Ancient Rome: An Enthralling Overview of Roman History, Starting From the Romulus and Remus Myth through the Republic to the Fall of the Roman Empire by History Enthralling

Author:History, Enthralling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-19T00:00:00+00:00

Tetradrachm of King Mithridates VI of Pontus, who fought with Rome in three wars. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tetradrachm_of_Mithridates_VI_CM_SNG_BM_1038.jpg

While concluding the Social War, Rome’s attention fixated on the determined King Mithridates VI of Pontus on the Black Sea. Mithridates had invaded Cappadocia – Rome’s ally – on his southern border. The First Mithridatic War (89-85 BC) began when Rome sent troops to Cappadocia. King Mithridates ordered the horrific extermination of all Romans living in Asia Minor – even women and children – killing 80,000 Romans as his forces savagely conquered one Roman city after another all the way to Greece.

In 87 BC, Consul Lucius Sulla – Marius’s chief lieutenant in two wars but now his bitter rival – landed in Greece, recovered Athens and southern Greece for Rome, then headed north to crush Mithridates’ army in the shattering Battle of Chaeronea (86 BC), despite being outnumbered. Continuing to score land and sea victories, Sulla forced Mithridates to accept a humiliating peace treaty in 85 BC, abandoning all lands except Pontus.

Leaving his general Murena to maintain stability, Sulla hurried back to Rome to confront the civil war roaring on in his absence. In 83 BC, the Second Mithridatic War was initiated when Murena heard rumors that Mithridates was building up his army again. Not waiting for Sulla’s permission, Murena impetuously launched a preemptive strike on Mithridates, who swiftly defeated him at the River Halys. Sulla angrily ordered Murena to withdraw, ending the war indecisively.

The politician-generals Marius and Sulla both had razor-sharp fighting instincts that empowered joint success on the battlefield. But by 88 BC, they were engaged in a savage rivalry that plunged Rome into brutal civil war when Marius circumvented Sulla – consul for that year – by stealing his command of the Roman forces against King Mithridates.

Enraged, Sulla marched on Rome with his forces – an unprecedented and forbidden move for a Roman general and consul. Marius desperately rounded up gladiators to counter Sulla, but they were no match for his ferocity. Marius narrowly escaped to Africa, while Sulla consolidated his command of the forces heading to Greece, then set sail to pummel Mithridates.

In his absence, Rome erupted into a vicious civil war between the Plebeian Populares and the Patrician Optimates. Marius slipped back from Africa, clandestinely organized an army, and marched into Rome in 87 BC, taking control of the city. He murdered his political enemies, displaying their heads on spikes, and manipulated his election as consul for the seventh time in 86 BC. But within two weeks, he suddenly died – apparently of pleurisy.

In 83 BC, Sulla wrapped up the war with Mithridates and crossed the Adriatic to Italy. Rome dispatched two armies to stop him; Sulla swept aside the first army, and the second army defected to his side. Marching on Rome once again, Sulla fought and won a fierce battle just outside Rome’s walls and was quickly appointed dictator by the Senate.

Sulla exercised total control over Rome for two years before voluntarily resigning one year before he died in 78 BC.

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