72 HISTORY OF ARMENIA.
sent against him a force said to amount to 200^000 men. Against this immense army Mithridates contended with various success for some time, although his troops were infinitely inferior in point of numbers, yet they were enriched with the spoil of the Romans. One of the generals of the latter, named AquilusManius, infantry, was met and routed by the troops of Mithridates; 10,000 of the Romans were slain, 300 made prisoners and the rest dispersed. Aquilus with difficulty made his escape by night over the river Sangar, and took refuge in Per- gamus ; but some time after, having fallen into the hands of Mithridates, the latter caused molten gold to be poured down his throat, say* ing, Since thy love of gold is so insatiable, take thy fill of it, and acknowledge my generosity in
5 ml ^^^^ bestowing it !" Mithridates, after a war of two years with the Romans under Cornelius Sylla, was obliged to sue for peace, in the city of Dardanum in Phry gia, which was granted him upon condition that he would relinquish all claims to the kingdom of Cappadocia, which thenceforward was to be possessed by Ario* barzan, under the protection of the Romans.
3921 ; About this period the Seleucians, in discontent with their king, sent to Tigranes, offering him the dominion of their kingdom, on condition that
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