Second Mithridatic War

Second Mithridatic War
	Part of the Asia Minor
Result	Pontic victory
Territorial; changes	None,; Mithridates left in possession of Pontus

Belligerents Roman Republic Kingdom of PontusCommanders and leaders

Lucius Licinius Murena

Mithridates VI of Pontus
Gordius of Cappadocia

The Second Mithridatic War (83–81 BC) was one of three

Lucius Licinius Murena

.

History

At the conclusion of the

Cappadocia

, which was an ally of Rome.

Appian wrote that Murena marched across

Colchians and the tribes around the Cimmerian Bosphorus (the Kerch Strait). It was the scale of these preparations and the fact that Mithridates had not restored the whole of Cappadocia to their king, Ariobarzanes I, who was a Roman ally, which led to this impression. Mithridates sent envoys to invoke the peace treaty. Murena replied that he did not see any treaties because Sulla had not written it down before he returned to Greece. He then began looting and then returned to Cappadocia to winter there. Mithridates sent envoys to Rome to complain. In 82 BC Murena seized 400 villages which belonged to Mithridates, who did not try to counter this, preferring to wait for the return of the ambassadors. Murena returned to Phrygia and Galatia loaded with plunder. He was reached by a messenger of the senate who told him that the senate ordered him to leave Mithridates alone as he had not broken the treaty. However, he did not bring a decree and he was seen talking to Murena alone.^[1]

Murena invaded Mithridates’ territory. The latter thought that this was done under the orders of Rome and sent Gordius, his commander, to retaliate on Roman villages. Gordius seized a large number of animals and property and advanced against Murena. When Mithridates arrived there, a tough battle was fought and Murena was defeated. Murena fled to Phrygia, harassed by the enemy. This led many states in Asia Minor which had sided with Rome to switch allegiance. Mithridates drove all the Roman garrisons out of Cappadocia. Sulla disapproved of a war against Mithridates because he had not broken the treaty. Aulus Gabinius was sent to tell Murena that the order not to fight Mithridates was to be taken seriously. Gabinius then arranged a conference with Mithridates and Ariobarzanes I to reconcile them. Mithridates betrothed his four-year-old daughter to Ariobarzanes and stipulated that Ariobarzanes was to retain the part of Cappadocia he held at the time and also have another part.^[2] Murena was recalled to Rome.^[3]

Mennon wrote that when Mithridates sent his envoys to Murena, he ignored them because they were mostly Greek philosophers who disparaged Mithridates. He installed Ariobarzanes as king of Cappadocia and founded the city of Licinia near the border with Pontus. Meanwhile, Murena and Mithridates both sent envoys to the Heracleians to bid for their alliance. These replied that they could hardly protect themselves and could not help others. Some of Murena's advisers said that he should attack Sinope and then march on the capital of Pontus. If he seized it, other towns could be won over. Mithridates protected Sinope with a large force and prepared for war. At first he had the advantage, but then the battle was even. This blunted the two sides' appetite for war. Mithridates went further east and Murena returned to Asia.^[4]

This war was followed by the Third Mithridatic War.

References

^ Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 64–65
^ Appian, The Mithridatic Wars, 65–66
^ Cicero, On Pompey's Command, 8
^ Memnon, History of Heracleia, 26

Ancient sources

Appian: The Roman History: (The Foreign Wars and The Civil Wars), Independently published, 2017;
ISBN 978-1520368993

Karl Müller (ed.) Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, 1841–1870 (FHG)
Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker
, 1923–1959, unfinished (FGrH)
Granius Licinianus fragmenta

post-Hadrian annalist survives in retrieved fragments, from books XXVI, XXVIII, XXXIII, XXXV and XXXVI of his history, in 5th century uncials of African origin at the bottom of a ter scriptus manuscript palimpsest: see L. D. Reynolds (ed.) Texts and Transmission: A Survey of the Latin Classics (Oxford, 1983).
– ed. Michael Flemisch Grani Liciniani quae supersunt (G.B. Teubner, Stuttgart, 1904; reprint 1967)
– ed. N. Crinti (Leipzig, 1981)

Memnon of Herakleia Pontike epitome

9th century epitome in the ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ of Photius of Byzantium (codex 224)
– René Henry (ed.), Photius Bibliothèque Tome IV: Codices 223–229 (Association Guillaume Budé, Paris, 1965), pp. 48–99: Greek text with French translation

– K. Müller (ed.) FHG III, 525: Greek text with Latin translation
– F. Jacoby (ed.) FGrH no.434: Greek text, detailed commentary in German

Phlegon of Tralles fragmenta

– K. Müller (ed) FHG III, 602ff.
– F. Jacoby (ed.) FGrH no.257
– English translations and commentary by William Hansen, Phlegon of Tralles' Book of Marvels, University of Exeter Press, 1996

Modern works

Abbreviations

RE = Real-Encyclopädie der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, eds. Pauly, Wissowa, Kroll

Major studies

Gelzer, M., "L. Licinius Lucullus cos.74", RE vol.XIII (1926), s. v. Licinius no.104, colls.376–414.
Van Ooteghem, J., Lucius Licinius Lucullus, Brussels, 1959
Keaveney, A., Lucullus. A Life., London/New York, Routledge, 1992;
ISBN 0-415-03219-9
.

Shorter articles and summaries

Scardigli, B., "Sertorio: Problemi cronologici", Athenaeum 49 (1971), 229–270
Glew, Dennis G., "Between the Wars: Mithridates Eupator and Rome, 85–73 B.C.", Chiron 11 (1981), 109-130

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