A History of Rome to 565 A. D.

John Stuart Mill · en
*Siege of Cyzicus, 74–3 B. C.* Early in 74 B. C., Mithradates invaded
Bithynia. There he was encountered by Cotta, whom he defeated and
blockaded in Chalcedon. Thereupon he invaded Asia and laid siege to
Cyzicus. But Lucullus cut off his communications and in the ensuing winter
he was forced to raise the siege and retire with heavy losses into
Bithynia. The following year a fleet which Lucullus had raised defeated
that of Mithradates. This enabled the Romans to recover Bithynia and
invade Pontus. In 72 B. C. Lucullus defeated Mithradates and forced him to
take refuge in Armenia. In the course of this and the two following years
he completed the subjugation of Pontus by the systematic reduction of its
fortified cities. Cotta undertook the siege of Heraclea in Bithynia and
upon its fall in 71 B. C. returned to Rome. The winter of 71–70 B. C.
Lucullus spent in Asia reorganizing the financial situation. There the
cities were laboring under a frightful burden of indebtedness to Roman
bankers and taxgatherers which had its origin in the exactions of Sulla.
Lucullus interfered on behalf of the provincials and by reducing the
accumulated interest on their debts enabled them to pay off their
obligations within four years. This care for the provincials won for
himself the bitter enmity of the Roman financial interests which sought to
deprive him of his command.

*Invasion of Armenia, 69 B. C.* As the war could not be regarded as
terminated so long as Mithradates was at large, Lucullus demanded his
surrender from Tigranes. When the latter refused Lucullus invaded Armenia,
defeated him and took his capital, Tigranocerta, 69 B. C. In the following
year Lucullus attempted to complete the subjugation of Armenia but was
prevented by the mutinous conduct of his troops. He was unpopular with his
men because he maintained discipline and protected the subject peoples
from the excesses of the soldiers. Also some of his legions had come to
the East with Fimbria in 86 B. C. and clamored for the discharge to which
they were entitled. In 67 B. C. Mithradates reappeared in Pontus and
Lucullus had to return from Armenia to face him, whereupon Tigranes began
to recover lost ground. Because of the mutiny in his army Lucullus was
forced to remain inactive. He had already been superseded in the command
of Asia, Cilicia and Bithynia, which had come under his control with the
return of Cotta, and his enemies in Rome deprived him of the remnants of
his authority in 66 B. C.



              III. THE REVOLT OF THE GLADIATORS: 73–71 B. C.