89-85 BC - 1st Mithridatic War with Rome (nov 12, 89 BC – nov 12, 85 BC)

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The First Mithridatic War (89–85 BCE) resulted from Mithridates sending an army into the Roman ally of Cappadocia to remove its senate-supported king. Rome was busy with the Social War and was slow to direct forces eastward to stop Mithridates. One of the Consuls for the year, Sulla, was dispatched with 5 legions after 18 months of preparations in 87 BCE, the first major force sent by Rome since the start of the war.

In 89 BCE, Mithridates continued from occupation of Cappadocia to and moved to Bithynia where he defeated Nicomedes the IV, also occupying the kingdom of Bithynia.[9] Following this, Roman forces in the region marshalled an army to force Mithridates back under the direction of Manius Aquillius who was still in Anatolia. Mithridates defeated this force and continue his advance throughout Anatolia unchecked. [10] In 88 BCE, Along with the occupation of Cappadocia, Mithridates fully controlled the Roman provinces of Asia and Cilicia.

In spring of 88, Mithridates's forces enacted the Asiatic Vespers which saw the systematic killing of Roman and Latin-speaking people in these provinces to remove any Roman influences from his conquered lands.[11] The death toll of these massacres ranged from 80,000 and above.[12] Aristion, an Athenian philosopher was originally sent to Mithridates as ambassador but became close friends with the King and entered into his service. In 88 BCE, Mithridates sent Aristion back to Athens, where Aristion convinced its citizens to revolt and declare him Tyrant of Athens.[13] Mithridates also sent Archelaus, one of his generals, with a sizeable Pontic force to aid Aristion against the Romans.[14] The city revolted against Roman rule with support from Mithridates with several other cities joining Athens. Aristion sent Apellicon of Teos with a force to seize the sacred treasury stored at Delos which was still loyal to Rome. Apeilicon sacked the island of Delos, killing approximately 100,000 of its inhabitants before enslaving any left alive.[15] Apeilicon seized the wealth kept on the island, particularly the sacred Treasury of the temple of Apollo the island was famous for before returning to Athens.[16]

Sulla landed in Epirus in 87 BCE, before marching on Athens which was the leader of the revolt in Greece. In the summer of that year he besieged Athens; the siege lasted until early 86 when Roman forces broke through the defenses to storm Athens.[17] Aristion and some of his followers retreated into the Acropolis where they were besieged by the Romans until late spring, after which Aristion was killed.

In 86 BCE, a Roman force under Lucius Valerius Flaccus was dispatched to apprehend Sulla and defeat Mithridates. Flaccus chose to first deal with Mithridates before Sulla, crossing the Hellespont into Pontic-occupied territory. Flaccus was killed by a mutiny within his forces led by Gaius Flavius Fimbria who took control of the Roman force.[18] Flaccus besieged and took the city of Pergamon where Mithridates was at the time, however, he was unable to stop Mithridates from fleeing to safety by sea.

Archelaus escaped the city with his forces and engaged Sulla in the battle of Chaeronea in central Boeotia. Mithridates sent another of his generals, Taxiles, with reinforcements for Archelaus. The Pontic force outnumbered the Roman one, however, the Romans won the battle, capturing Taxiles and forcing Archelaus to flee with the survivors to Chalcis.[19] While there, Archelaus received reinforcements and returned to mainland Greece where he would engage Sulla again in 85 BCE at the Battle of Orchomenus. Archelaus' force outnumbered the Roman once again, but the Roman force emerged victorious.[20] Archelaus managed to flee the battlefield, returning to Mithridates. Mithridates did not launch another invasion of Greece and withdrew his forces back to Anatolia.

Later in 85 BCE, Mithridates and Archelaus met with Sulla at Dardanos to discuss a peace treaty. The war ended with the Treaty of Dardanos. It stipulated that the Kingdoms of Bithynia and Cappadocia would be restored to the Roman-supported kings, but Mithridates would maintain his own kingdom of Pontus. After ending the war, Sulla quickly withdrew back to Rome as a power struggle was developing into a civil war between factions within the senate.

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