446:
but from experience
Lucullus knew the difficulties of keeping an army fed. After interrogating a number of prisoners, Lucullus found out that the Mithridatic army had only about four days of supplies left. He explained to his officers that the best way to defeat a large army is to stamp on its stomach. He then ordered his men to conduct a counter-siege, they did so and even succeeded in cutting off Mithridates' supply lines while keeping their own open.
37:
424:
Cotta was drawn into a battle before the walls of
Chalcedon and lost 3,000 men. Mithridates followed up this success with a combined land and sea assault in which he captured most of Cotta's fleet. Mithridates left Cotta under siege and marched his main army westward taking city after city until he reached the Roman-allied city of Cyzicus.
445:
Unfortunately for
Mithridates, Cyzicus held out long enough for Lucullus and his army to arrive. Lucullus, unwilling to fight a pitched battle against the numerically superior Mithridatic army, set up camp on a hill overlooking the city. The Romans were astonished by the size of the Mithridatic army,
449:
Mithridates attempted to convince the
Cyzicans that the Roman army was his own reserve, but Lucullus was able to get one of his men into the city and he convinced them otherwise. The messenger had to sneak through the Mithridatic siege lines and then swim seven miles to the city (he did so with the
453:
With the onset of winter, Mithridates's forces faced starvation and plague. The plague was brought on by "corpses that were thrown out unburied". The army of
Lucullus was a constant threat, always nearby and yet never willing to engage in force. With disease and starvation running rampant the king
423:
colleague
Lucullus, who had secured the command against Mithridates as his proconsular mission. Lucullus was in Asia, training and preparing his army to invade Pontus from the south, but he put his plans on halt and marched towards Bithynia to deal with the invasion. Unfortunately for the Romans,
466:
The
Mithridatic army made its way along the coast to the port of Lampsacus. Along the way, they were attacked and destroyed at the Granicus river (the same river where Alexander the Great won his first victory over the Persians). Of the 300,000 who had set out for Bithynia only 20,000 effective
436:
with a very narrow connection to the mainland (like a spearpoint aimed inland). Mithridates had to ship part of his army onto the peninsula to effectively besiege the city. He took the harbour and then started to put up siegeworks. Pontic engineers under the direction of
Niconides of Thessaly,
397:
died and the Romans claimed he had left his kingdom to Rome in his will. Bithynia had been a buffer state between Rome and Pontus. Its removal caused
Mithridates to march his armies westwards and invade Roman territory.
253:
186:
454:
decided it was time to withdraw. Probably making use of the vile winter weather, Mithridates was able to break through
Lucullus' stranglehold and marched his army towards
768:
246:
763:
239:
179:
793:
788:
437:
Mithridates' chief engineer, began assembling a 150-foot siege tower, battering rams, catapults, and other siege weaponry, including giant crossbows.
121:
719:
172:
412:
415:, the Roman governor of Bithynia, was building up his forces when Mithridates invaded. Cotta, not ready to face Mithridates, retreated to
287:
647:
407:
277:
337:
778:
773:
292:
390:
354:
126:
382:
317:
307:
215:
640:
Greek fire, poison arrows, and scorpion bombs : biological and chemical warfare in the ancient world
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327:
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28:
71:
322:
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715:
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643:
297:
109:
302:
196:
733:
36:
783:
420:
366:
102:
757:
373:. It was in fact a siege and a counter-siege. It ended in a decisive Roman victory.
467:
troops remained. The siege of Cyzicus could be considered an unmitigated disaster.
657:
455:
433:
416:
539:
515:
499:
419:, where he had the fleet to his back, and sent urgent messages to former
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370:
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358:
62:
531:
483:
389:(89-85 BC) Mithridates rebuilt his power and armies. Then, in 74 BC,
75:
164:
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67:
235:
168:
748:
Lucullus the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror
622:
Lucullus the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror
741:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
694:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
681:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
642:(1st ed.). Woodstock: Overlook Duckworth.
626:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
609:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
596:Mithridates the Great, Rome's indomitable Enemy
583:Mithridates the Great, Rome's indomitable Enemy
570:Mithridates the Great, Rome's indomitable Enemy
557:Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy
21:
247:
180:
8:
143:Plutarch: 30,000 infantry and 2,500 cavalry
353:took place in 73 BC between the armies of
254:
240:
232:
187:
173:
165:
18:
146:300,000 probably including camp followers
139:Appian: 30,000 infantry and 1,600 cavalry
730:Military History Encyclopedia on the Web
769:Battles involving the Kingdom of Pontus
476:
7:
764:Sieges involving the Roman Republic
16:Battle of the Third Mithridatic War
105:and their ally the city of Cyzicus
14:
381:After his defeat at the hands of
357:and the Roman-allied citizens of
794:Sieges of the Hellenistic period
712:Dictionary of Battles and Sieges
35:
1:
789:History of Balıkesir Province
450:help of a flotation device).
408:Battle of Chalcedon (74 BC)
810:
714:. Greenwood. p. 279.
405:
734:Siege of Cyzicus, 73 B.C.
624:, p.58; Philip Matyszak,
432:Cyzicus was located on a
273:
206:
150:
132:
115:
95:
45:
34:
26:
638:Mayor, Adrienne (2003).
371:Lucius Licinius Lucullus
355:Mithridates VI of Pontus
127:Mithridates VI of Pontus
122:Lucius Licinius Lucullus
736:" Accessed 3 Sept 2011.
383:Lucius Cornelius Sulla
116:Commanders and leaders
710:Jaques, Tony (2006).
413:Marcus Aurelius Cotta
387:First Mithridatic War
265:Third Mithridatic War
151:Casualties and losses
29:Third Mithridatic War
471:Notes and references
746:Lee Fratantuono,
739:Philip Matyszak,
721:978-0-313-33536-5
692:Philip Matyszak,
679:Philip Matyszak,
620:Lee Fratantuono,
607:Philip Matyszak,
594:Philip Matyszak,
581:Philip Matyszak,
568:Philip Matyszak,
555:Philip Matyszak,
346:
345:
229:
228:
163:
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110:Kingdom of Pontus
91:
90:
22:Battle of Cyzicus
801:
779:70s BC conflicts
774:Mithridatic Wars
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544:Life of Lucullus
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520:Life of Lucullus
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504:Life of Lucullus
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491:
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367:Roman Republican
351:siege of Cyzicus
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201:
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198:Mithridatic Wars
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41:Ruins of Cyzicus
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441:Counter-siege
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87:Roman victory
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743:, pp 106ā113
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728:Rickard, J.
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704:Bibliography
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536:Mithridatica
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488:Mithridatica
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393:the king of
391:Nicomedes IV
380:
350:
348:
308:Tigranocerta
282:
138:
96:Belligerents
66:(modern-day
750:, pp 55ā62.
385:during the
758:Categories
649:158567348X
377:Background
462:Aftermath
456:Lampsacus
434:peninsula
417:Chalcedon
338:Jerusalem
288:Rhyndacus
278:Chalcedon
159:Very high
72:Balıkesir
658:52941527
628:, p.110.
585:, p.101.
572:, p.100.
540:Plutarch
516:Plutarch
500:Plutarch
490:, XI.72.
421:consular
395:Bithynia
313:Artaxata
298:Heraclea
156:Very low
133:Strength
58:Location
27:Part of
559:, p.99.
546:, 9-12.
402:Prelude
359:Cyzicus
328:Pelorus
283:Cyzicus
63:Cyzicus
718:
656:
646:
538:, 74;
532:Appian
484:Appian
303:Cabira
293:Lemnos
216:Second
84:Result
76:Turkey
784:73 BC
428:Siege
363:Mysia
323:Lycus
221:Third
211:First
68:Erdek
53:73 BC
716:ISBN
654:OCLC
644:ISBN
522:, 8.
506:, 8.
365:and
349:The
333:Abas
318:Zela
108:The
101:The
50:Date
732:. "
361:in
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70:,
724:.
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255:e
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174:v
78:)
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