Battle of Cyzicus (74 BC)
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Cyzicus was fought in 73 BC between armies of Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman-allied citizens of Cyzicus
in Mysia
and Roman Republic
an forces under Lucius Licinius Lucullus
. It was a decisive Roman victory.
After his victory against Cotta at Chalcedon
, Mithridates besieged the Roman-allied town of Cyzicus
. The town held long enough for the consul
Lucius Licinius Lucullus
to arrive with another Roman army and establish a counter-siege. Mithridates attempted to convince the Cyzicans that the Roman army was his own reserves, but Lucullus was able to convince them otherwise by secreting a messenger into the city.
With the onset of winter, Mithridates's forces faced starvation. The king fled by sea while his army made its way along the coast to the port of Lampsacus
. Along the way, they were attacked and destroyed near Cabira
along the Rhyndacus River.
Cyzicus
Cyzicus was an ancient town of Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peninsula , a tombolo which is said to have originally been an island in the Sea of Marmara only to be connected to the mainland in historic...
in Mysia
Mysia
Mysia was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor or Anatolia . It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on the east, Phrygia on the southeast, Lydia on the south, Aeolis on the southwest, Troad on the west and by the Propontis on the north...
and Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
an forces under Lucius Licinius Lucullus
Lucius Licinius Lucullus
This article is on the Consul of 151 BC. For the descendent see Lucullus, and for others of this name see Licinia .Lucius Licinius Lucullus was a novus homo who became Consul in 151 BC. He was imprisoned by the Tribunes for attempting to enforce a troop levy too harshly...
. It was a decisive Roman victory.
After his victory against Cotta at Chalcedon
Battle of Chalcedon (74 BC)
The Battle of Chalcedon was a naval battle in 74 BC during the Third Mithridatic War. It ended in Pontian victory.After resuming the war, consul Marcus Aurelius Cotta took Roman fleet into the Bosphorus...
, Mithridates besieged the Roman-allied town of Cyzicus
Cyzicus
Cyzicus was an ancient town of Mysia in Anatolia in the current Balıkesir Province of Turkey. It was located on the shoreward side of the present Kapıdağ Peninsula , a tombolo which is said to have originally been an island in the Sea of Marmara only to be connected to the mainland in historic...
. The town held long enough for the consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Lucius Licinius Lucullus
Lucius Licinius Lucullus
This article is on the Consul of 151 BC. For the descendent see Lucullus, and for others of this name see Licinia .Lucius Licinius Lucullus was a novus homo who became Consul in 151 BC. He was imprisoned by the Tribunes for attempting to enforce a troop levy too harshly...
to arrive with another Roman army and establish a counter-siege. Mithridates attempted to convince the Cyzicans that the Roman army was his own reserves, but Lucullus was able to convince them otherwise by secreting a messenger into the city.
With the onset of winter, Mithridates's forces faced starvation. The king fled by sea while his army made its way along the coast to the port of Lampsacus
Lampsacus
Lampsacus was an ancient Greek city strategically located on the eastern side of the Hellespont in the northern Troad. An inhabitant of Lampsacus was called a Lampsacene. The name has been transmitted in the nearby modern town of Lapseki.-Ancient history:...
. Along the way, they were attacked and destroyed near Cabira
Battle of Cabira
The Battle of Cabira was fought in 72 or 71 BC between the forces of the Roman Republic under Consul Lucius Licinius Lucullus and those of the Kingdom of Pontus under Mithridates the Great. It was a decisive Roman victory.-Background:...
along the Rhyndacus River.