Lucullus by Lee Fratantuono

Author:Lee Fratantuono [Неизв.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: HISTORY / Military / Ancient
ISBN: 9781473883635
Publisher: Casemate Publishers & Book Distributors, LLC
Published: 2017-09-29T20:00:00+00:00

The Sixth of October 69 BC

It was 6 October 69 B.C. – a day that was destined to enter the annals of the great victories of the Roman military machine. The exact date was noted in the sources, in part because on that same day in 105 BC, the Romans had lost a major engagement against Germanic tribesman at Arausio (the modern Orange).32 Some of Lucullus’ officers noted to him the unlucky status of the day – always a matter of serious concern to superstitious, nervous and anxious Romans. For once, Lucullus was bold in the face of omen and portent. He simply noted that he would convert 6 October into a day of good fortune and luck for the Romans – he intended to defeat Tigranes. Arthur Keaveney notes that no extant source offers a reason as to why Lucullus chose to give battle on this day. It is possible that he was deliberately recalling the Roman defeat that had marred the reputation of the day; it is also possible that the difficult business of the siege, and the overwhelming size of the king’s force that would have taxed his sentinel abilities and surprise manoeuvrability were decisive factors in his taking immediate action.33 The loss of Quintus Servilius Caepio, at any rate, would be avenged.

Appian’s account of what happened is short and dramatically effective.34 Lucullus is said to have taken a hill in the rear of Tigranes’ force, and to have used his cavalry to coax the enemy into attacking them. Once successful in the provocation, the cavalry would continue to retreat, all in the hope of tempting the enemy to break ranks and follow in disorganized pursuit. This is exactly what the king’s undisciplined force did. When Lucullus saw the Armenians chase after his men and dissolve their formations, he announced to those near him that they had won the battle. The Romans immediately attacked the king’s baggage train, causing a chain reaction as these fled and fell upon the infantry, and then the infantry upon the cavalry in turn. A complete rout ensued. Part of Tigranes’ problem was the fact that so much of his army consisted of draftees and conscripts from his subject territories; the confusion of the rout would have been increased appreciably by the difficulties of communication.

Plutarch offers a longer version of the events of the dramatic day. At first, we are told, the manoeuvres of the Roman army led some – not least the king – to imagine that Lucullus was retreating. Taxiles once again showed his wisdom in appraising the situation, and warned the king that such a stroke of good fortune was not to be believed. The king was quickly disabused of such notions, and he arranged his force with his own royal command to be in the centre, the left entrusted to the king of the Adiabeni and the right to the king of the Medes. On the right, the bulk of the armoured cavalry were arranged as a protective screen.

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