The Date of the Outbreak of the Third Mithridatic War
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5154722 |
|---|---|
| Authors | B C Mcging, Brian Mcging (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1984 |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 12 |
| Publication date | 1984-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Phoenix (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8299 • E-ISSN: 1929-4883 |
| Publisher | JSTOR (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.2307/1088085 |
| OpenAlex | W2312495165 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 20 |
IN SPITE OF MUCH DISCUSSION ON THE SUBJECT, scholars have failed to come to any general agreement on whether the Third Mithridatic War started in the spring of 74 or of 73 B.C.' Some new observations on the matter can be made, leading to the negative conclusion that the spring of 74 is impossible. In question here is not only chronological accuracy, but also the course of events immediately before and during Mithridates Eupator's last war against Rome. First, the arguments in favour of spring 74. Appian (Mith. 69-71) specifies that the war started in spring.2 Other sources provide the evidence for 74. Eutropius (6.6) and the Epitomator of Livy (Epit. 93, 94) both state that L. Licinius Lucullus and M. Aurelius Cotta were fighting against Mithridates during their consulship in 74. Cicero (Mur. 33) and Plutarch (Luc. 6.5) also make it clear that the two consuls were at least sent to the east in 74, the year in which, according to Eutropius (6.6) and Appian (BCiv. 1.111), Nicomedes IV of Bithynia died and bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. A passage from Phlegon (FGrHist 257 F 12.3) can also be used to support 74. In contrast to Appian (Mith. 79) and Plutarch (Luc. 15.1), who say that Lucullus left Amisus in the spring, Phlegon reports that in Olympiad 177.1 (summer 72 to summer 71) Lucullus left Murena in charge at Amisus and marched to Cabeira, where he wintered (6lrov a6EXEl/age). Lucullus' troops are said to have complained that they had had to spend two successive winters in camp, the first at Cyzicus, the second at Amisus (Plut. Luc. 33.3). As, according to Phlegon, the winter of 72/71 was spent at Cabeira, this must be the third year of the war, which thus began in 74. The dates of Mithridates' flight to Armenia and reception into Tigranes' presence sometime later also affect the chronology of the start of the war. Memnon (38. 1) says that Mithridates spent twenty months in Armenia before Tigranes summoned him to his presence. Plutarch (Luc. 22. 1) and
Ancient history · Geography · Outbreak · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Classical Antiquity Studies · History · Medicine · Virology
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| Unique citing works | 20 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,63 |
| Citation span | 1994 - 2023 (30) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 20 |