Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
the camp for a single drachma, and a slave for four. The other
booty they made no account of, but left it behind or destroyed it;
there being no disposing of it, where all had such abundance. But
when they had made frequent incursions with their cavalry, and had
advanced as far Themiscyra, and the plains of the Thermodon, merely
laying waste the country before them, they began to find fault with
Lucullus, asking "why he took so many towns by surrender, and never
one by storm, which might enrich them with the plunder? and now,
forsooth, leaving Amisus behind, a rich and wealthy city, of easy
conquest, if closely besieged, he will carry us into the Tibarenian
and Chaldean wilderness, to fight with Mithridates." Lucullus,
little thinking this would be of such dangerous consequence as it
afterwards proved, took no notice and slighted it; and was rather
anxious to excuse himself to those who blamed his tardiness, in
losing time about small pitiful places not worth the while, and
allowing Mithridates opportunity to recruit. "That is what I
design," said he, "and sit here contriving by my delay, that he may
grow great again, and gather a considerable army, which may induce
him to stand, and not fly away before us. For do you not see the
wide and unknown wilderness behind? Caucasus is not far off, and a
multitude of vast mountains, enough to conceal ten thousand kings
that wished to avoid a battle. Besides this, a journey but of few
days leads from Cabira to Armenia, where Tigranes reigns, king of
kings, and holds in his hands a power that has enabled him to keep
the Parthians in narrow bounds, to remove Greek cities bodily into
Media, to conquer Syria and Palestine, to put to death the kings of
the royal line of Seleucus, and carry away their wives and
daughters by violence. This same is relation and son-in-law to
Mithridates, and cannot but receive him upon entreaty, and enter
into war with us to defend him; so that, while we endeavor to
depose Mithridates, we shall endanger the bringing in of Tigranes
against us, who already has sought occasion to fall out with us,
but can never find one so justifiable as the succor of a friend and
prince in his necessity. Why, therefore, should we put Mithridates
upon this resource, who as yet does not see now he may best fight
with us, and disdains to stoop to Tigranes; and not rather allow
him time to gather a new army and grow confident again, that we may
thus fight with Colchians, and Tibarenians, whom we have often
defeated already, and not with Medes and Armenians."
Upon these motives, Lucullus sat down before Amisus, and slowly
carried on the siege. But the winter being well spent, he left
Murena in charge of it, and went himself against Mithridates, then
rendezvousing at Cabira, and resolving to await the Romans, with
forty thousand foot about him, and fourteen thousand horse, on whom
he chiefly confided. Passing the river Lycus, he challenged the
Romans into the plains, where the cavalry engaged, and the Romans
were beaten. Pomponius, a man of some note, was taken wounded; and
sore, and in pain as he was, was carried before Mithridates, and
asked by the king, if he would become his friend, if he saved his
life. He answered, "yes, if you become reconciled to the Romans;
if not, your enemy." Mithridates wondered at him, and did him no
hurt. The enemy being with their cavalry master of the plains,
Lucullus was something afraid, and hesitated to enter the
mountains, being very large, woody, and almost inaccessible, when,
by good luck, some Greeks who had fled into a cave were taken, the
eldest of whom, Artemidorus by name, promised to bring Lucullus,
and seat him in a place of safety for his army, where there was a
fort that overlooked Cabira. Lucullus, believing him, lighted his
fires, and marched in the night; and safely passing the defile,
gained the place, and in the morning was seen above the enemy,
pitching his camp in a place advantageous to descend upon them if
he desired to fight, and secure from being forced, if he preferred
to lie still. Neither side was willing to engage at present. But
it is related that some of the king's party were hunting a stag,
and some Romans wanting to cut them off, came out and met them.
Whereupon they skirmished, more still drawing together to each
side, and at last the king's party prevailed, on which the Romans,
from their camp seeing their companions fly, were enraged, and ran
to Lucullus with entreaties to lead them out, demanding that the
sign might be given for battle. But he, that they might know of
what consequence the presence and appearance of a wise commander is
in time of conflict and danger, ordered them to stand still. But
he went down himself into the plains, and meeting with the foremost
that fled, commanded them to stand and turn back with him. These
obeying, the rest also turned and formed again in a body, and thus,
with no great difficulty, drove back the enemies, and pursued them
to their camp. After his return, Lucullus inflicted the customary
punishment upon the fugitives, and made them dig a trench of twelve
foot, working in their frocks unfastened, while the rest stood by
and looked on.
There was in Mithridates's camp, one Olthacus a chief of the
Dandarians, a barbarous people living near the lake Maeotis, a man
remarkable for strength and courage in fight, wise in council, and
pleasant and ingratiating in conversation. He, out of emulation,
and a constant eagerness which possessed him to outdo one of the
other chiefs of his country, promised a great piece of service to
Mithridates, no less than the death of Lucullus. The king
commended his resolution, and, according to agreement,
counterfeited anger, and put some disgrace upon him; whereupon he
took horse, and fled to Lucullus, who kindly received him, being a
man of great name in the army. After some short trial of his
sagacity and perseverance, he found way to Lucullus's board and
council. The Dandarian, thinking he had a fair opportunity,
commanded his servants to lead his horse out of the camp, while he
himself, as the soldiers were refreshing and resting themselves, it
being then high noon, went to the general's tent, not at all
expecting that entrance would be denied to one who was so familiar
with him, and came under pretence of extraordinary business with
him. He had certainly been admitted, had not sleep, which has
destroyed many captains, saved Lucullus. For so it was, and
Menedemus, one of the bedchamber, was standing at the door, who
told Olthacus that it was altogether unseasonable to see the
general, since, after long watching and hard labor, he was but just
before laid down to repose himself. Olthacus would not go away
upon this denial, but still persisted, saying that he must go in to
speak of some necessary affairs, whereupon Menedemus grew angry,
and replied that nothing was more necessary than the safety of
Lucullus, and forced him away with both hands. Upon which, out of
fear, he straightaway left the camp, took horse, and without effect
returned to Mithridates. Thus in action as in physic, it is the
critical moment that gives both the fortunate and the fatal effect.
After this, Sornatius being sent out with ten companies for forage,
and pursued by Menander, one of Mithridates's captains, stood his
ground, and after a sharp engagement, routed and slew a
considerable number of the enemy. Adrianus being sent afterward,
with some forces, to procure food enough and to spare for the camp,
Mithridates did not let the opportunity slip, but dispatched
Menemachus and Myro, with a great force, both horse and foot,
against him, all which except two men, it is stated, were cut off
by the Romans. Mithridates concealed the loss, giving it out that
it was a small defeat, nothing near so great as reported, and
occasioned by the unskillfulness of the leaders. But Adrianus in
great pomp passed by his camp, having many wagons full of corn and
other booty, filling Mithridates with distress, and the army with
confusion and consternation. It was resolved, therefore, to stay
no longer. But when the king's servants sent away their own goods
quietly, and hindered others from doing so too, the soldiers in
great fury thronged and crowded to the gates, seized on the king's
servants and killed them, and plundered the baggage. Dorylaus, the
general, in this confusion, having nothing else besides his purple
cloak, lost his life for that, and Hermaeus, the priest, was trod
underfoot in the gate.
Mithridates, having not one of his guards, nor even a groom
remaining with him, got out of the camp in the throng, but had none
of his horses with him; until Ptolemy, the eunuch, some little time
after, seeing him in the press making his way among the others,
dismounted and gave his horse to the king. The Romans were already
close upon him in their pursuit, nor was it through want of speed
that they failed to catch him, but they were as near as possible
doing so. But greediness and a petty military avarice hindered
them from acquiring that booty, which in so many fights and hazards
they had sought after, and lost Lucullus the prize of his victory.
For the horse which carried the king was within reach, but one of
the mules that carried the treasure either by accident stepping in,
or by order of the king so appointed to go between him and the
pursuers, they seized and pilfered the gold, and falling out among
themselves about the prey, let slip the great prize. Neither was
their greediness prejudicial to Lucullus in this only, but also
they slew Callistratus, the king's confidential attendant, under
suspicion of having five hundred pieces of gold in his girdle;
whereas Lucullus had specially ordered that he should be conveyed
safe into the camp. Notwithstanding all which, he gave them leave
to plunder the camp.
After this, in Cabira, and other strong-holds which he took, he
found great treasures, and private prisons, in which many Greeks
and many of the king's relations had been confined, who, having
long since counted themselves no other than dead men, by the favor
of Lucullus, met not with relief so truly as with a new life and
second birth. Nyssa, also, sister of Mithridates, enjoyed the like
fortunate captivity; while those who seemed to be most out of
danger, his wives and sisters at Phernacia, placed in safety, as
they thought, miserably perished, Mithridates in his flight sending
Bacchides the eunuch to them. Among others there were two sisters
of the king, Roxana and Statira, unmarried women forty years old,
and two Ionian wives, Berenice of Chios, and Monime of Miletus.
This latter was the most celebrated among the Greeks, because she
so long withstood the king in his courtship to her, though he
presented her with fifteen thousand pieces of gold, until a
covenant of marriage was made, and a crown was sent her, and she
was saluted queen. She had been a sorrowful woman before, and
often bewailed her beauty, that had procured her a keeper, instead
of a husband, and a watch of barbarians, instead of the home and
attendance of a wife; and, removed far from Greece, she enjoyed the
pleasure which she proposed to herself, only in a dream, being in
the meantime robbed of that which is real. And when Bacchides
came and bade them prepare for death, as everyone thought most
easy and painless, she took the diadem from her head, and fastening
the string to her neck, suspended herself with it; which soon
breaking, "O wretched headband!" said she, "not able to help me
even in this small thing!" And throwing it away she spat on it,
and offered her throat to Bacchides. Berenice had prepared a
potion for herself, but at her mother's entreaty, who stood by, she