Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1870) - Volume 2.djvu/848

Rh 834 LUCULLUS. submission of the province of Lesser Armenia, which had been subject to Mithridates, as well as the tribes of the Chaldaeans and Tibarenians ; after which he returned to complete the subjuga- tion of Pontus, Here the cities of Amisus and Eupatoria still held out, but they were both in succession reduced by the renewed efforts of Lu- ciiUus. He had been especially desirous to save from destruction tlie wealthy and important city of Amisus, but it was set on fire by Calliraachus him- self previous to evacuating the place ; and though LucuUus did his utmost to extinguish the flames, his soldiers were too intent upon plunder to second his exertions, and the greater part of the town was consumed. He, however, endeavoured to repair the damage as far as possible, by granting freedom to the city, and inviting new settlers by extensive privileges. Heracleia, which was still besieged by Cotta, did not fall apparently till the following year, e, c. 71 ; and the capture of Sinope by Lu- cuUus himself, shortly afterwards, completed the conquest of the whole kingdom of Pontus. About the same time also Machares, the son of Mithri- dates, who had been appointed by his father king of Bosporus, sent to make offers of submission to the Roman general, and even assisted him with ships and supplies in effecting the reduction of Sinope. (Pint. LticulL 19, 23, 24 ; Appian, Mithr. 82, 8;5 ; Memnon. 45, 47—54 ; Strab. xii. p. 546, 547 ; Sail. Hid. ii.fr. 28, iv.fr. 12, p. 240, ed. Gerlach.) During this interval Luciillus had devoted much of his time and attention to the settlement of the affairs of Asia, where the provincials and cities were suffering severely from the exactions and oppressions of the Roman revenue officers. To this evil he effectually put an end, by fixing one uniform and moderate rate of interest for all arrears, and by other judicious regulations checked the monstrous abuses of the public fanners of the re- venue. By these measures he earned the favour and gratitude of the cities of Asia, which they displayed in public by celebrating games in his honour, and by every demonstration of respect and attachment. So judicious and complete indeed was the settlement of the internal affairs of Asia now introduced by Lucullus, that it continued long after to be followed as the established system. But by thus interposing to check the exactions of the knights who were the farmers of the revenue, he brought upon himself the enmity of that powerful body, who were loud in their complaints against him at Rome, and by their continued clamours undoubtedly prepared the way for his ultimate re- call. (Plut. LuculL 20, 23 ; Appian. MUhr. 83 ; Cic. Acad. pr. ii. 1.) Meanwhile* Appius Claudius, who had been fused and perplexing. It seems certain that the siege of Cyzicus took place in the winter of 74 — 73, and that of Amisus in the following winter, 73 — 72 (Plut. Lucvll. 33) : hence it is probable that the flight of Mithridates into Armenia must have taken place before the end of 72 ; but as it is also certain (Dion Cass, xxxv.) that the first cam- paign of Lucullus against Tigranes did not take place till 69, the interval appears inexplicably long. Druraann, in consequence, refers the flight of Mithridates to the year 71, but it is difficult to reconcile this with the details of the campaigns as given by Appiau and Plutarch. LUCULLUS. sent by TjucuHus to Tigranes, to demand the sur- render of Mithridates, had returned with an unfa- vourable answer : intelligence had been also received that the two kings, laying aside all personal differ- ences, were assembling large forces and preparing for immediate hostilities ; and Lucullus now deter- mined to anticipate them by invading the dominions of Tigranes. It was in the spring of B. c. 69, that he set out on his march towards Armenia, with a select body of 12,000 foot and 3000 horse, leaving his lieutenant Somatius to command in Pontus (where every thing seemed now perfectly settled) during his absence. Ariobarzanes fur- nished him assistance on his march through Cap- padocia, and the passage of the Euphrates was facilitated by an accidental drought, which was hailed as a good omen both by the general and his soldiers. From thence he advanced through the district of Sophene, and crossing the Tigris also directed his march towards Tigranocerta, the capital of the Armenian king. Tigranes, who had at first refused to believe the advance of Lucullus, now sent Mithrobarzanes to meet him, but that officer was quickly routed and his detachment cut to pieces. Hereupon Tigranes himself abandoned his capital, the charge of which he confided to an officer named Mancaeus, while he himself withdrew farther into the interior, to wait the arrival of the troops, which were now assembling from all quarters. Lucullus, meanwhile, proceeded to form the siege of Tigranocerta, principally, it would seem, with a view to induce the Armenian monarch to undertake its relief, and thus bring on a general action. Nor were his calculations disappointed. Tigranes at first threw an additional body of troops into the place, and succeeded in carrying off in safety his wives and concubines, who had been shut up there ; but he was determined not to let the city itself fall into the hands of the Romans, and soon ap- peared before it with an army of 150,000 foot, 55,000 horse, and 20,000 slingers and archers. Yet Lucullus fearlessly advanced with his small force to meet this fonnidable host, and when some one reminded him that the day (the sixth of Octo- ber) was an unlucky one, he boldly answered, " Then I Avill make it a lucky one." The result fully justified this noble confidence. The heavy- armed horsemen of Tigranes, on whom the king placed his chief reliance, and who had been regarded with the greatest apprehension by the Romans, fled without striking a blow ; and the whole army of the enemy was dispersed and put to flight with the loss of only five men on the side of the Romans. Ti- granes himself had a narrow escape, and in the con- fusion of the flight, his royal diadem fell into the hands of the enemy, and afterwards served to grace the triumph of Lucullus. (Plut. LucuU. 23, 24 — 28 ; Appian, Mithr. 84, 85 ; Memnon. 46, 56, 57 ; Eutrop. vi. 9 ; Liv. Epit. xcviii.) The fall of Tigranocerta was now inevitable, and it was hastened by dissensions between the Greeks and the barbarians within the city, in consequence of which the former opened the gates to Lucullus. The city was given up to plunder, but the inhabitants Avere spared, and the Greeks, who had been forcibly transplanted thither from Cilicia and Cappadocia, were all suffered to return to their respective cities. (Plut. Lucull. 29 ; Dion Cass. xxxv. 2 ; Strab. xi. p. 532.) Lucullus now took up his winter-quarters in Gordyene, where he received the submission of several of the petty
 * The chronology of these events is very con-