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

1100 MITHRIDATES. MITHRIDATES.
ib. 67.) Hence, on the death of the latter, B. C. in the year 73) to abandon the enterprise and raise
78, Mithridates abandoned all thoughts of peace; the siege. But a large detachment of his army,
and while he concluded the alliance with Sertorius which he at first sent off into Bithynia, was interon the one hand, he instigated Tigranes on the cepted and cut to pieces by Lucullus; and when at
other to invade Cappadocia, and sweep away the length he broke up his camp, his main body, as it
inhabitants of that country, to people his newly- moved along the coast towards the westward, was:
founded city of Tigranocerta. But it was the death repeatedly attacked by the Roman general, and
of Nicomedes III., king of Bithynia, at the begin- suffered very heavy loss at the passage of the
ning of the year B. C. 74, that brought matters to Aesepus and Granicus. The king himself proa crisis, and became the immediate occasion of the ceeded by sea to Parium, where he collected the
war which both parties had long felt to be inevi- shattered remnants of his forces, and leaving a
table. That monarch left his dominions by will to part of his fleet under Varius to maintain possession
the Roman people; and Bithynia was accordingly of the Hellespont and the Aegaean, withdrew
declared a Roman province: but Mithridates as- himself with the rest, after a fruitless attempt
serted that the late king had left a legitimate son upon Perinthus, to Nicomedia. Here he was soon
by his wife Nysa, whose pretensions he immedi- threatened by the advance of three Roman armies
ately prepared to support by his arms. (Eutrop. under Cotta and the two lieutenants of Lucullus,
vi. 6; Liv. Epit. xciii.; Appian, Mithr. 71; Epist. Triarius and Voconius Barba. These generals had
Mithrid. ap. Sallust. Hist. iv. p. 239, ed. Gerlach; made themselves masters in succession of Prusias
Vell. Pat. ii. 4, 39.) and Nicaea, and were preparing to besiege MithriIt was evident that the contest in which both dates himself at Nicomedia, when the king reparties were now about to engage would be a ceived intelligence of the defeat of his fleet under
struggle for life or death, which could be terminated Varius at Tenedos, and becoming in consequence
only by the complete overthrow of Mithridates, or apprehensive for the safety of his communications.
by his establishment as undisputed monarch of by sea, hastened to set sail for Pontus. On his
Asia. The forces with which he was now pre- voyage he encountered a violent storm, by which
pared to take the field were such as might inspire he lost many of his ships, and was himself comhim with no unreasonable confidence of victory. pelled to make his escape in the light galley of a
He had assembled an army of 120,000 foot soldiers, pirate captain. He obtained, however, an imarmed and disciplined in the Roman manner, and portant advantage by the.surprise of the free city.
sixteen thousand horse, besides an hundred scythed of Heracleia, which had hitherto remained neutral,
chariots: but, in addition to this regular army, he but was now compelled to receive a Pontic garrison.
was supported by a vast number of auxiliaries Afrer this he returned to Sinope. (Appian, Mit/hr.
from the barbarian tribes of the Chalybes, Achaeans, 69-78; Plut. Lucull. 7-13; Memnon, 37-42;
Armenians, and even the Scythians and Sarmatians. Liv. Epit. xciii. xcv.; Eutrop. vi. 6.)
His fleet also was so far superior to any that the The great army with which Mithridates had
Romans could oppose to him, as to give him the commenced the war was now annihilated; and he
almost undisputed command of the sea. These was not only compelled to retire into his own
preparations, however, appear to have delayed him dominions, but was without the means of opposing
so long that the season was far advanced before he the advance of Lucullus into the heart of Pontus
was able to take the field, and both the Roman itself. But he now again set to work with indeconsuls, Lucullus and Cotta, had arrived in Asia. fatigable activity to raise a fresh army; and while
Neither of them, however, was able to oppose his he left the whole of the sea-coast of Pontus open
first irruption; he traversed almost the whole of to the invaders, he established himself in the interior
Bithynia without encountering any resistance; and at Cabeira, where he soon gathered a numerous
when at length Cotta ventured to give him battle force around his standard, while he sent to his son
under the walls of Chalcedon, he was totally de- Machares and his son-in-law Tigranes, to request
feated both by sea and land, and compelled to take succours and auxiliaries. Lucullus, having in vain
refuge within the city. Here Mithridates at first tried to'allure him to the relief of Amisus, the siege
prepared to besiege him, but soon changed his in- of which he continued throughout the winter, on
tention, and moved with his whole army to Cyzicus, the approach of spring (B. c. 72) advanced into the
to which important city he proceeded to lay siege, interior, and took up a position opposite to him at
both by sea and land. His military engines and Cabeira. Mithridates was superior-in cavalry, on
works were managed by a Greek named Niconides, which account the Roman general avoided an
who displayed the utmost skill and science in this action in the plains, and the campaign was chiefly
department; while the attacks of the besieging occupied with mutual attempts to'cut off each
forces were unremitting. But the Roman general other's convoys of provisions, which led to repeated
Lucullus, who had advanced from Phrygia to the partial engagements, with various vicissitudes of
relief of Cotta, and followed Mithridates to Cyzicus, fortune. At length a large detachment of the
had been allowed, by the negligence of the king, king's army was entirely cut off, and Mithridates
or the treachery, as it was said, of the Roman L. hereupon determined to remove his camp: but the
Magius, who enjoyed a high place in his confidence, orders to this effect by some mismanagement gave
to occupy an advantageous position near the camp rise to a panic in the undisciplined multitudes
of Mithridates, where he almost entirely cut him which composed his army; great confusion arose,
off from receiving supplies by land, while the and Lucullus having sent his cavalry to take adstorms of the winter prevented him from depending vantage of this, a general rout was the consequence.
on those by sea. Hence it was not long before Mithridates himself with difficulty made his way
famine began to make itself felt in the camp of through the tumult, and must have fallen into
Mithridates, and all his assaults upon the city the hands of the Romans, had not the cupidity
having been foiled by the courage and resolution of some of his pursuers, who stopped to plunder
of the besieged, he was at length compelled (early a mule laden with gold, given him time to effect