6.12

Pompey's victories over the pirates (67 BCE) and Mithridates (66 BCE)

Livy, Epitome 99. Appian, Mithridatic Wars 14.94–96. Plutarch, Pompey 24–28.

(1) ita, ut: "in such a way...that..."; result clause (AG 537)

Rōmānīs tōtō orbe victōribus: "for the Romans, victorious over the whole world," dative after tuta.

Cn. Pompēiō: by the Gabinian law of 67 Pompey was invested with absolute authority, both by sea and by land, as far as fifty miles into the interior, over the whole eastern Mediterranean for three years (Hazzard). Within forty days he has cleared the western Mediterranean and fifty days later he had destroyed the pirates of the eastern basin. (Bird)

ingentī et fēlīcitāte et celeritāte cōnfēcit: In the space of forty days [Pompey] had swept the whole western tract of the Mediterranean Sea, and had driven the enemy into the opposite quarter. He drove the pirates from the sea, and compelled them to take refuge in their strongholds in the Cilician coast. These he speedily surrounded and captured. He burnt over 1300 of their vessels, and destroyed all their hostile magazines and arsenals. In ninety days he had terminated the contest (Hazzard). The epitomator Florus praises Pompey's success, stating that:

(2) eī dēlātum: eī refers to Pompey

contrā regem Mithridātēn: In 66 BCE, Pompey was given command against Mithridates by the Lex Manilia and his large, well-trained army quickly destroyed Mithridates' dwindling forces at Dasteira, which concluded the war (Bird).

et Tigrānēn: see Tigranes

Quō susceptō: supply bellō, ablative absolute using a perfect passive participle and a connecting relative (AG 419)

in Armeniā Minōre: see Armenia Minor.

nocturnō proeliō: Mithridates at first attempted to procure peace, but Pompey would hear of nothing but unconditional surrender. He started to retire slowly but was pursued by Pompey, and was overtaken in a narrow pass on the Lycus, where the city of Nicopolis was afterward built. Mithridates escaped with a few horsemen and fled to Tigranes, who refused to receive him (Hazzard).

quadrāgintā mīlia: supply hominum.

(3) cum uxōre: see Hypsicratea

Pharnacis: Pompey had been active in fostering intrigues in the family of Mithridates. He had caused Pharnaces to revolt and to ally himself with the Romans, and had proclaimed him king at Panticapaeum (Hazzard).

venēnum hausit: Pharnaces was about to hand Mithridates over to the Romans. The story is that he was so inured to poisons that he was compelled to end his life with the sword (Hazzard). Mithridatism, the practice of taking small doses of poisons as a means of developing immunity, is derived from Mithridates' name. Legend says he also created a universal antidote, called mithridate.

apud Bosphorum: a synonym for Panticapaeum, the capital of the Bosporan Kingdom, where Mithridates died in 63 BCE