6.9

Battle of Tigranocerta, 69 BCE

Livy, Epitome 97–101. Appian, Mithridatic Wars 12.79–16.110. Plutarch, Lucullus 17, 19, 30, 32–35.

(1) Lūcullus: Lucius Lucullus

hostem fugātum: "the enemy who had fled." Often it is best to translate a participle by a clause (Hazzard).

rēgnum Tigrānis: Armenia, Tigranes' kingdom

Tigrānocertam: Tigranocerta, the capital of Armenia (Hazzard)

Arzanēnae: a district of Armenia Maior, bounded on the south by the Tigris, see Arzanene.

nōbilissimam rēgnī Armeniacī: "the most celebrated (city) of the Armenian kingdom."

clībanāriīs: "armored cavalry" (LS clibanarius), which was first encountered by the Romans in 190 BC, in the war against Antiochus III (Livy 37.40.5). At Carrhae, the army of Crassus was defeated, in 53 BC, by the Parthian cavalry whose men and horses were armored (Plutarch, Crassus 24). This is the only place in Eutropius where this word is found. It is post-classical, and is used by only two writers besides Eutropius (Hazzard). 

ita vīcit, ut: "so completely conquered...that..."; result clause (AG 537)

Nisibīn: Lucullus was directing his march to Artaxata, but the mutiny of his soldiers caused him to turn aside to Nisibis, the capital of Mesopotamia, and take up his winter quarters there (Hazzard).

(2) hī: Lucullus' lieutenants, Fannius and Triarius. They had been defeated at Cabera and Zela (Hazzard).

in Pontō: see Pontus

ut regīōnēs victās et iam Rōmānōrum tuērentur: purpose clause (AG 531). tueor is deponent (AG 190).

neglegenter sē et avārē agentēs: "conducting themselves carelessly and greedily" (Hazzard); sē agere = "to carry one's self, behave" (LS ago II.D.11)

occāsiōnem iterum Mithridātī in Pontum inrumpendī dedērunt:  order: dedērunt occāsiōnem Mithradātī inrumpendī in Pontum. inrumpendī is a genitive gerund, with occāsiōnem.

bellum renovātum est: The Romans were now exactly where they were at the breaking out of the war, Pontus and Cappadocia were overrun by Mithridates, and the results of eight years' warfare were lost (Hazzard).

Lūcullō parantī captā Nisibī contrā Persās expeditiōnem successor est missus:  order: successor missus est Lūcullō parantī expeditiōnem contrā Persās captā Nisibī.

Persās: = Parthōs