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Pageturning (talk | contribs) m "... Lucullus commanded 30,000 infantry and 2,500 horse" to "... Lucullus commanded 30,000 infantry and 2,500 cavalry" Tags: Visual edit Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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Having made his way to [[Nicomedia]], Cotta watched in frustration as Mithridates marched on taking [[Nicaea]], [[Lampsacus]], [[Nicomedia]] and Apameia, all major cities in the region. Only nearby [[Cyzicus]] held to the Roman cause, probably because many of its citizens (serving in Cotta's army as [[Auxiliaries (Roman military)|auxiliaries]]) had died fighting against Mithridates at Chalcedon. The Pontic army marched on Cyzicus and began a siege.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's indomitable Enemy'', pp. 106–113; Plutarch ''Life of Lucullus'', 8.</ref>
Lucullus was camped somewhere along the [[Sakarya River|Sangarius river]] in Bithynia when he received news of Cotta's defeat. His soldiers urged him to leave Cotta to his own folly and march on undefended Pontus with its rich potential for loot. Lucullus ignored them and headed toward Chalcedon. [[Marcus Marius (quaestor 76 BC)|Marcus Marius]], a Roman rebel cooperating with Mithridates, blocked and confronted him. They faced off at Otroea near Nicaea (present-day [[Iznik]]).<ref>Keaveney, ''Lucullus'', p. 77.</ref> Although Lucullus commanded 30,000 infantry and 2,500
{{cquote|But presently, as they were on the point of joining battle, with no apparent change of weather, but all on a sudden, the sky burst asunder, and a huge, flame-like body was seen to fall between the two armies. In shape, it was most like a wine-jar ''([[pithos]])'', and in colour, like molten silver. Both sides were astonished at the sight, and separated. This marvel, as they say, occurred in [[Phrygia]], at a place called [[Otryae]].<ref>Plutarch, ''Life of Lucullus'' [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Lucullus*.html#8.5 8.6–7], [[Loeb Classical Library]] translation, Bill Thayer's edition at [[LacusCurtius]].</ref>}}
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