(1) Sexcentēsimō octōgēsimō prīmō annō urbis conditae, P. Cornēliō Lentulō et Cn. Aufidiō Oreste cōnsulibus, duo tantum gravia bella in imperiō Rōmānō erant, Mithradāticum et Macedonicum. Haec duo Lūcullī agēbant, L. Lūcullus et M. Lūcullus.
(2) L. ergō Lūcullus post pūgnam Cȳzicēnam, quā vīcerat Mithridātem, et nāvālem, quā ducēs eius oppresserat, persecūtus est eum et, receptā Paphlagoniā atque Bīthȳniā, etiam regnum eius invāsit, Sinōpēn et Amīson cīvitātēs Pontī nōbilissimās cēpit.
(3) Secundō proeliō apud Caberam cīvitātem, quō ingentēs cōpiās ex omnī rēgnō addūxerat Mithridātēs, cum XXX mīlia lēctissima rēgis ā quīnque mīlibus Rōmānōrum vāstāta essent, Mithridātēs fugātus est, castra eius dīrepta. Armenia quoque Minor, quam tenuerat, eīdem sublāta est.
(4) Susceptus tamen est Mithridātēs post fugam ā Tigrāne Armeniae rēge, quī tum ingentī glōriā imperābat, Persās saepe vīcerat, Mesopotamiam occupāverat et Syriam et Phoenīcēs partem.
notes
Lucullus' victories against Mithridates (72–70 BCE)
Appian, Mithridatic Wars 11.78–12.83. Plutarch, Lucullus 15–17.
(1) P. Cornēliō Lentulō et Cn. Aufidiō Oreste cōnsulibus: Ablative absolute with form of esse understood (AG 419.a). P. Cornelius Lentulus and Cn. Aufidius Orestes were consuls in 71 BCE.
duo Lūcullī: duo is nominative masculine, agreeing with Lūcullī (Hazzard). Lucius Lucullus' role in the Mithridatic war is discussed in the next two chapters. For Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus' role in the Macedonian war, see Brev. 6.10–11.
(2) post pūgnam Cȳzicēnam: Eutropius discusses the siege of Cyzicus in Brev. 6.6.
quā vīcerat Mithridātem: Mithridates VI rebuilt his forces in Pontus but Lucullus defeated him at Cabera in 72 BCE and by 70 BCE had overrun Pontus entirely, forcing the king to take refuge with his son-in-law, Tigranes of Armenia.
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Tigranes refused to surrender Mithridates and consequently Lucullus invaded Armenia where he beat the two kings in battle and threatened Artaxata. His tired and discontented troops, however, refused to continue and he was compelled to move south to capture and winter in Nisibis. Meanwhile in Pontus Mithridates had regrouped an in 67 BCE defeated C. Triarius, Lucullus' lieutenant, at Zela. Lucullus hurried back to Pontus but his army disintegrated and the governors of Cilicia and Bithynia refused to assist him. The two kings regained possession of their kingdoms and finally Lucullus was compelled to hand over the command of Pompey in 66 BCE. That year the latter marched from Cilicia and defeated Mithridates, who had lost the support of Tigranes, and of his sons Pharnaces and Machares, at Dasteira (later called Nicopolis). In 63 BCE Pharnaces besieged Mithridates at Panticapaeum where the king ordered one of his guards to kill him. Pompey, in the meantime, had already received the submission of Tigranes, who was allowed to retain Armenia but had to give up his other possessions (Bird).
nāvālem: supply pugnam
receptā Paphlagoniā atque Bīthȳniā: ablative absolute with a perfect passive participle (AG 419). For more information, see Paphlagonia and Bithynia
Sinōpēn et Amīson: see Sinope and Amisos
(3) cum XXX mīlia lēctissima rēgis: supply hominibus. cum is circumstantial (AG 546)
castra eius dīrepta: supply est
Armenia quoque Minor: see Armenia Minor
(4) ā Tigrāne: see Tigranes
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
| P. |
abbreviation of the praenomen or nomen Publius |
| Cornēlius, ī, m. |
the name of a large and important gens at Rome. See Asina, Cinna, Dolābella, Faustus, Fuscus, Galbus, Lentulus, Rūfinus, Scīpiō, Sulla. |
| Lentulus, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman family. (1) (L.) Cornēlius Lentulus, consul 275 B.C.; (2) L. Cornēlius Lentulus, consul 237 B.C.; (3) P. Cornēlius Lentulus, consul 71 B.C. |
| Cn. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Gnaeus |
| Aufidius, ī, m. | the name of a Roman gens |
| Orestēs, is, m. |
Cn. Aufidius Orestes, consul 73 B.C. |
| Mithradāticus, a, um, adj. | pertaining to Mithradātēs |
| Macedonicus, a, um, adj. |
Macedonian; a surname of Q. Caecilius Metellus, who conquered Macedonia; also of L. Aemilius Paulus |
| Lūcullus, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman family. (1) L. Licinius Lūcullus, consul 74 B.C.; (2) M. Licinius Lūcullus, brother of (1) |
| L. |
abbreviation of the praenomen Lucius |
| M. |
M., abbreviation of the praenomen Marcus; M'., abbreviation of the praenomen Manius |
| Cȳzicēnus, a, um, adj. | pertaining to Cȳzicus |
| Mithradātēs, is, m. |
surnamed the Great, king of Pontus 120–63 B.C. |
| nāvālis, e [nāvis], adj. | naval |
| opprimō, ere, pressī, pressus |
to crush utterly, overpower, overwhelm |
| persequor, ī, secūtus sum | to pursue, prosecute; relate |
| Paphlagonia, ae, f. |
a division of Asia Minor on the Black Sea |
| Bīthȳnia, ae, f. |
a country in Asia Minor, on the Propontis and Black Sea |
| invādō, ere, vāsī, vāsus |
to enter; attack; seize, take possession of |
| Sinōpē, ēs, f. |
a city in Paphlagonia, on the Black Sea |
| Amīsus, ī, Gr. acc. Amīson, f. |
a coast city of Pontus, the residence of Mithradates the Great |
| Pontus, ī, m. |
(1) Pontus Euxīnus, the Black Sea; (2) a country of Asia Minor on the Black Sea |
| Cabīra, ōrum, pl. n. |
a city in Pontus, on the border of Armenia |
| vāstō, āre, āvī, ātus | to lay waste, devastate, destroy |
| castrum, ī, n. |
a fortified place, town; pl. castra, ōrum, pl. n., a camp; a campaign |
| dīripiō, ere, uī, reptus | to tear asunder, ravage, plunder |
| Armenia, ae, f. |
a country of Asia southeast of the Black Sea |
| Tigrānēs, is, m. |
king of Armenia, son-in-law of Mithradates, 96–56 B.C. |
| Persae, ārum, pl. m. | the Persians |
| Mesopotamia, ae, f. |
Mesopotamia, a division of Asia between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers |
| Syria, ae, f. |
Syria, a country of Asia, on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea |
| Phoenīcē, ēs, f. | Phoenicia, a country of Syria |