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{{short description|War between King Mithridates
{{Expand Italian|topic=mil|Terza guerra mitridatica|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Third Mithridatic War
| width =
| partof = the [[Mithridatic Wars]]
| image = Tetradrachm of Mithridates VI CM SNG BM 1038.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| date = 73–63 BC
| place = [[Asia Minor]]
| territory = Pontus and Syria become Roman provinces<br>Judea becomes a [[client state]] of Rome<br>[[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Armenia]] becomes an ally of Rome
| result = Roman victory
| combatant1 = [[Roman Republic]]<br />[[Bithynia]]<br />[[Galatia]]<br />[[Cyzicus]]
| combatant2 = [[Kingdom of Pontus]]<br /> [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Armenia]]<br>[[Kingdom of Iberia (antiquity)|Kingdom of Iberia]]<br>[[Caucasian Albania]]<br>[[Sarmatians]]
| commander1 = [[Lucullus]]<br />[[Marcus Aurelius Cotta (consul 74 BC)|Marcus Aurelius Cotta]]<br>[[Pompey]]
| commander2 = [[Mithridates VI of Pontus]]<br />[[Tigranes the Great|Tigranes II of Armenia]]<br />Oroeses of Albania<br />[[Artoces of Iberia]]<br />[[Marcus Marius (quaestor 76 BC)|Marcus Marius/Varius]]
| strength1 =
| strength2 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
}}
{{Campaignbox Third Mithridatic War}}
{{Campaignbox Mithridatic Wars}}
The '''Third Mithridatic War''' (73–63 BC), the last and longest of the three [[Mithridatic Wars]], was fought between [[Mithridates VI of Pontus]] and the [[Roman Republic]]. Both sides were joined by a great number of allies, dragging the entire east of the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and large parts of Asia ([[Asia Minor]], [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Greater Armenia]],
==Background==
[[File:1stMithritadicwar89BC.svg|thumb|350px|Asia Minor and surrounding region, 89 BC.]]
In 120 BC, [[Mithridates V Euergetes|Mithridates V]], the king of Pontus was poisoned by unknown figures.<ref>Mayor, ''The Poison King: the life and legend of Mithradates, Rome's deadliest enemy'' p. 68</ref> The conspirators were probably working for his wife [[
Mithridates entertained ambitions of making his state the dominant power in the east of Asia Minor and the [[Black Sea]] region. He first subjugated [[Colchis]], a region east of the Black Sea, and prior to 164 BC, an independent kingdom. He then clashed for supremacy on the [[Pontic steppe]] with the [[Scythian]] King [[Palacus]]. The most important cities and people of the [[Crimea]], the [[Tauric Chersonesus]] and the [[Bosporan Kingdom]] readily surrendered their independence in return for Mithridates' protection against the Scythians, their ancient enemies. The Scythians and their allies the [[Rhoxolanoi]] suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Pontic general [[Diophantus (general)|Diophantus]] and accepted Mithridates as their overlord.<ref>Philip Matyzak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
The young king then turned his attention to Asia Minor, where Roman power was on the rise. He contrived to partition [[Paphlagonia]] and [[Galatia]] with King [[Nicomedes III of Bithynia]]. Yet it soon became clear to Mithridates that Nicomedes was steering his country into an anti-Pontic alliance with the expanding Roman Republic. When Mithridates fell out with Nicomedes over control of [[Kingdom of Cappadocia|Cappadocia]], and defeated him in a series of battles, the latter was constrained to openly enlist the assistance of Rome. The Romans twice interfered in the conflict on behalf of Nicomedes (95–92 BC), leaving Mithridates, should he wish to continue the expansion of his kingdom, with little choice other than to engage in a future Roman-Pontic war. By this time Mithridates had resolved to expel the Romans from Asia.<ref>Philip Matyzak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
The next ruler of [[Bithynia]], [[Nicomedes IV of Bithynia]], was a [[Puppet ruler|figurehead]] manipulated by the Romans. Mithridates plotted to overthrow him, but his attempts failed and Nicomedes IV, instigated by his Roman advisors, declared war on Pontus. Rome itself was involved in the [[Social War (91–88 BC)|Social War]], a civil war with its Italian allies. Thus, in all of Roman Asia Province there were few Roman troops available. The Romans therefore mustered a great number of Asian levies and combined with Nicomedes' army they invaded Mithridates' kingdom in 89 BC. Mithridates won a decisive victory, scattering the Roman-led forces. His victorious forces were welcomed throughout Asia Minor. The following year, 88 BC, Mithridates orchestrated a massacre of Roman and [[Italic peoples|Italian]] settlers remaining in several Anatolian cities, essentially wiping out the Roman presence in the region. 80,000 people are said to have perished in this massacre. The episode is known as the [[Asiatic Vespers]].<ref>Philip Matyzak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
The Romans responded by organising a large invasion force (this time sending their own legions) to defeat him and remove him from power. The [[First Mithridatic War]], fought between 88 BC and 84 BC, saw [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]] force Mithridates out of Greece proper. After being victorious in several battles Sulla, being declared an outlaw by his political opponents in Rome, hurriedly concluded peace talks with Mithridates. As Sulla returned to Italy [[Lucius Licinius Murena (propraetor in Asia)|Lucius Licinius Murena]] was left in charge of Roman forces in Anatolia. The lenient peace treaty, which was never ratified by the Senate, allowed Mithridates VI to restore his forces. Murena attacked Mithridates in 83 BC, provoking the [[Second Mithridatic War]] from 83 BC to 81 BC. Mithridates defeated Murena's two green legions at the [[Battle of Halys]] in 82 BC before peace was again declared by treaty.<ref>Philip Matyzak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
==Prelude==
The period between the Second and Third wars of Rome and the Pontic Kingdom (81–75 BC) is discussed under the [[Kingdom of Pontus]]. There it can be seen how the long piracy wars were a development out of the [[First Mithridatic War]] and especially of the alliance between [[Mithridates VI]] and [[Sertorius]], which in joining those two threats into a unity much larger than its parts had the serious potential of overturning Roman power. The immediate cause of the Third War was the bequest to Rome by King Nicomedes IV of Bithynia of his kingdom upon his death (74 BC). Mithridates, who had been rebuilding his forces, launched an invasion of Bithynia.<ref>Philip Matyzak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
== Forces and initial deployments, 74–73 BC ==
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==Mithridates's defeat in western Asia, 73–72 BC==
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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No battle occurred. For Marius, delay posed a logistical problem. He had only a few days of supplies for his troops. Lucullus learned of the shortage through prisoner interrogations and decided to wait him out. Marius was forced to move on without the fight he had sought.
===The
{{main|Siege of Cyzicus|Battle of the Rhyndacus (73 BC)}}
While Mithridates was besieging Cyzicus, Lucullus and his army arrived; the Romans, with the help of some turncoats, were able to establish a counter-siege, trapping Mithridates' army on the Cyzicus [[peninsula]]. During the siege Mithridates sent his cavalry away, with the sick and the wounded, but they were ambushed and slaughtered at the river Rhyndacus. In the middle of a snowstorm, Lucullus met these forces with ten cohorts and attacked them in mid-crossing on both sides of the river. [[Plutarch]] and [[Appian]] record 15,000 men and 6,000 horses as being captured during the battle.<ref>Lee Fratantuono, ''Lucullus'', p. 60; Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great'', p. 112.</ref> The disaster at the Rhyndacus combined with the famine and a plague which had struck his main army forced Mithridates to completely abandon his position, sailing north while his army marched overland. Lucullus pursued the army and defeated them at the confluence of the [[Aesepus River|Aesepus]] and [[Granicus River]]s, slaughtering many (20,000 were killed while crossing the river Granicus). Eventually, of the 300,000 who had set out for Bithynia, only 20,000 effective troops remained. The siege of Cyzicus and the subsequent retreat could be considered an unmitigated disaster.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp. 112–113.</ref>
===The naval campaign===
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Like Sertorius himself, Marius at some point had lost an eye; when Lucullus gave the order to track down enemy survivors, he specified that no one-eyed men should be killed, so that he could personally oversee the renegade's death: "Lucullus wished Marius to die under the most shameful insults."<ref>Plutarch, ''Lucullus'' 12.5.</ref> Orosius reports that he atoned for his rebellious spirit with penalties he earned.<ref>Orosius 6.2.2.</ref>
While Lucullus and Cotta prepared to invade Pontus, Mithridates gained control of the strategically important city of [[Heraclea Pontica]] and garrisoned it with 4,000 men.<ref>Lee Fratantuono, ''Lucullus: the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror'' p. 159; Memnon, ''History of Heraclea'', 29.</ref> Hearing of the situation at Heraclea, Lucullus and Cotta decided that Cotta would march on Heraclea while Lucullus would move through the [[Galatia
==Lucullus's invasion and conquest of Pontus, 71–69 BC==
In 72 BC, while Cotta moved against [[Siege of Heraclea|Heraclea]] and Triarius managed naval affairs, Lucullus marched his army through [[Galatia]] and into Pontus. The [[Galatians (people)|Galatians]] were only too happy to supply the Romans because they detested Mithridates.
===Themiscyra===
Upon entering Pontus, Lucullus lay siege to [[Themiscyra (Pontus)|Themiscyra]], the legendary home of the
===Cabira===
{{main|Battle of Cabira}}
After careful manoeuvering, Lucullus occupied an old fortress on the heights overlooking Cabira. This was a secure and very defensible position, but its location meant the Romans were cut off from their recent conquests in Pontus and their supply lines now had to come north from [[Cappadocia]], a Roman ally, to the south of Pontus. Since Mithridates dominated the countryside, Lucullus had to send out heavily armed convoys to get supplies. One of those supply convoys, escorted by no less than ten cohorts of infantry (3,000–5,000 men), under the command of the legate Sornatius was attacked by the Pontic cavalry. The Roman infantry stood their ground and held off the attack inflicting terrible losses on the Pontic horsemen. When a second supply convoy, also heavily armed, under the command of the legate Marcus Fabius Hadrianus made for Lucullus's camp Mithridates decided to use a [[combined arms]] (infantry and cavalry) attack. A force of 4,000 cavalry and infantry fell upon the convoy, unfortunately for Mithridates, the Romans realized the narrow valley at the scene limited the effectiveness of their opponents' cavalry and they [[Counterattack|counter-attacked]] wiping out half the attacking force.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy'' p. 121; Lee Fratantuono, ''Lucullus: the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror'' p. 69.</ref>
With the Romans re-supplied and his attack-force decimated (c. 2000 casualties) Mithridates decided to retreat. During the preparations for the retreat a panic broke out among his troops, Lucullus became aware of what was happening, mustered his army, and attacked Mithridates's camp; at this point the Pontic army broke and disintegrated.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great: Rome's Indomitable Enemy'' pp.
After the Battle of Cabira, Mithridates fled Pontus, he went to Armenia seeking his son-in-law king Tigranes' support. Joined by Lucullus at Nicomedia in 73 BC, Cotta was assigned the task of securing Lucullus' rear by taking Heraclea Pontica, which Mithridates had reinforced with 4,000 troops.<ref>Holmes, T. Rice, ''The Roman Republic and the Founder of the Empire, Vol. I'', 1923,
===Amisus===
With Mithridates out of his reach Lucullus set about consolidating his hold on Pontus. [[Amisus]], an important Greek city in Pontus, was still holding out against [[Lucius Licinius Murena (consul 62 BC)|Murena]] whom Lucullus had put in charge of the siege. Mithridates had sent the Greek Callimachus, a master of siege warfare, to [[Amisus]] to help with its defence. Callimachus created a number of mechanical defensive devices which gave the Romans a lot of hardships. Lucullus took over from Murena and proved his tactical genius once again by launching an attack at precisely the right time (when Callimachus let his defenders take a rest) and took Amisus, but not without regret; his soldiers ransacked the city and turned it into a ruin. Lucullus, a great admirer of Greek culture, lamented that Sulla had been blessed because he was able to save Athens, while the gods had ordained the
===Sinope===
After [[Amisus]] Lucullus besieged [[Sinop, Turkey|Sinope]], Pontus' main port city, which was also holding out against the Romans. There was significant resistance; the garrison was doing well in defending the coastal city on water as well as land. Lucullus kept up the pressure and finally the defenders gave up, they burned their heavier ships while escaping on lighter vessels. Lucullus granted the city its freedom because the real resistance had not come from the Sinopians themselves but from Cilician troops Mithridates had garrisoned there.<ref>Lee Fratantuono, ''Lucullus: the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror'' pp.
While Lucullus stayed in the East, Cotta returned to [[Rome]] in 70 BC, where he at first was widely acclaimed for his victory at Heraclea.<ref>T. Robert S. Broughton, ''The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol II'' (1952),
==The
After the [[Battle of Cabira]] Mithridates fled to his son-in-law [[Tigranes II]] the king of the [[Greater Armenia (antiquity)|Armenian Empire]]. Lucullus, busy mopping up resistance in Pontus and [[Lesser Armenia|Armenia Minor]] (also part of Mithridates's former dominions), sent his brother-in-law [[Appius Claudius Pulcher (consul 54 BC)|Appius Claudius Pulcher]] as an emissary to the Armenian king demanding he hand over Mithridates. Since handing over his father-in-law would make him look like nothing more than a puppet of Rome, Tigranes had no other choice than to refuse and prepare for war.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great'', pp.
In the spring of 69 BC Lucullus marched his army from Cappadocia across the Euphrates into Greater Armenia (the Armenian Empire's heartland) and the Roman-Armenian War began.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great'', p. 126; Lee Frantatuono, ''Lucullus'', p. 77.</ref>
Tigranes sent one of his nobles, Mithrobarzanes, with 2,
===Battle of Tigranocerta===
{{main|Battle of Tigranocerta}}
[[File:Armenian Empire.png|thumb|305px|[[Tigranes the Great]]'s empire c. 80 BC.]]
Lucullus began a siege of the new Armenian imperial capital of [[Tigranocerta]] in the Arzenene district. Tigranes, with his main host, returned from mopping up a Seleucid rebellion in Syria, and sought battle with the Romans. Lucullus' army annihilated the Armenian host, despite odds of about more than two to one against him. This was the famous [[battle of Tigranocerta]]. It was fought on the same (pre-Julian) calendar date as the Roman disaster at Arausio 36 years earlier, the day before the Nones of October according to the reckoning of the time (or October 6),<ref>Plutarch ''Camillus'' 19.11, ''Lucullus'' 27.
===Battle of Artaxata===
{{main|Battle of Artaxata}}
In the summer of 68 BC Lucullus marched against Tigranes and crossed the Anti-Taurus range heading for the old Armenian capital Artaxata. Once again, Tigranes was provoked to attack, and in a major battle at the Aratsani River, Lucullus
===Nisibis===
The Armenian garrison at Nisibis was under the command of Tigranes's brother Gouras and the Greek defence expert Callimachus. At first Lucullus besieged the city to no avail; it was strongly fortified, with two walls of brick and a moat. But in the winter of 68/67 BC, during a terrible storm
==Mithridates return to Pontus==
{{main|Battle of Zela (67 BC)}}
In the spring of 67 BC, while Lucullus was laying siege to Nisibis, Mithridates suddenly returned to Pontus.<ref>Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', p. 140.</ref> The Romans had not expected Mithridates to strike at them in Pontus and he caught several small Roman detachments unaware. The [[Legatus|legate]] Gaius Valerius Triarius who was nearby bringing two legions to reinforce Lucullus took command of all Roman forces in Pontus. After several skirmishes and small battles, a major battle took place on a plain near Zela ([[Battle of Zela (67 BC)|the Battle of Zela]]); the Romans were defeated, leaving 7,000 dead, including 24 [[tribune]]s and 150 [[centurion]]s. As a result, Mithridates was back in control of Pontus.<ref>Lee Fratantuono, Lucullus, ''the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror'', p. 108; Philip Matyszak, ''Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy'', pp.
During the winter of
==Pompey in command==
Early in 66 the tribune [[Gaius Manilius]] proposed that Pompey should assume supreme command of the war against Mithridates and Tigranes. He should take control from the provincial governors in Asia Minor, have the power to appoint legates himself and the authority to make war and peace and to conclude treaties on his own discretion. The law, the [[Lex Manilia]], was approved by the Senate and the People and Pompey officially took command of the war in the east.<ref>John Leach, ''Pompey the Great'', p. 75; Cicero, Cassius Dio, ''Roman History'', 36.43.2.</ref>
On the approach of Pompey, Mithridates retreated into the centre of his kingdom trying to stretch and cut off the Roman supply lines but this strategy did not work (Pompey excelled at logistics). Eventually Pompey cornered and defeated the king at the river Lycus (see: [[Battle of the Lycus|battle of Lycus]]). As Tigranes II of Armenia, his son-in-law, refused to receive him into his dominions ([[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)|Greater Armenia]]), Mithridates fled to [[Colchis]], and hence made his way to his own dominions in the [[Cimmerian Bosporus]]. Pompey marched against Tigranes, whose kingdom and authority were now severely weakened. Tigranes then sued for peace and met with Pompey to plead a cessation of hostilities. The Armenian Kingdom became an allied client state of Rome. From Armenia, Pompey marched north against the Caucasian tribes and kingdoms who still supported Mithridates.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}
{{further|Pompey's Georgian campaign}}
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** ed. René Henry ''Photius Bibliotheque'' Tome IV: Codices 223–229 (Association Guillaume Budé, Paris, 1965), pp. 48–99: Greek text with French translation
** ed. K. Müller ''FHG III'', 525: Greek text with Latin translation
** ed. F. Jacoby ''FGrH'' no. 434: Greek text, detailed commentary in German
* Phlegon of Tralles fragmenta
** ed. K. Müller ''FHG III'', 602ff.
** ed. F. Jacoby ''FGrH'' no. 257
** English translations and commentary by William Hansen, ''Phlegon of Tralles' Book of Marvels'' (University of Exeter Press, 1996)
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* Magie, David: ''Roman Rule in Asia Minor, to the End of the Third Century after Christ'' 2 vols. (Princeton University Press, 1950)
* Van Ooteghem, J: ''Lucius Licinius Lucullus'', (Brussels, 1959)
* Keaveney, Arthur: ''Lucullus. A Life.'' (London/New York: Routledge, 1992). {{ISBN|
===
* Anderson, J G C: "Pompey's Campaign against Mithradates", ''JRS'' 12 (1922), 99ff.
* Downey, Glanville: "Q. Marcius Rex at Antioch", ''Classical Philology'' 32 (1937), 144–151
* Bennett, William H: "The Death of Sertorius and the Coin", ''Historia'', 10 (1961),
* McGing, B C: "The Date of the outbreak of the Third Mithridatic War", ''Phoenix'', 38 (1984), 12–18
* Williams, Richard S: "The Appointment of Glabrio (''COS.67'') to the Eastern Command", ''Phoenix'' 38 (1984), 221–234
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{{Library resources box |by=no |onlinebooks=yes |others=yes |about=yes |label=Third Mithridatic War
|viaf= |lccn= |lcheading= |wikititle= }}
* Burcu Erciyas, Deniz. 2005. ''Wealth, aristocracy and royal propaganda under the Hellenistic kingdom of the Mithridatids in the central Black Sea region of Turkey.'' Leiden: Brill.
* Gabrielsen, Vincent, and John Lund, eds. 2007. ''The Black Sea in Antiquity: Regional and interregional economic exchanges.'' Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Press.
* McGing, Brian C. 1986. ''The foreign policy of Mithridates VI Eupator king of Pontos.'' Leiden: Brill.
* Sherwin-White, Adrian N. 1984. ''Roman foreign policy in the East 168 B.C. to A.D. 1.'' London: Duckworth.
* Sullivan, Richard D. 1990. ''Near Eastern royalty and Rome: 100–30 B.C.'' Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
{{Ancient Roman Wars}}
{{Ancient Greek Wars|state=autocollapse}}
{{Pompey}}
[[Category:70s BC conflicts]]
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[[Category:Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Asia]]
[[Category:Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Europe]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Kingdom of Armenia (
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