Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/847

LUCULLUS. he received the news that Mithridates had invaded IJithynia with an army of 150,000 men, had de- feated Cotta both by sea and land, and compelled him to Uike refuge within the walls of Chalcedon. LucuUus was at this time in Galatia, but he hastened to the support of Cotta. He was met at a place called Otryae, in Phrj'gia, by a detach- ment of the army of Mithridates, commanded by the Roman exile Varius, but a meteoric apparition prevented an engagement. Meanwhile, Mithri- dates drew off his army from Chalcedon, and pro- ceeded to besiege the strong city of Cyzicus. Hither Lucullus followed him ; but confident in the strength of the place, and well knowing the difficulty of subsisting so vast a multitude as thut which composed tlie army of the king, he was by no means desirous to bring on a battle, and con- tented himself with taking up a strongly entrenched camp in the immediate neighbourhood of that of Mithridates, from whence he could watch his pro- ceedings, intercept his communications, and leave hunger to do the work of the sword. The result fully justified his expectations. All the efforts of Mithridates were baffled by the skill and courage of the besieged ; and though he was still master of the sea, the winter storms prevented hira from receiving supplies by that means, so that famine soon began to make itself felt in his camp, and at length increased to such a degree that no alterna- tive remained but to raise the siege. A detach- ment of 15,000 men, which the king had previously sent off, was attacked and cut to pieces by Lucullus at the passage of the Rhyndacus ; and when at length his main army broke up from the camp before Cyzicus, and commenced its march towards the West, Lucullus pressed closely upon their rear, and attacking them successively at the passage of the Aesepus and the Oranicus, put thousands of them to the sword. Those that escaped took refuge in Lampsacus, under the command of Varius. (Plut. Lucull. 8 — 11 ; Appian, ilfi7/<r. 71 — 76 ; Memuon. 37 — 40 ; Liv. Epit. xcv. ; Flor. iii. 6 ; Eutrop. vi. 6 ; Oros. vi. 2 ; Cic. pro. Leg. Manil. 8, pro Muren. 15 ; Orelli, Inscr. 545.) The great army of Mithridates, on the equip- ment and preparation of which he had bestowed all his care, was now annihilated ; but he was still master of the sea ; and placing the remains of his shattered forces on board the fleet, he gave the command of it to Varius, with orders to maintain possession of the Aegaean, while he himself returned by sea to Bithynia. Lucullus did not deem it prudent to advance further into Asia while his communications were thus threatened, and he des- patched his lieutenants, Voconius and Triarius, in pursuit of Mithridates, while he occupied himself in assembling a fleet at the Hellespont. Contri- butions quickly poured in from all the Greek cities of Asia ; and Lucullus soon found himself at the head of a considerable naval force, with which he defeated a squadron of the enemy off Ilium, and soon afterwards engaged and almost entirely de- stroyed their main fleet, near the island of Lemnos, taking prisoner Varius himself, together with his two colleagues in the command. (Appian, Mithr. 77 ; Plut. Lucull. 12 ; Cic. pro Ug. Mariil. S,pro Muren. 15 ; Eutrop. vi. 6 ; Memnon. 42.) He was now at liberty to direct his undivided attention towcirds Mithridates himself, and advanced against that monarch, who had halted at Nicomedeic^ where Cotta and Triarius were preparing to besiege him ; VOL. II. LUCULLUS. 838 but on learning the defeat of his fleet, and the ad- vance of Lucullus, Mithridates withdrew from that city without a contest, and escaped by sea to Pontus. Lucullus had thus succeeded in driving back Mithridates into his own dominions, and thither he now prepared to follow him. After joining Cottii and Triarius at Nicomedeia, he detached the former to besiege the important town of Heracleia, while Triarius, with the fleet, was posted at the Bosporus, in order to prevent the junction of the enemy's detached squadrons. Meanwhile, Lucullus himself, with his main army, advanced through Galatia into the heart of Pontus, laying waste the country on his march ; and in this manner pene- trated, without any serious opposition, as far as Themiscyra. But he now began to be apprehen- sive lest Mithridates should avoid a battle, and elude his pursuit by withdrawing into the wild and mountainous regions beyond Pontus ; and he therefore, instead of pushing on at once upon Ca- beira, where the king was now stationed, deter- mined to halt and form the siege of the two important towns of Amisus and Eupatoria. His object in so doing was in great part to draw Mithridates to their relief, and thus bring on a general engagement ; but the king contented him- self with sending supplies and reinforcements to the two cities, and remained quiet at Cabeira, where he had established his winter-quarters, and had assembled a force of 40,000 foot and 4000 horse. Lucullus at first pressed the siege of Amisus with the utmost vigour ; but it was de- fended with equal energy and ability by Calli- machus, the commander of the garrison ; and after a time the efforts of both parties gradually relaxed, and the siege was protracted throughout the whole winter without any decisive result. With the ap- proach of spring (b. c. 72) Lucullus broke up his camp ; and leaving Miirena with two legions to continue the siege of Amisus, led the rest of his forces against Mithridates, who was still at Ca- beira. But the king was superior in cavalry, and Lucullus was therefore unwilling to risk a general action in the plain. Several partial engagements ensued, in which the Romans were more than once Avorsted ; and Lucullus began to find himself in distress for provisions, which he was compelled to bring from Cappadocia. A series of movements and manoeuvres now followed, which are not very clearly related ; but at length a numerous detach- ment from the army of the king, under his generals Menemachus and Myron, was entirely cut off by one of the lieutenants of Lucullus. In consequence of tills blow Mithridates determined to remove to a greater distance from the enemy ; but when the orders to retreat were given, a general panic spread through the army, which took to flight in all direc- tions. The king himself narrowly escaped being trampled to death in the confusion, and was closely- pursued by the Roman cavalry ; but effected his escape to Comana, from whence he fled directly to Armenia, accompanied only by a small body of horsemen, and took refuge in the dominions of Tigranes. Lucullus, after making himself master of Cabeira, pursued the fugitive monarch as far as Talaura ; but finding that he had made good his retreat into Armenia, halted at that city, and des- patched App. Claudius as ambassador to Tigranes, to demand the surrender of Mithridates. Mean- while, he himself subdued, or at least received the 3u