Battle of the Rhyndacus (72 BC)

Last updated
Battle of the Dhyndacus
Part of Third Mithridatic War
Date73 BC
Location
Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic Pontus
Commanders and leaders
Lucius Licinius Lucullus Mithridates VI of Pontus
Strength
10 cohorts (3,000-5,000 legionaries) and an unknown number of cavalry and auxiliaries unknown but probably the bulk of the cavalry and most of the wounded
Casualties and losses
Unknown (probably light) 15,000 men
6,000 horses

The Battle of the Rhyndacus occurred in 73 BC between a Roman Republican force under the command of the proconsul Lucius Licinius Lucullus and division of the army of Mithridates VI of Pontus as part of the Third Mithridatic War. The Romans were victorious.

Roman Republic Period of ancient Roman civilization (509–27 BC)

The Roman Republic was the era of classical Roman civilization beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom, traditionally dated to 509 BC, and ending in 27 BC with the establishment of the Roman Empire. It was during this period that Rome's control expanded from the city's immediate surroundings to hegemony over the entire Mediterranean world.

Mithridates VI of Pontus Ruler of the Bosporos Kingdom

Mithridates VI or Mithradates VI, also known as Mithradates the Great (Megas) and Eupator Dionysius, was king of Pontus and Armenia Minor in northern Anatolia from about 120–63 BC. Mithridates is remembered as one of the Roman Republic’s most formidable and successful enemies, who engaged three of the prominent generals from the late Roman Republic in the Mithridatic Wars: Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Lucius Licinius Lucullus and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. He has been called the greatest ruler of the Kingdom of Pontus.

Third Mithridatic War

The Third Mithridatic War was the last and longest of three Mithridatic Wars and was fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus, who was joined by his allies, and the Roman Republic. The war ended in defeat for Mithridates, ending the Pontic Kingdom, and resulted in the Kingdom of Armenia becoming an allied client state of Rome.

Lucullus, based in Cilicia, had foregone his planned invasion of Pontus from the south to come north and rescue his colleague the proconsul Marcus Aurelius Cotta, whom Mithridates had besieged at Cyzicus on the Sea of Marmara. Lucullus's five legions began an effective counter-siege trapping Mithridates' army before Cyzicus.

Cilicia ancient region of Anatolia

In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor and existed as a political entity from the Hittite era until the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, during the late Byzantine Empire. Extending inland from the southeastern coast of modern Turkey, Cilicia is due north and northeast of the island of Cyprus and corresponds to the modern region of Çukurova in Turkey.

Marcus Aurelius Cotta (consul 74 BC) Roman general, politician and consul

Marcus Aurelius Cotta was a Roman politician and general who was consul in 74 BC. He was posted to Bithynia with a Roman fleet as part of the Third Mithridatic War. He was defeated by King Mithridates VI of Pontus. Rescued by his fellow consul he reduced the Pontic coast and captured the city of Heraclea after a two-year siege. Returning to Rome in 70 BC, Cotta was acclaimed for his victory. However, around 67 BC he was convicted of the misappropriation of war booty and expelled from the Senate, a signal mark of disgrace.

The siege of Cyzicus took place in 73 BC between the armies of Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman-allied citizens of Cyzicus in Mysia and Roman Republican forces under Lucius Licinius Lucullus. It was in fact a siege and a counter-siege. It ended in a decisive Roman victory.

With the onset of winter and running low on supplies, Mithridates decided to sent his sick, his wounded, and his cavalry east into Bithynia. The Pontic column was commanded by Neoptolemus, who was the brother of Archelaus. In the middle of a snowstorm, Lucullus met these forces with ten cohorts along the banks of the Rhyndacus. The Romans had a small advance guard of auxiliaries and cavalry on the opposite bank of the river. The combined Roman forces attacked. The Pontic forces turned to defend themselves. The battle was hard, and the Mitridatic forces fought bravely, but they could not withstand the pressure of the Roman attack. Plutarch and Appian record 15,000 men and 6,000 horses as being captured during the battle. [1]

Bithynia region in Anatolia

Bithynia was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor, adjoining the Propontis, the Thracian Bosporus and the Euxine Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast along the Pontic coast, and Phrygia to the southeast towards the interior of Asia Minor.

Neoptolemus mythical son of Achilles

Neoptolemus, also called Pyrrhus, was the son of the warrior Achilles and the princess Deidamia in Greek mythology, and also the mythical progenitor of the ruling dynasty of the Molossians of ancient Epirus.

Archelaus was the greatest general that served under King Mithridates VI of Pontus in northern Anatolia and was also his favorite general.

The disaster at the Rhyndacus combined with the famine and plague which had struck his main army forced Mithridates to completely abandoned his position, sailing north while his army marched overland. Lucullus again routed them at the confluence of the Aesepus and Granicus Rivers slaughtering many.

The Aesepus River or Aisepos River was a river of Northern Mysia, mentioned by Homer in the Iliad as flowing past Zeleia, at the foot of Ida; and in another passage as one of the streams that flow from Ida. According to Strabo's interpretation of Homer, the Aesepus was the eastern boundary of Mysia. The Aesepus is the largest river of Mysia. According to Strabo, it rises in Mount Cotylus, one of the summits of Ida, and the distance between its source and its outlet is near 500 stadia. It is joined on the left bank by the Caresus, another stream which flows from Cotylus; and then taking a northeasterly and northerly course, it enters the Propontis, between the mouth of the Granicus River and the city of Cyzicus. The modern name is Gönen Çay.

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Lucullus ancient roman statesman

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References

  1. Lee Fratantuono, Lucullus, the life and campaigns of a Roman conqueror, p.60; Philip Matyszak, Mithridates the Great, Rome's indomitable enemy, p.112.