithr. 15-21; Mem- totally defeated by Sulla at Chaeronea; but Minon, 31; Justin. xxxviii. 3; Liv. Epit. lxxvi. thridates, on receiving the news of this great
lxxvii. lxxviii.; Oros. vi. 2; Eutrop. v. 5; Flor. disaster, immediately set about raising fresh levies,
iii. 6; Strab. xii. p. 562.) and was soon able to send another army of 80,000
These events took place in the summer and men, under Dorylaus to Euboea. Meanwhile,
autumn of B. C. 88; before the close of that year his severities in Asia, coupled with the disasters of
they were known at Rome, and Sulla was ap- his arms in Greece, seem to have produced a general
pointed to take the command in the war which spirit of disaffection; the cities of Chios, Ephesus,
was now inevitable., Meanwhile, Mithridates con- and Tralles, besides others of less note, drove out
tinued his military operations in Asia, with a view his governors and openly revolted: and the assasto make himself master of the whole of that country sination of the tetrarchs of Galatia, whom he put
before the Romans were prepared to attack him. to death from suspicions of their fidelity, led to the
All the cities of the main land except Magnesia loss of that important province. (Appian, Mithr.
and some of those of Lycia had opened their gates 27, 29, 35, 41-49; Plut. Sull. 11, 15, 20; Memto him; but. the important islands of Cos and non, 32, 33.) He now also found himself threatRhodes still held out; and against them Mithri- ened with danger. from a new and unexpected
dates now directed his arms. Cos was quickly quarter. While Sulla was still occupied in Greece,
subdued; but the Rhodians were well prepared the party of Marius at Rome had sent a fresh army
for defence, and possessed a powerful fleet; so that to Asia under L. Flaccus, to carry on the war at
Mlithridates, though he commanded his fleet and once against their foreign and domestic enemies.;
army in person, and exerted the most strenuous and Fimbria, who had obtained the command of