their marches, in order to weaken them, to intercept his convoys; and oblige him to quit the country for want of provifions. Lucullus not t being able, by all the arts he could ufe, to bring them into the open field, employed a new tc means, which fucceeded. Tigranes had left at Artaxata, the capital of Armenia, before the foundation of Tigranocerta, his wives and children; as he had almost all his treasures. Lucullus marched that way with all his troops, rightly foreseeing, that Tigranes would not remain quiet, when he faw the danger to which his capital was expofed. That prince accordingly decamped immediately, followed Lucullus to difconcert his defign, and by four great marches having got before him, he posted himself behind the river * Arfamia, which Lucul-* Or £rlus was obliged to pass in his way to Artaxata, fania. refolved to dispute the paffage with him. The Romans paffed the river without being prevented by the view or efforts of the enemy. A great battle enfued, in which the Romans again obtained a compleat victory. There were three kings in the Armenian army, of whom Mithridates behaved the worft. For not being able to look the Roman legions in the face, as foon as they charged, he was one of the first that took to flight; which threw the whole army into fuch a terror, that it foon entirely lost courage; this was the principal cause of the lofs of the battle. Lucullus, after this victory, determined to Dion. Caf. continue his march to Artaxata, which was thel. 37. certain means to put an end to the war. But as P. 3-7. that city was ftill feveral days journey from thence towards the north, and winter approached with its train of fnow and forms, the the * foldiers, already fatigued by a fufficiently rude campaign, refufed to follow him into that country, where the cold was too fevere for them. He was obliged to lead them into a warmer climate, by returning the way he came. He therefore repaffed mount Taurus, and entered Mefopotamia, where he took the city Nifibis, a place of confiderable strength, and put his troops into winter-quarters. It was there that the spirit of mutiny began to fhew itself openly in the army of Lucullus. That general's feverity, and the infolent liberty of the Roman foldiers, and still more, the malignant practices of Clodius, had given occafion for this revolt. Clodius, fo well known by the invectives of Cicero, his enemy, is hardly better treated by hiftorians, They reprefent him as a man abandoned to all kind of vices, and infamous for his debauches, which he carried fo far, as to commit inceft with his own fifter, the wife of Lucullus; to these he added unbounded audacity, and uncommon cunning in the contrivance of sedition: in a word, he was one of thofe dangerous perfons, born to disturb and ruin every thing, by the unhappy union in himself of the most wicked inclinations, with the talents neceffary for putting them in execution. He gave a proof of this upon the occafion we are now fpeaking. Difcontented with Lucullus, he fecretly spread reports, highly proper to render him odious. He affected to lament extremely the fatigues of the foldiers, and to enter into their interefts. * Nofter exercitus, etfi urbem ex Tiganis regno ceperat, & præliis ufus erat fecundis, tamen nimiâ longin guitate locorum, ac defiderio fuorum, commovebatur. Cic. pro lege Mar, n. 23. He He told them every day, that they were very. unfortunate, in being obliged to serve so long under a fevere and avaricious general, in a remote climate, without lands or rewards, whilst their fellow foldiers, whofe conquests were very moderate in comparison with theirs, had enriched themselves under Pompey. Difcourfes. of this kind, attended with obliging and popular behaviour, which he knew how to affume. occafionally, without the appearance of affectation, made fuch an impreffion upon the minds of the foldiers, that it was no longer in the power of Lucullus to govern them. Mithridates, in the mean time, had re-entered Pontus with four thousand of his own, and four thousand troops given him by. Tigranes. * Several inhabitants of the country joined him again, as well out of hatred for the Romans, who had treated them with great rigour, as the remains of affection for their king, reduced to the mournful condition in which they faw him, from the most splendid fortune and exalted greatness. For the misfortunes of princes naturally excite compaffion, and there is generally a profound refpect in the hearts of the people, for the name and perfon of kings. Mithridates, encouraged and ftrengthned by these new aids, and the troops which several neighbouring states and princes fent him, refumed courage, and faw himself more than * Mithridates & fuam manum jam confirmarat, & eorum qui fe ex ejus regno collegerant, & magnis adventitiis multorum regum & nationum copiis juvabatur. Hoc jam ferè fic fieri folere accepimus; ut regum afflictæ for tunæ facile multorum opes alliciant ad mifericordiam, maxímeque eorum qui aut, reges funt, aut vivant in regno: quod regale iis nomen magnum & fanctum effe videatur. Cic. pro Leg. Manil. n. 24. A. M. 3937 67. ever, in a condition to make head against the Romans. * So that not contented with being re-established in his dominions, which a moment before he did not fo much as dare hope ever to fee again, he had the boldnefs to attack the Roman troops fo often victorious, beat a body of them, commanded by Fabius, and after having put them to the route, preffed Friarius and Sornatius, two other of Lucullus's lieutenants in that country, with great vigour. Lucullus at length engaged his foldiers to quit their winter-quarters, and to go to their Ant. J. C. aid. But they arrived too late. Friarius had imprudently ventured a battle, in which Mithridates defeated him, and killed him seven thoufand men; amongst whom were reckoned an hundred and fifty centurions, and twenty-four tribunest, which made this one of the greateft loffes the Romans had fuftained a great while. The army had been entirely defeated, but for a wound Mithridates received, which exceedingly alarmed his troops, and gave the enemy time to escape. Lucullus, upon his arrival, found the dead bodies upon the field of battle, and did not give orders for their interment: which still exafperated his foldiers more against him. The fpirit of revolt rose so high, that without any regard for his character as general, they treated him no longer but with Itaque tantum victus efficere potuit, quantum incolumis nunquam eft aufus optare. Nam cum fe in regnum recepiffet fuum, non fuit eo contentus, quod ei præter fpem acciderat, ut eam, poftea quam pulfus erat, terram unquam attingeret: fed in exercitum veftrum clarum atque victorem impetum fecit.--Cic. pro leg. Man. n. 25: +Quæ calamitas tanta fuit, ut eam ad aures L. Luculli, non ex prælio nuntius, fed ex fermone rumor afferret. Cic. ibid. infolence infolence and contempt; and though he went from tent to tent, and almoft from man to man, to conjure them to march against Mithridates and Tigranes, he could never prevail upon them to quit the place where they were. They answered him brutally, that as he had no thoughts but of enriching himself alone out of the spoils of the enemy, he might march alone, and fight them if he thought fit. SE C T. IV. Mithridates, taking advantage of the mifunderStanding, which had arofe in the Roman army, recovers all his dominions. Pompey is chofen to fucceed Lucullus. He overthrows Mithridates in feveral battles. The latter flies in vain to Tigranes bis fon-in-law for refuge, who is engaged in a war with his own fon. Pompey marches into Armenia against Tigranes, who comes to him and furrenders himself. Weary of purfuing Mithridates to no purpofe, he returns into Syria, makes himself master of that kingdom, and puts an end to the empire of the Seleucides. He marches back to Pontus. Pharnaces makes the army revolt against his father Mithridates, who kills himself. That prince's character. Pompey's expeditions into Arabia and Judæa, where he takes Jerufalem. After having reduced all the cities of Pontus, be returns to Rome, and receives the honour of a triumph. MANIUS Acilius Glabrio, and C. Pifo, had been elected confuls at Rome. The first had Bithynia and Pontus for his province, VOL. X. where M |