Mithridates

Question 1

Info about Mithridates

Answer 1

• King of Pontus; challenged Rome; thought outside the box

- Expanded kingdom around the Black Sea, took over Crimea

Question 2

How did Mithridates and Rome start to connect?

Answer 2

• 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.

Question 3

When the Romans tell Mithridates to get out of Bithynia, what happens?

Answer 3

• 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)

Question 4

How is Sulla involved in this?

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

Who is Marcus Aemulius Lepidus?

Answer 5

• 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.

Question 6

After Lepidus is defeated by Pompey, what does Pompey do?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What happens after Lepidus is defeated?

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Who fights against the slave revolts?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Who stands for consulship of 70?

Answer 9

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)

Question 10

What happens when king of Bithynia bequeaths kingdom to Rome? (Lucullus, Mithridates, Zela)

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

While Pompey and Crassus are consuls, what does tribune Aulus Gabinius propose?

Answer 11

• 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

Question 12

How long does it take Pompey to sort out piracy?

Answer 12

3 months

Question 13

What happens after the Senate received Lucullus of his command?

Answer 13

• Tribune Manilius wants Pompey to - Senate gives more resistance (second Sulla?)

Question 14

What does Pompey do to defeat Mithridates?

Answer 14

• 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

Question 15

What does Pompey do after Mithridates’ death

Answer 15

• 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

Question 16

What does Crassus do out of jealousy of Pompey?

Answer 16

• He uses money to loan it to up and coming young senators who can help him in the future: one is Gaius Julius Caesar

Question 17

What were Crassus’ proposals?

Answer 17

• Went no where
• Proposal 1 - give Roman citizenship to those in Cisalpine Gaul
• Proposal 2 - finds a will (15 years ago) King of Egypt equated Egypt to Rome. If Rome accepts, then someone must go to look after kingdom (Crassus wants to collect loot)

Question 18

Describe Cicero’s run for consulship.

Answer 18

• 64, novus homo
• Many wealthy voters voted for Cicero because they wanted to keep Lucius Bergius Catilina out
• A lot of chaos; Senate bans collegia (clubs), who had become gangs

Question 19

Who was Catilina?

Answer 19

• Revolutionary; one of Cicero’s rivals in 64
• Wants to redistribute the land; comes from Arpinum (where Marius comes from)
• In 63, he stands again, and loses again
• Catilina plots a revolution/burn down Rome (Cicero gets documented evidence)
• Senate eventually arrests Catilina’s associates

Question 20

What was the debate (among Senate) regarding Catilina?

Answer 20

• Caesar says to spare them and give them proper trial
• Cato - grandson of famous Cato (who destroyed Carthage); calls these men hosted and votes to kill them.
• Cato wins

Question 21

What does Pompey do when he returns home from war in Asia?

Answer 21

He says goodbye to army. No problems.