Mithridates Flashcards
Info about Mithridates
- King of Pontus; challenged Rome; thought outside the box
- Expanded kingdom around the Black Sea, took over Crimea
How did Mithridates and Rome start to connect?
- Rome had Asia Minor.
- By 90s, Mithridates was expanding; Romans sent envoys to warn Mithridates not to push to far.
- Mithridates listens but keeps expanding.
- By the end f the 90s, he moves to Bithynia and Cappadocia. in 90 and 89, there is a civil war in Rome (perfect time for Mithridates)
- Romans tell Mithridates to get out because Bithynia shares common border of Roman land of Asia.
When the Romans tell Mithridates to get out of Bithynia, what happens?
- Mithridates surprisingly listens and leaves in 89
- Outraged king of Bithynia takes revenge and pursues Mithridates, who wipes out the Bithynians. Then, he sweeps through Bithyni into Roman province of Asia
- Takes Asia, but Romans were occupied
- Mithridates organizes for huge massacre of Romans (88)
- Greeks in 87 invite Mithridates (like Mithridates more than Romans)
How is Sulla involved in this?
- Mithridates goes to Greece. So, Sulla yes to Greece and defeats Mithridates’ army in 87.
- Rather than going to Asia Minor, Sulla goes back to Italy so that Cinna can’t strengthen his position, offering MIthridates favorable terms (85)
- Sulla’s men are mad; Sulla lets them loot in Asia but does not continue the fight further east
- He goes home in 83 and leaves behind the other army that Cinna and Marius sent to Asia to fight Mithridates
Who is Marcus Aemulius Lepidus?
- During Sulla’s retirement, Lepidus wants to restore full powers of the tribunate and the Montly Grain Ration; wants to be consul twice in a row
- Senate pushes Lepidus out of Rome
- Lepidus raises an army and marches on Rome in 77; Senate doesn’t have army to resist, raises a couple armies, and appoints commanders (one is Pompey)
- Pompey defeats Lepidus.
After Lepidus is defeated by Pompey, what does Pompey do?
Pompey delays and wants to keep his army
- Says they are having trouble with Quintus Sertorius in Spain and wants to deal with Sertorius
- Senate worried what Pompey will do but send him to Spain
What happens after Lepidus is defeated?
- In 75, tribunes are allowed to hold another office
- In 73, Monthly Grain ration is reintroduced
- IN 73, Spartacus starts the 3rd slave revolt; major panic
Who fights against the slave revolts?
Crassus (Victor of Battleo f Colline Gate; orator in 73); has everything in control by 71
- Pompey comes back from Spain and wants credit for eliminating slave revolt
- By mid 71, both Spartacus and Sertorius are dealt with
Who stands for consulship of 70?
Crassus and Pompey (Pompey was not even senator)
- They change the jury of the special courts to ⅓ senators and ⅔ equites
- Restore the tribunates’ full powers (Pompey realized many proposals came from tribunes)
What happens when king of Bithynia bequeaths kingdom to Rome? (Lucullus, Mithridates, Zela)
- King of Bithynia bequeaths kingdom to Rome in 75
- In 75, Mithridats invades Bithynia
- In 74, consul Lucullus (only officer who marched on Rome with Sulla) is governor of Asia and given military command against Mithridates
- Lucullus manages to take control of Pontus.
- Mithridates flees to Armenia to father in law (King Tikranes)
- In 67, Mithridates comes back to Pontus, faces the Romans at Zela, defeats the Romans, and reclaims his kingdom.
- Lucullus is dismissed
While Pompey and Crassus are consuls, what does tribune Aulus Gabinius propose?
- Realizes a problem with piracy
- Tow areas: Cilicia and Crete
- In 67, proposes that Rome creates Mediterranean command with lots of legates (20), three year command - proposes for Pompey to
How long does it take Pompey to sort out piracy?
3 months
What happens after the Senate received Lucullus of his command?
- Tribune Manilius wants Pompey to - Senate gives more resistance (second Sulla?)
What does Pompey do to defeat Mithridates?
- Convinces king of Parthia to attack Tigranes (King of Armenia, near Parthia)
- Tigranes doesn’t want Mithridates any more; Mithridates goes off to Crimea
- 66: Pompey comes in, Mithridates goes to Crimea
- Pompey establishes himself in Armenia; then besieges/captures Jerusalem in 63 (he is just traveling)
- Mithridates dies in 63
What does Pompey do after Mithridates’ death
- He makes Bithynia and Pontus into one province: Bithynia-pontus
- Annexes Cilicia (second new Roman province)
- Adds Syria (huge extension of Roman territory and taxes)
- Cappadocia is independent but becomes a client kingdom
DOESN’T ASK SENATE FOR PERMISSION
