Third Mithridatic War facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Third Mithridatic War |
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| Part of the Mithridatic Wars | |||||||||
 Coin of King Mithridates VI of Pontus |
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Roman Republic Bithynia Galatia Cyzicus |
Kingdom of Pontus Kingdom of Armenia Kingdom of Iberia Caucasian Albania Sarmatians |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Lucullus Marcus Aurelius Cotta Pompey |
Mithridates VI of Pontus Tigranes II of Armenia Oroeses of Albania Artoces of Iberia Marcus Marius/Varius |
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The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC) was the last and longest of three big wars between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the powerful Roman Republic. Many allies joined both sides. This pulled a huge area, from the Mediterranean to parts of Asia, into the fighting. The war ended with Mithridates' defeat. It also meant the end of the Pontic Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire. The Kingdom of Armenia became a Roman ally, meaning it was protected by Rome.
Contents
Why the War Started
Around 120 BC, King Mithridates V of Pontus died. His wife, Laodice, took control while their sons, Mithridates VI and Mithridates Chrestus, were too young. Mithridates VI later returned from hiding. He took the throne from his mother and brother, becoming the sole ruler of Pontus.
Mithridates VI wanted to make Pontus the strongest power in Asia Minor and the Black Sea region. He first took over Colchis, a land east of the Black Sea. He also gained control of the Crimea and the Bosporan Kingdom. People there wanted his help against the Scythians, their old enemies. Mithridates' general, Diophantus, defeated the Scythians. This made Mithridates their ruler.
Next, the young king looked at Asia Minor, where Rome was growing stronger. He first worked with King Nicomedes III of Bithynia to divide some lands. But Mithridates soon realized Nicomedes was becoming friends with Rome against him. When Mithridates fought Nicomedes over Cappadocia and won, Nicomedes asked Rome for help. Rome stepped in twice (95–92 BC). This showed Mithridates that he would have to fight Rome if he wanted his kingdom to grow. He decided to push the Romans out of Asia.
The next king of Bithynia, Nicomedes IV of Bithynia, was controlled by the Romans. Mithridates tried to remove him, but failed. Nicomedes IV, pushed by his Roman advisors, declared war on Pontus. Rome was busy with its own civil war, called the Social War. So, there were few Roman soldiers in Asia. The Romans gathered many local soldiers and joined Nicomedes' army. They invaded Mithridates' kingdom in 89 BC. Mithridates won a big victory, scattering the Roman-led forces. His army was welcomed across Asia Minor.
In 88 BC, Mithridates ordered a terrible massacre. He had Roman and Italian settlers killed in many cities. About 80,000 people died in this event, known as the Asiatic Vespers.
Rome responded by sending a large army, including their own legions. The First Mithridatic War (88–84 BC) began. Lucius Cornelius Sulla pushed Mithridates out of Greece. Sulla won several battles. But he had to make a quick peace treaty with Mithridates. This was because Sulla had political problems back in Rome.
After Sulla returned to Italy, Lucius Licinius Murena was left in charge. The peace treaty was not very strict. It allowed Mithridates VI to rebuild his army. Murena attacked Mithridates in 83 BC. This started the Second Mithridatic War (83–81 BC). Mithridates defeated Murena's new legions at the Battle of Halys in 82 BC. Peace was declared again by treaty.
Getting Ready for War
The time between the Second and Third Mithridatic Wars (81–75 BC) was important. During this time, Mithridates VI made an alliance with Sertorius, a Roman rebel. This alliance was a big threat to Roman power. The main reason for the Third War was that King Nicomedes IV of Bithynia left his kingdom to Rome when he died in 74 BC. Mithridates, who had been rebuilding his forces, then invaded Bithynia.
Armies and First Fights (74–73 BC)
Mithridates attacked at the same time as a rebellion by Sertorius in Spain. So, Mithridates faced little resistance at first. The Roman Senate sent two top generals, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Marcus Aurelius Cotta. They were sent to deal with Mithridates. The famous general Pompey was busy in Spain fighting Sertorius. Lucullus was sent to govern Cilicia, and Cotta went to Bithynia.
Lucullus had about 30,000 foot soldiers and 1,600 to 2,500 cavalry. Mithridates was said to have as many as 300,000 men. The Roman plan was for Cotta to block Mithridates' fleet. Lucullus would attack by land. Cotta placed his fleet at Chalcedon. Lucullus marched through Phrygia to invade Pontus.
But Lucullus had not gone far when he heard bad news. Mithridates had quickly marched west. He attacked and defeated Cotta at the Battle of Chalcedon. Cotta was forced to hide behind the walls of Chalcedon. Sixty-four Roman ships were captured or burned. Cotta lost 3,000 men. Cotta had to wait there for Lucullus to rescue him.
Mithridates' Defeat in Western Asia (73–72 BC)
Cotta watched from Nicomedia as Mithridates captured many major cities. These included Nicaea, Lampsacus, Nicomedia, and Apameia. Only nearby Cyzicus stayed loyal to Rome. Many of its citizens had died fighting Mithridates at Chalcedon. The Pontic army then marched on Cyzicus and began a siege.
Lucullus was camped near the Sangarius river when he heard about Cotta's defeat. His soldiers wanted him to leave Cotta and attack Pontus, which was undefended. But Lucullus ignored them and headed towards Chalcedon. Marcus Marius, a Roman rebel working with Mithridates, tried to stop him. They met near Nicaea. Lucullus had a large army, but he was careful. A strange event happened: the sky seemed to open, and a flame-like object fell between the armies. Both sides were surprised and did not fight. Marius had little food for his troops, so he had to move on without a battle.
The Siege of Cyzicus
While Mithridates was besieging Cyzicus, Lucullus arrived with his army. The Romans, with some help, managed to trap Mithridates' army on the Cyzicus peninsula. During the siege, Mithridates sent his cavalry, sick, and wounded away. But they were ambushed and defeated at the Rhyndacus river. Lucullus attacked them during a snowstorm. Many of Mithridates' men and horses were captured.
This disaster, along with hunger and sickness in his army, forced Mithridates to leave. He sailed north, while his army marched overland. Lucullus chased the army and defeated them again. This happened where the Aesepus and Granicus Rivers meet. Many of Mithridates' soldiers were killed. Out of 300,000 men who started for Bithynia, only 20,000 were left. The siege of Cyzicus and the retreat were a huge disaster for Mithridates.
Marcus Marius, who survived the Cyzicus campaign, went to sea. He commanded 50 ships and 10,000 chosen men with Mithridates' admirals. They planned to sail into the Aegean. But Lucullus attacked them. He captured 13 ships. The main Pontic force pulled their ships ashore on a small island. Lucullus sent his foot soldiers across the island to attack them from behind. Many were killed, and the rest were forced back to sea. Lucullus sank or captured 32 of Mithridates' royal ships. Marius escaped but was later found hiding in a cave. Lucullus wanted him captured alive.
Cotta and Lucullus then prepared to invade Pontus. Mithridates took control of the important city of Heraclea Pontica. He put 4,000 soldiers there. Lucullus and Cotta decided Cotta would march on Heraclea. Lucullus would move through the Galatian highlands and invade Pontus from there.
Lucullus Takes Over Pontus (71–69 BC)
In 72 BC, while Cotta attacked Heraclea, Lucullus marched his army through Galatia into Pontus. The Galatians were happy to help the Romans. They disliked Mithridates and wanted the Romans to pass through without plundering. Once in Pontus, Lucullus let his troops take riches from the land. Mithridates could not stop them, as he had to rebuild his army. He gathered 40,000 men near Cabira and waited for Lucullus.
Themiscyra
When Lucullus entered Pontus, he besieged Themiscyra. This city was the legendary home of the Amazons. Lucullus's soldiers built siege towers and dug large tunnels under the city walls. Battles even happened inside these tunnels. People say the Themiscyrans used bears, other animals, and even swarms of bees in the tunnels to fight off Lucullus's men.
Cabira
After careful moves, Lucullus took an old fortress overlooking Cabira. This was a strong place, but it cut off the Romans from their recent gains. Their supplies now had to come from Cappadocia, a Roman ally. Since Mithridates controlled the countryside, Lucullus had to send out heavily armed groups for supplies. One group of 3,000 to 5,000 men was attacked by Pontic cavalry. The Roman soldiers stood firm and caused heavy losses to the cavalry.
Another supply group, also heavily armed, was attacked by Mithridates. This time, 4,000 cavalry and foot soldiers attacked. But the Romans realized the narrow valley limited the enemy's cavalry. They fought back and destroyed half of the attacking force.
With the Romans resupplied and his attack force weakened, Mithridates decided to retreat. But panic broke out among his troops. Lucullus saw this, gathered his army, and attacked Mithridates' camp. The Pontic army then broke apart.
After the Battle of Cabira, Mithridates fled Pontus. He went to Armenia to ask his son-in-law, King Tigranes, for help. Cotta, who joined Lucullus in 73 BC, was given the job of taking Heraclea Pontica. Mithridates had strengthened Heraclea with 4,000 troops. Cotta besieged Heraclea for two years, finally capturing it in 71 BC. Lucullus then took control of Pontus. He returned to the siege of Amisus.
Amisus
With Mithridates gone, Lucullus worked to secure Pontus. Amisus, an important Greek city, was still holding out. Mithridates had sent a Greek expert, Callimachus, to help defend it. Callimachus created many clever defense machines. Lucullus took over the siege. He attacked at just the right time, when the defenders were resting. He took Amisus, but his soldiers ransacked the city. Lucullus loved Greek culture and felt sad that the city was ruined.
Sinope
After Amisus, Lucullus besieged Sinope, Pontus' main port city. It also resisted strongly. The defenders fought well on both land and water. Lucullus kept up the pressure, and the defenders finally gave up. They burned their larger ships and escaped on smaller ones. Lucullus gave the city its freedom. This was because the main resistance came from Cilician troops Mithridates had placed there, not the people of Sinope.
Cotta returned to Rome in 70 BC. He was praised for his victory at Heraclea. However, around 67 BC, he was accused of taking war treasures for himself. He was found guilty and removed from the Roman Senate.
The First Roman-Armenian War (69–67 BC)
After the Battle of Cabira, Mithridates fled to his son-in-law, Tigranes II, the king of the Armenian Empire. Lucullus was busy securing Pontus. He sent his brother-in-law, Appius Claudius Pulcher, to Tigranes. He demanded that Tigranes hand over Mithridates. Tigranes refused, as giving up his father-in-law would make him look weak to Rome. He prepared for war.
In the spring of 69 BC, Lucullus marched his army from Cappadocia into Greater Armenia. This started the Roman-Armenian War. Tigranes sent a noble, Mithrobarzanes, with 2,000 to 3,000 cavalry. They attacked the Romans while they were setting up camp. But a Roman guard force of 3,500 men met them. Mithrobarzanes' horsemen were defeated, and he died.
Battle of Tigranocerta
Lucullus began to besiege Tigranocerta, the new Armenian capital. Tigranes returned from putting down a rebellion in Syria. He wanted to fight the Romans. Lucullus' army completely defeated the Armenian army. This was the famous Battle of Tigranocerta. The Romans won even though they were outnumbered more than two to one.
Tigranes then went to the northern parts of his kingdom. He gathered another army to defend his old capital, Artaxata. Meanwhile, Lucullus moved south-east to the kingdom of the Kurds. During the winter of 69–68 BC, both sides talked with the Parthian king.
Battle of Artaxata
In the summer of 68 BC, Lucullus marched against Tigranes. He crossed the Anti-Taurus mountains towards Artaxata. Again, Tigranes was provoked to attack. In a major battle at the Aratsani River, Lucullus defeated the Armenian army. But winter came early in Armenia. Lucullus's troops refused to go further. He had to pull back south into Arzenene. From there, he went through Korduene into old Assyria (Northern Mesopotamia). In late autumn and early winter, he besieged Nisibis. This was a main Armenian fortress and treasury in Northern Mesopotamia.
Nisibis
The Armenian soldiers at Nisibis were led by Tigranes' brother, Gouras, and the Greek defense expert Callimachus. Lucullus first besieged the city without success. It was very strong, with two brick walls and a moat. But in the winter of 68/67 BC, during a bad storm, the defenders were not as careful. Lucullus launched a surprise attack and captured the city and its treasures. But it did not change the war. Mithridates and Tigranes stuck to their plan. Tigranes was taking back southern Armenia, and Mithridates invaded Pontus.
Mithridates Returns to Pontus
In the spring of 67 BC, while Lucullus was besieging Nisibis, Mithridates suddenly returned to Pontus. The Romans did not expect him there. He surprised several small Roman groups. The Roman general Gaius Valerius Triarius took command of all Roman forces in Pontus. After some small fights, a major battle happened near Zela (the Battle of Zela). The Romans were defeated, losing 7,000 men. As a result, Mithridates was back in control of Pontus.
During the winter of 68–67 BC, at Nisibis, Lucullus's control over his army weakened. His young brother-in-law, Publius Clodius Pulcher, worked against him. He was likely helping Pompey the Great, who wanted to take over the command in the east. Lucullus convinced his army to march back to Asia Minor to protect Roman interests. But they refused to fight Mithridates. They were tired of fighting for little reward. They threw their money at Lucullus's feet. They said he was the only one making money from the war and told him to continue it alone. Since his army refused to fight Mithridates, Lucullus went to Galatia. This allowed Mithridates to regain power and rebuild his army in Pontus. In 66 BC, the Senate sent Pompey to take over from Lucullus. This break allowed Mithridates and Tigranes to take back parts of their kingdoms.
Pompey Takes Command
In early 66 BC, a Roman leader named Gaius Manilius suggested that Pompey should take full command of the war. He would lead the war against Mithridates and Tigranes. He would take control from the governors in Asia Minor. He could also choose his own generals and make peace treaties. This law, called the Lex Manilia, was approved. Pompey officially took command of the war in the east.
When Pompey arrived, Mithridates retreated into his kingdom. He tried to make the Roman supply lines too long and cut them off. But this plan did not work, as Pompey was very good at managing supplies. Finally, Pompey trapped and defeated the king at the Lycus river (see: battle of Lycus). Tigranes II of Armenia, Mithridates' son-in-law, refused to let him into his kingdom. So, Mithridates fled to Colchis. From there, he went to his own lands in the Cimmerian Bosporus.
Pompey marched against Tigranes. Tigranes' kingdom was now very weak. Tigranes asked for peace and met with Pompey. The Armenian Kingdom became an allied state of Rome. From Armenia, Pompey marched north. He fought against the Caucasian tribes and kingdoms that still supported Mithridates.
In 65 BC, Pompey chased Mithridates. He faced resistance from the Albanians and the Iberians. He defeated the Iberians at the battle of the Pelorus. After defeating them, he went into Colchis as far as Phasis. There, he met Servilius, the admiral of his fleet. From Phasis, Pompey marched east again. He heard the Iberians were gathering their army again. He caught them at the Abas river and decisively defeated them (see: battle of Abas).
Complete Roman Victory
After his defeat by Pompey in 65 BC, Mithridates VI fled with a small army to Crimea. He tried to raise another army to fight the Romans, but he failed. In 63 BC, he went to his fortress in Panticapaeum. His oldest son, Machares, was now king of the Cimmerian Bosporus. Machares' kingdom was now under Roman control, and he did not want to help his father. Mithridates had Machares killed and took the throne of the Bosporan Kingdom. He still wanted to take Pontus back from the Romans.
But his younger son, Pharnaces II, led a rebellion against his father. The people were tired of war and supported Pharnaces. This betrayal hurt Mithridates more than any defeat. Seeing that he had lost his power, he tried to take poison. But it did not work. He had taken tiny doses of poisons throughout his life to protect himself from assassination. This made him immune to many poisons. According to an old Roman history, he then ordered his Gallic bodyguard and friend, Bituitus, to kill him with a sword. Mithridates' body was buried in either Sinope or Amaseia, as ordered by Pompey.
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