(1) Ergō Lūcullus repetēns hostem fugātum etiam rēgnum Tigrānis, quī Armenīīs imperābat, ingressus est. Tigrānocertam, cīvitātem Arzanēnae, nōbilissimam rēgnī Armeniacī, cēpit, ipsum rēgem cum septem mīlibus quīngentīs clībanāriīs et centum mīlibus sagittāriōrum et armātōrum venientem decem et octō mīlia mīlitum habēns ita vīcit, ut māgnam partem Armeniōrum dēlēverit. Inde Nisibīn profectus eam quoque cīvitātem cum rēgis frātre cēpit.
(2) Sed hī, quōs in Pontō Lūcullus relīquerat cum exercitūs parte, ut regīōnēs victās et iam Rōmānōrum tuērentur, neglegenter sē et avārē agentēs occāsiōnem iterum Mithridātī in Pontum inrumpendī dedērunt atque ita bellum renovātum est. Lūcullō parantī captā Nisibī contrā Persās expeditiōnem successor est missus.
notes
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
vocabulary
Core Vocabulary | Numbers | Dates
|
Lūcullus, ī, m. |
the name of a Roman family. (1) L. Licinius Lūcullus, consul 74 B.C.; (2) M. Licinius Lūcullus, brother of (1) |
|
Tigrānēs, is, m. |
king of Armenia, son-in-law of Mithradates, 96–56 B.C. |
|
Armeniī, ōrum, pl. m. |
the inhabitants of Armenia |
|
Tigrānocerta, ae, f. |
the capital city of Armenia Maior |
|
Arzanēna, ae, f. |
a district of Armenia Maior, bounded on the south by the Tigris |
|
Armeniacus, a, um, adj. |
pertaining to or belonging to Armenia |
|
clībanārius, ī, m. |
armored cavalry |
|
sagittārius, ī [sagitta], m. |
an archer, bowman |
|
armātus, i, m. |
an armed man, a soldier |
|
dēleō, ēre, ēvī, ētus |
to destroy, overthrow |
|
Nisibis, is, f. |
a city in Mesopotamia |
|
Pontus, ī, m. |
(1) Pontus Euxīnus, the Black Sea; (2) a country of Asia Minor on the Black Sea |
|
tueor, ērī, tūtus or tuitus sum |
to look at, watch; defend, protect |
|
negligenter [neglegēns, heedless], adv. |
heedlessly, carelessly, negligently |
|
avārē [avārus, greedy], adv. |
greedily |
|
occāsiō, ōnis [occidō, to happen], f. |
an occasion, opportunity |
|
Mithradātēs, is, m. |
surnamed the Great, king of Pontus 120–63 B.C. |
|
inrumpō, ere, rūpī, ruptus |
to break in, fall upon, invade |
|
renovō, āre, āvī, ātus [re + novus] |
to renew |
|
Persae, ārum, pl. m. |
the Persians |
|
expedītiō, ōnis [expediō, to set fire], f. |
an expedition, campaign |
|
successor, ōris [succēdō], m. |
a follower, successor |