1st Mithridatic War
WHO WAS MITHRIDATES?
Valleius Paterculus - 'ever eager for war, of exceptional bravery, always in great spirit and sometimes in achievement, in strategy a general, in bodily prowess a soldier, in hatred to Romans, a Hannibal'
o One of the most powerful rulers in Asia - King Mithridates Eupator (VI)
o Extremely ambitious - gained the throne by murdering his brother & imprisoning his mother
o Possessed characteristics of a Hellenistic monarch
o Forceful character & exceptional physical strength
o Admirer of Greek culture
o Ability as a general matched his diplomacy
WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND TO THIS CONFLICT?
o Mithridates had already explanded the kingdom of Pontus north of the Black sea
o 104 BC: occupied Galatia, Paphlagonia & Cappadocia
- brought him into conflict with rulers friendly to Rome
o 96 BC: Sulla (currently governor of Cilicia) reinstated the king of Cappadocia & prevented Mithridates establishing an alliance with Tigranes of Armenia
o Social War (91-88 BC): Mithridates & Tigranes (his son-in-law) seized Bithynia & Cappadocia (again)
o M. Aquilius was sent to eject Mithridates from Cappadocia & to restore Nicomedes, king of Bithynia, to his throne
- Mithridates withdrew without a battle but Aquilius persuaded Nicomedes to invade Pontus
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1ST MITHRIDATIC WAR?
o 88 BC: Mithridates promised freedom & debt cancellation to the Greek cities of Asia
- took the whole of Asia except from a few towns in the south
- massacred approx. 80,000 Italian residents in the province (men, women & children) with ease due to the willing readiness of the Asiatics who had clearly been exploited by the Romans
o He prepared an invasion of Europe when he was invited to Athens
- he sent his naval force (under Archelaus) across the Aegean & took Delos, killed the Italian businessmen there, and then occupied southern & central Greece
o 87 BC: Sulla crossed Epirus with 30,000 men
o 86 BC: He took Athens by assault & forced Archelaus out of the Piraeus
o Sulla outmanoeuvred Mithridates' force at Chaeronea in central Greece & defeated another at Orchomenus
o 85 BC: Sulla moved through Macedonia to the Dardanelles where he sent his lieutenant, Lucullus, to Phonecia for help
o A second Roman force (led by Flaccus & Fimbira) was sent out by Cinna (Sulla's political opponent) with instructions to deal with Mithridates but to turn on Sulla
- the men refused; Flaccus was killed by Fimbria & he continued to Asia where he defeated a Mithridatic army
- Mithridates escaped from Pergamum & was prepared to make peace
- Sulla took over Fimbria's army who commited suicide
o At Dardanus, Mithridates accepted Sulla's peace terms
- these were lenient in comparison to the settlement imposed on the Asian cities who had supported Mithridates
WHAT WERE SULLA'S PEACE TERMS?
On Mithridates (lenient):
o All territory conquered in Asia Minor was to be evacuated
o 70 ships of his Aegean fleet were surrendered
o 2000 talents were demanded (moderate indemnity)
o He retained his position as King of Pontus & was recognised as an ally of Rome
- Mithridates continued to be a problem for Rome until Pompey!
On Asia Minor (harsh):
o Cities which had supported Mithridates lost all their rights & independence
- some had their walls torn down
o 20,000 talents were demanded (enormous indemnity)
o Sulla billeted his troops on the provincials, who had to pay for their upkeep
- people of Asia fell into debt & despair as they were forced to borrow from heartless Roman businessmen in order to pay back their indemnity!
WHO WAS MITHRIDATES?
Valleius Paterculus - 'ever eager for war, of exceptional bravery, always in great spirit and sometimes in achievement, in strategy a general, in bodily prowess a soldier, in hatred to Romans, a Hannibal'
o One of the most powerful rulers in Asia - King Mithridates Eupator (VI)
o Extremely ambitious - gained the throne by murdering his brother & imprisoning his mother
o Possessed characteristics of a Hellenistic monarch
o Forceful character & exceptional physical strength
o Admirer of Greek culture
o Ability as a general matched his diplomacy
WHAT WAS THE BACKGROUND TO THIS CONFLICT?
o Mithridates had already explanded the kingdom of Pontus north of the Black sea
o 104 BC: occupied Galatia, Paphlagonia & Cappadocia
- brought him into conflict with rulers friendly to Rome
o 96 BC: Sulla (currently governor of Cilicia) reinstated the king of Cappadocia & prevented Mithridates establishing an alliance with Tigranes of Armenia
o Social War (91-88 BC): Mithridates & Tigranes (his son-in-law) seized Bithynia & Cappadocia (again)
o M. Aquilius was sent to eject Mithridates from Cappadocia & to restore Nicomedes, king of Bithynia, to his throne
- Mithridates withdrew without a battle but Aquilius persuaded Nicomedes to invade Pontus
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1ST MITHRIDATIC WAR?
o 88 BC: Mithridates promised freedom & debt cancellation to the Greek cities of Asia
- took the whole of Asia except from a few towns in the south
- massacred approx. 80,000 Italian residents in the province (men, women & children) with ease due to the willing readiness of the Asiatics who had clearly been exploited by the Romans
o He prepared an invasion of Europe when he was invited to Athens
- he sent his naval force (under Archelaus) across the Aegean & took Delos, killed the Italian businessmen there, and then occupied southern & central Greece
o 87 BC: Sulla crossed Epirus with 30,000 men
o 86 BC: He took Athens by assault & forced Archelaus out of the Piraeus
o Sulla outmanoeuvred Mithridates' force at Chaeronea in central Greece & defeated another at Orchomenus
o 85 BC: Sulla moved through Macedonia to the Dardanelles where he sent his lieutenant, Lucullus, to Phonecia for help
o A second Roman force (led by Flaccus & Fimbira) was sent out by Cinna (Sulla's political opponent) with instructions to deal with Mithridates but to turn on Sulla
- the men refused; Flaccus was killed by Fimbria & he continued to Asia where he defeated a Mithridatic army
- Mithridates escaped from Pergamum & was prepared to make peace
- Sulla took over Fimbria's army who commited suicide
o At Dardanus, Mithridates accepted Sulla's peace terms
- these were lenient in comparison to the settlement imposed on the Asian cities who had supported Mithridates
WHAT WERE SULLA'S PEACE TERMS?
On Mithridates (lenient):
o All territory conquered in Asia Minor was to be evacuated
o 70 ships of his Aegean fleet were surrendered
o 2000 talents were demanded (moderate indemnity)
o He retained his position as King of Pontus & was recognised as an ally of Rome
- Mithridates continued to be a problem for Rome until Pompey!
On Asia Minor (harsh):
o Cities which had supported Mithridates lost all their rights & independence
- some had their walls torn down
o 20,000 talents were demanded (enormous indemnity)
o Sulla billeted his troops on the provincials, who had to pay for their upkeep
- people of Asia fell into debt & despair as they were forced to borrow from heartless Roman businessmen in order to pay back their indemnity!
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