Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 3-6)
ca 102-86
Roman attention focused on Africa, Spain, Transalpine neighbors
Annexation of the Attalid kingdom (from Troas to Halicarnassus)
Marcus Antonius in 102 drives out the pirates from Cilicia (just north of Iskanderun/Antioch)
Egypt is divided from Cyrene and Cyprus
Cyrene left to Romans, allowed to govern cities like free cities
Syria is in civil war between Antiochids (early 90s)
Armenia becomes independent (94)
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 7-)
120-
Mithridates is forced by regents to escape court, live as a hunter, perhaps legendary
Charioteer, horseman, eater, drinker, womanizer
Superstitious, roughly Hellenistic
"Oriental"
put his wives, concubines and sister (wife) to death
Fluent in perhaps twenty-two tongues -- the tongues of the peoples of the nations under his rule
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pg 13)
Conquest of Colchis by Mithridates (Phasis, Rize contra Trabzon, the Georgian Black Sea coast)
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pg 16)
Greeks were forced to pay tribute to wandering Scythians, e.g. at the mouth of Dnieper (Kherson?)
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 19-20)
Nicomedes and Mithridates jointly occupy Paphlagonia
the senate demands Mithridates leave
and Cappadocia, where Ariarthes VI (Bithynian proxy?) is murdered by Gordius for Mithridates Eupator
the Cappadocian line is later extinguished through treachery
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 23-24)
92-91
Mithridates uses Tigranes of Armenia as a proxy force in Cappadocia
Sulla expels Gordius with Asiatic troops
Ariobarzanes now king of Cappadocia
Sulla meets with Ariobarzanes and the king of Parthia on the Euphrates to confirm the Senate's decrees on Anatolia
Sulla is well-remembered for this meeting
Nicomedes refuses to evacuate Paphlagonia but the senate doesn't care
the Scythians who had been vanquished by Mithridates were to be restored
not much of the peace is implemented
Tigranes expels Ariobarzanes from Cappadocia, replaces him with Pontic proxy Ariarthes
Nicomedes II dies, Nicomedes III is acclaimed
Aquillius is made ambassador of the Romans
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 26-27)
90
Aquillius uses Nicomedes as a Roman proxy to declare war on Mithridates to incite Mithridates to declare war on Rome
Bithynia blockades the Bosporus
occupies and destroys Amastris (western northern turkey)
Mithridates still uses diplomatic options, tries to argue that he may use self-defence
Aquillius negates that self-defence claim
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 28-30)
89-88
MIthridates begins to prepare for war, collects a bunch of both proxy forces (Cilician piracy, thracian uprising, enrolling of Cretans in the Pontic army)
Scythians and Medes come into the army
Armenia provides considerable forces, 250k infantry, 40k cavalry
Lucius Cassius in Bithynia
Manius Aquillius in Galatia
Quintus Oppius in Cappadocia
Bithynians still occupy Paphlagonia between Amastris and Sinope and blockade the Bosporus
Mithridates finds the Bithynians near the Amnias river off the Halys river
Neoptolemus and Archelaus forge success for Pontus here
Lucius Cassius is in Phrgyia and hides in the upper Maeander near Apamea
Oppius flees Pamphylia and flees to Laodicea in Phrygia
Aquillius flees to Pergamum
Pergamum is overrun by Pontic army
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 31-32)
Mithridates gives order for general massacre of Italians in Asia, for the kingdom to claim half their property
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 34-35)
90-88
Thracians overrun Macedonia, Epirus
Archelaus commands the navy and controls the Aegean, occupies Delos
Euobea occupied
Brutttus Sura for Rome, governor of Macedonia, forced to flee to isle of Sciathus
Athens rises up for Pontus because of the Epicurean philosopher demagogue Aristion
Achaeans, Boeotia, Thessaly pledge to Pontus
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 37-38)
88
Sulla crosses into the east having landed on Epirus with 30k men and no funds
Defeats Archelaus at Mt Tilphossium and occupies Boetia, all greek mainland except Piraeeus and Athens
Sulla besieges athens, has few resources
athens falls in 86
Sulla has no fleet
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 39-40)
Sulla dispatches Lucius Licinius Lucullus as commander of navy
Lucullus acquires 8 ships from Rhodians, others (Pontus has ~300 ships)
Gets laughed out of Egyptian court when requesting fleet from them
Sulla rades the treasuries of Olympian Zeus, Delphic Apollo and Epidaurian Asklepios
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 41-42)
87-86
Ariarthes son of Mithridates marches against Sulla in Macedonia, dies en route
Taxiles takes command
Archelaus evacuates Piraeeus, reunites with Pontic army in Boeotia
Battle of Chaeronea
Rome is outmatched 3-1 in infantry, worse in cavalry
Archelaus leads cavalry charge which Roman infantry are able to handle
Sulla leads his own charge and the Asiatic forces give way
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 43-44)
86-85
Flaccus lands two legions in Epirus, leads them to Thessaly, the troops meet but do not engage in battle
Flaccus goes to Thrace
Sulla winters in Athens
Battle of Orchomenus, the Pontic cavalry forces the Roman infantry to stutter and Sulla raises the standard and rallies his troops to defeat the horse
Sulla winters in Thessaly in 85-84
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(p 45-46)
Turkish cities revolt against Mithridates after Mithridates becomes as a despot to them -- Smyrna and Colophon and Ephesus
Mithridates orders deaths of all Celtic chieftains (and wives and children) in Galatia
Mommsen
by Theodor Mommsen
(pp 47-)
86-84
Flaccus marches from Thrace to Byzantium to Cacledon and Fimbria, demagogue, coups Flaccus and defeats Mithridates fils at Miletopolis on the Rhyndacus near Brussa
Lucullus arrives with his fleet, refuses to aid Flaccus
Lucullus wins victory in Troas at Lectum, Tenedos
Mithridates tries to negotiate with both Sulla and Fimbria
Sulla demands surrender and restoration of status quo ante bellum
Mithridates claims he should keep his fleet and paphlagonia
Sulla croses the Hellespont and wars against Fimbria at Thyatira near Pergamum
Most of Fimbria's soldiers desert to Sulla's camp