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B.C.
BELLA A. L. CORN. SULLA GESTA.
BELLUM CONTRA MITHRIDATEM GESTUM
92 a.C. et 88.83 a.C.
92.—The action of Mitliridates, King i>i Pontus, in Asia Minor, especially witli regard to Cappadocia, whence he luul
expelled the king, Ariobarzanes, led the senate of Rome to direct L. Corn. Sulla, the liovernor of Cilicia, to take all
necessary action.
Mitliridates contented himself h it!i inducing his ally Tigranes, King of Armenia, to .send troops to Cappadocia.
Sulla (juickly collected his forces, crossed the Taurus, and defeated and drove the governor fiordins and his Armenian
auxiliaries out of Cappadocia.
Ariobarzanes was again elected king. Mitliridates jielded on all points, and the earlier xfalia quo was restored.
91 89.—Xo sooner Sulla's hack was turned when matters drifted to their old state. Ariobarzanes was again expelled from
Cappadocia l>v Tigranes ; and a pretender was put forward in Bithynia against Nicomedes III., the senate's
nominee. Mithridates, thoiigli taking no active part, was really the author of these troubles. Rome sent Manius
Aciuillius in support of the governor, L. Cassius, and matters were again put on their former footing.
But Atiuillius desired war, and made use of
laid waste the region of Aniastris.
Nicomedes, who closed the Bosporus to Pontic ships, and with a force
The complaints of Mithridates being unheeded, he .set about organising a general rising against the domination of
Rome. The position of Rome ami her allies was as follows : Nicomedes had taken up a position in the direction of
Amastris ; Roman divisions were in Bithynia, (lalatia. and Cappadocia under Aquillius, Cassius, and Quintus Oppius ;
while the Bithyno-Roman fleet c(mtinued to blockade the Bosporus.
g8_ — In the spring Mithridates assumes the offensive. On the Amnias, a tributary of the Halys, Archelaus and Xeoptolemus,
generals of Mithridates, defeat the Bilhynian army, dispersing the Asiatic allies of Rome as they advance forward.
A Roman division is defeated in Ca]>padocia, and Cassius throws himself into the towns of the upper Maeander,
particularly into Apauiea ; he subsei|Ucnlly takes refuge in Rhodes.
Uppius evacuates Pamphylia and shuts himself up in Plirygian Laodicea.
Afiuillius is overtaken at the Sangarius river while retreating, and so completely defeated that he loses his camp and
seeks refuge at Pergamum. Mitliridates takes Pergamum, as well as the Bosporus and the ships that were there ;
anil issues an order from Ephcsus for the general massacre of all Italians resident in his dominions, which was duly
carrieil out.
Mithridates now organises the conquered provinces from Pergamum a< his capital. He is master of Asia Minor, ami
commands the Aegean with his fleet. Tlie citj' leagues of Caria and Lycia and Rhodes, however, resist him.
In Caria. Stratonicea is leiluced by force of arms by the Pontic forces; but Magnesia on Mt. Sipylus successfully
withstands a severe siege, in which .\rclielaus is defeated and wounded.
Rhodes, whither Cassius and his troops had escaped, was assailed by land and sea. The Rho