Pompeius faithfully carried out his strategy of moving leisurely and winning before fighting.
He didn't just focus on defeating Mithridates.
Even if he wins poorly, Mithridates will always succeed in making a comeback.
It was necessary to take a breath away at once so that he could never stand up again.
The reason for spending time in the rear was to lay the groundwork for it.
Pompeius first released the pirate's slaves he had held captive.
Those who were of poor quality and plundered too much have immediately executed, but more than 20,000 prisoners remained.
Most of these people were involved in the war in the East. They lost their families and homes and became pirates.
If the rear is unstable, the legions lose their power to march over time.
Fortunately, Asia Minor was not an unexplored area inhabited by barbarians.
Cilicia, the base of the pirates, was originally a place that boasted fertile land and abundant products.
It's just that so many cities and lands have been devastated by so many frequent wars.
Pompeius laid the groundwork for the captured pirates to live a stable life again.
"From now on, I hope you will faithfully farm and get out of your violent life. If you take root here and live, you will never be kicked out like before."
The unexpected mercy made the prisoners cry and pledge allegiance.
Considering the people on the coast who pirates looted, the prisoners have thoroughly moved to inland areas.
The prisoners naturally accepted the decision and struggled to revive their new home of life.
The stabilization work of the province, which Lucullus failed, was also successfully completed.
Pompeius secured a stable tax revenue by appointing equites that Lucullus ostracized.
Thanks to the presence of Marcus, a representative of the equites, things worked out even more easily.
"Wouldn't this be giving the enemy time to prepare?"
The legates expressed doubts, but Pompeius dismissed the possibility.
"He'll recover a little. But it's us who have the advantage over time, not over there."
Mithridates, who Lucullus had driven out, had already returned to Pontus and restored his old territory.
His subordinates were worried that Mithridates would fully recover his former prosperity if time passed.
However, Pompeius knew what Pontus was doing exactly.
He may have found the territory, but the troops lost in successive defeats have not replenished in an instant.
Pompeius neither made more fuss than necessary nor underestimated the enemy.
At the end of the spring of 66 BC;
With no worries about the rear, Pompeius was ready to march.
When fully prepared, the speed of the storm was like a storm.
With ten legions at the forefront, Pompeius marched into Pontus's kingdom.
Mithridates got caught off guard.
His leisurely preparation deceived him.
He didn't think it would come in so suddenly.
The Roman army, which struck like a dagger, was strong.
A large force of 10 legions approached the capital, lightly sweeping away the few defenders of Pontus.
"It's a counterattack. Summon the entire army!"
Mithridates did not stand still.
The Roman army was advancing so fast that no reinforcements could get expected from Armenia.
Still, by mobilizing abundant funds, he organized more than 30,000 troops.
Mithridates, who concentrated his troops in the capital, planned to wage a siege until Armenian reinforcements arrived.
However, Pompeius launched an all-around offensive as if mocking Mithridates' goal.
Cities throughout Pontus fell into Roman hands.
There was also bad news in Armenia that they would delay the dispatch of reinforcements.
In the end, Mithridates had no choice but to fight Pompeius with 30,000 troops.
It was a brave but reckless decision.
Mithridates was defeated by Lucullus even when he had much more troops.
In addition, Pompeius now has twice as many troops as Lucullus.
Of course, Mithridates was not without a plan.
He intended to strike Pompeius's headquarters before the Roman army gathered again, which spread out in all directions.
The problem is that Pompeius was reading all these ideas.
"When nervousness rushes in, the field of view naturally narrows and you make irrational numbers."
Pompeius coldly smiled when he saw the camp of the Pontus army in the distance.
He had already gathered nine legions in his camp.
One legion deliberately did not convene to restrict Mithridates' retreat.
The moment Mithridates leads his army into the battlefield, the battle has decided.
"The chariot that Pontus boasts is barely visible."
The Pontus army was already far from the perfect composition of its armies.
Originally, the Hellenistic Dynasty operated a number of high-end soldiers based on abundant funds.
However, most of the soldiers in front were infantry and light cavalry.
At least, Kataphraktos, a heavy cavalry, was seen, but it posed no threat to Pompeius.
He jokingly talked to Marcus, who was watching the war situation together next to him.
"I was going to show you how to make the most of the stirrups your father made, but it's going to be a good demonstration stage."
"Are you going to fight cavalry with your enemies? Kataphraktoi would be a threatening opponent."
"That's the story of when we fought head-on. In fact, the method of attacking the heavy cavalry of the Hellenistic Dynasty was already concluded a long time ago. There are no more pitiful people than clinging to the number that has already been ruined."
Boom! Boom!
The roaring sound of the ballista launch signaled the beginning of the turn.
The ballista's accuracy wasn't very high, but it was enough to make enemies flinch.
No matter how Kataphraktos it is, it is difficult to charge head-on through Scorpio and Ballista's bombardment.
In addition, the Romans scattered iron caltrops to make it difficult for cavalrymen to approach.
Of course, Mithridates was not a person without learning abilities.
He had no intention of using the same tactics as when Sulla and Lucullus defeated him.
"Cavalry, turn to the flanks as much as possible and strike the enemy! Until the cavalry break through the flanks, the infantry hold out against the enemy from the front!"
If you get beat up for decades in a row, you will absorb the other person's strategy even if you don't like it.
Mithridates used the hammer and anvil tactic favored by the Romans.
In fact, the Hellenistic dynasty has used hammer and anvil tactics since ancient times.
The person who completed this tactic in the first place was Alexandros the Great of Macedonia.
In other words, this is the original.
However, the proficiency in tactics was significantly higher in Rome than in the Hellenistic dynasty after Alexandros' death.
This is because Rome used this tactic that Hannibal refined and completely sublimated.
Mithridates was defeated by the Roman army one after another and realized the difference in tactical capabilities between the two.
So, they decided to use the strategy they were subjected to after research in their own way.
Although the Roman legion was strong, the cavalry power was confident that they had the upper hand.
Of course, it was a complete miscalculation.
Having read Mithridates' intentions, Pompeius placed cavalry-wearing stirrups on the side.
The Kataphraktoi of Pontus, which were running furiously, was pinned down by the sporadic attacks of the Roman cavalry.
The decisive difference between Pompeius and Lucullus was this.
After stirrups have supplied, the Roman army had no hesitation in raising cavalry.
The light cavalrymen fired accurate shots from a stable position, and the other cavalry made fighting on horseback much easier.
Heavy cavalry using couched lances had not got trained because Marcus was hiding information, but there was no problem.
Instead, it is because it greatly augmented the Roman archers he did not actively use.
Originally, the bow was not very important in the Roman army. However, when Pompeius learned about the existence of stirrups, he felt the need to use archers actively.
The bow brought in a kind of synthetic archery used in Syria to increase its range and power.
The overwhelming increase in cavalry power almost doubled the power of the Roman army in the past.
"What! Why can't you break through the cavalry of the Romans! What are those archers? Since when did they run such a large-scale army!"
Mithridates fell into confusion when the trusted elite troops failed to play the role of a hammer.
At first, he looked down on the Roman cavalrymen, but they were no strangers.
The elite cavalry under Pompeius's training and command were stronger than expected. It was as if they were facing the Parthian cavalry.
In addition, even the central troops, which had to serve as a strong anvil, were quickly being broken through by the onslaught of the Roman army.
This is because Pompeius convinced that the side could not get pierced, concentrated the elite soldiers in the center and hit them hard.
In particular, the performance of the centurion, to which Spartacus belongs, was dazzling.
When a hole opened in one axis of the battlefield, the Pontus army began to collapse rapidly.
Hammer and anvil tactics require cavalry, which acts as a hammer, to hit the enemy's rear while the anvil holds out.
However, the anvil got pierced by the enemy's offensive. They tied up the hammer rather than hitting the enemy.
In the end, Pontus fell into the tragedy of losing together without using much power.
Even the slow-footed infantry could not escape properly and has surrounded by the Roman army.
Mithridates had no choice but to retreat as he watched as the men he had managed to gather got slaughtered.
"Rome...Rome.... What a cursed name!"
Even if you fight like this, and even if you fight like that, there is nothing you can do.
If it weren't for the eyes of his subordinates, he would have wanted to wrap his head around his head and scream.
Still, he wasn't even frustrated. After many defeats, he always stood up again. He will certainly do so this time too.
It's such a heartbreaking moment.
As he fled, his eyes caught the image of Pompeius wearing a scarlet cloak.
Even though it was quite far away, it strangely lodged the other person's expression in his eyes.
He was horrified by his indifferent eyes that took it for granted even though he had won a great victory.
Maybe that's why.
The anxiety that it might not work as well as before was wriggling in Mithridates' heart.
Mithridates, who was devastated in the round, had no choice but to retreat.
"Your Majesty, you must evacuate to Armenia as soon as possible. The speed of the Romans is extraordinary."
"I know!"
Mithridates was going to use the same strategy when Lucullus defeated him.
The eastern part of Pontus is a rugged mountainous area. A large Roman legion did not want to pass through it.
Lucullus wasted too much time escaping the mountainous areas due to pressure from his men.
However, Pompeii had already investigated the failure of Lucullus.
He turned one legion not called into battle to the rear to cut off Mithridates' retreat.
When the road across the east was blocked, Mithridates also had no choice but to travel a long way to Armenia.
Gradually, the aspect of the war was different from what he had imagined.
Having suffered so many defeats, it was not easy to muster troops.
Who will give allegiance to a king who loses after a fight?
It meant that the bottom line was slowly running out.
"Hahaha…"
Of the 33,000 troops that had got called up with difficulty, less than 5,000 had left.
Some of the cavalries even fled without being told they would pay a huge amount.
A cavalry escape.
Was it something you had imagined?
Mithridates, who ordered the retreat, did not want to admit the situation.
"Is the last hope the pirates.... If they cut off the supply line, there is still a possibility."
"Ha, but Your Majesty.... Isn't it said that the pirates were wiped out by Pompeius?"
"Ha! That's a rumor."
Mithridates naturally heard the rumor that Pompeius repelled pirates across the Mediterranean in 89 days...….
Of course, he didn't believe it.
It is because it didn't make sense.
If you go around the Mediterranean Sea by boat, you can eat it for 89 days.
But how can you eradicate the pirates who are hiding for such a short time?
"It must be that the Romans deliberately leaked false information to disturb us. And the pirates must be cutting off all contact with us."
"Well... that could be the case."
"Yes, so I have already secretly sent a liaison to Cilicia. We will decide on future strategies depending on what answers they bring."
The reality, however, was harsher than expected.
Mithridates, who was taking a detour, received an urgent message from a messenger.
"Your, Your Majesty! It is said that the pirates of Cilicia have already been uprooted. Even the majority of the pirates are living by farming after receiving the land from Pompeius...…."
"What!"
A shock seemed to have been hit by a blunt instrument on the head.
"No way.... You really defeated pirates across the Mediterranean in 89 days? How?"
Mithridates' common sense and ideas did not keep up with the current situation.
Even the fact that he lost the battle began to lose its sense of reality.
This is because he could not accept the situation facing him.
Something was wrong with this. The gods are mistaken for something.
This is not how the war should turn out.
Clearly, information has been distorted or mistaken somewhere.
"Your Majesty! You must speed up your retreat. We don't know when the Romans will catch up!"
"Yes...to Armenia... Let's go."
A small, helpless voice leaked from Mithridates' mouth.
The Pontus army recklessly hurried on their way.
Some of the soldiers, who thought they were hopeless, fled again.
Mithridates didn't even care about that.
They are soldiers who will only lose if they fight head-on anyway.
He felt like it didn't matter whether they deserted or not.
He just desperately wished that this nightmare would end as soon as possible.
The Romans pursuing the Pontic army were in no hurry.
He even reorganized the legions leisurely and praised the contributions of the soldiers.
Spartacus was awarded the civic crown for his great service in destroying the enemy center and saving the lives of seven of his comrades.
The civic crown, a type of crown made of woven branches with oak leaves, was the second most honorable decoration a Roman soldier could receive.
Marcus was pleased as if it were his business that Spartacus had received such a medal.
He even wrote a letter to Rome to make a preservation tube made of silver.
The Roman army resumed its movement after completing the medal award and the recovery of the injured.
Pompeius judged that it was not easy to kill Mithridates physically.
In this vast East, finding and capturing a determined and fugitive monarch is almost impossible.
So Pompeius had no intention of capturing Mithridates from the beginning.
If it's possible, that's fine; if it's impossible, that's all.
Instead, he decided to declare Mithridates dead diplomatically, not physically.
Even if Mithridates is defeated, he continues to revive because he has an alliance with Armenia.
If only this link had broken, Mithridates would have become a stringless relationship.
In order to keep Armenia in check, it is best to move the Parthians holding out to their east.
Pompeius had already sent an envoy to Parthia during the time of his march on Pontus.
In fact, Lucullus, his predecessor, knew this.
In fact, he also offered an alliance to Parthia when he pushed Armenia but got rejected.
Parthia had no intention of intervening in the war between Rome and Pontus.
At the time, Parthia, which was strengthening internal stability, thought that whoever won was an issue that had nothing to do with itself.
In addition, Lucullus, who had only 30,000 troops, was not trusted as an ally.
In that respect, Pompeius had a much better advantage than Lucullus.
He led a large army of over 60,000 troops and had a history of sweeping pirates across the Mediterranean.
In less than three months, the incredible report that it conquered the Mediterranean Sea reached the Parthian royal family.
The Parthian king, Phraates III, seriously considered an alliance.
Pompeius made no demands of the Parthian burden.
"Senatus Populus que Romanus (SPQR) acknowledge the fact and legitimacy of Parthia, ruled by Phraates III, as the ruler of Mesopotamia. Parthia also recognizes the domination of the territories ruled by Rome. The border between Parthia and Rome is the Euphrates River, and the two states conclude a non-aggression pact."
The basic outline was the same as what Lucullus proposed, but the feeling that Parthia accepted was different.
Pompeius did not say a word to Parthia to keep Armenia in check.
Just form an alliance and show off your presence, and that's it.
Pontus also proposed an alliance with Parthia, so he naturally compared the two proposals.
Mithridates persuaded Parthia to ally with them and actively fight Rome.
From the perspective of Phraates III, it became a situation in which he had to choose between Pontus and Rome.
Parthia, who carefully weighed the two sides and compared them, came to a conclusion immediately.
There was no reason to pretend to Rome on the side of the already half-fallen Hellenistic dynasty.
The fact that Parthia has currently cluttered with power struggles also played a role.
It was obvious which side would be more attracted to, the one who asked to move the army or just stay still.
Parthia formally declared an alliance with Rome.
Rome made a big public announcement and welcomed this point.
Now that things are going on, Armenia is in trouble.
Pompeius led a large army slowly toward Armenian territory.
He did not immediately start a war or send a notice to surrender.
Just deployed more than 60,000 troops on the border and put unspoken pressure on them.
Unlike before, time was on Pompeius's side.
Surrounded by Parthia and Rome, the Armenian aristocracy was extremely anxious.
If the two countries sign an agreement to divide and occupy Armenia, they will destroy Armenia immediately.
Parthia and Armenia did not get along very well because they had a history of several clashes.
In addition, since he has a strong ally called Rome, he may want to destroy Armenia at this point.
The aristocrats openly criticized Tigranes II, who allied with Mithridates because of his ambition.
Even the prince, who thought the kingdom would collapse, rebelled.
The prince sent envoys to Pompeius, offering to make an alliance with Rome if he would support him.
Pompeius waited calmly, this time again without being rash.
This judgment is not wrong.
No matter how shaken Tigranes II's royal authority was, it was not enough to be pushed out by a single prince.
Still, the pressure Tigranes II feels has now reached its peak.
He suppressed the prince's rebellion, but it is unknown when such a situation would occur again.
In fact, every day, there was a flood of appeals from the subjects.
"Your Majesty, war with Rome is impossible! It's a matter of Armenia's existence!"
"It is said that Pompeius's army is twice as many as Lucullus and its strength is incomparable!"
"Even Parthia was attached to Rome. Isn't it enough to protect your loyalty with Mithridates?"
"... but if we bow down to Rome here, we will continue to be treated like Roman vassals."
The words of Tigranes, who tried to refute, did not feel much power.
In fact, he knew it well.
Even if you become a vassal, it cannot get compared to ruining your country.
There was only one option from the start. It was because of pride that Tigranes couldn't make a decision.
Tigranes had no choice but to admit that he played in the hands of the Romans from beginning to end.
Although he had never seen his face, he was even afraid of a Roman commander named Pompeius.
Lucullus was also a huge appendix, but Pompeius felt a little different.
It was the same as Lucullus in not thinking that he could win in battle.
However, Pompeius even deprived Tigranes of the opportunity to choose to fight.
It seemed as if his hands and feet were tightly tied so that he could not even choose except to surrender.
Tigranes, who had been silently staring at the ground for a long time, called the scribe.
"Send an envoy to the Roman army... I'll visit him in person, so let's sign a peace treaty."
The king of a country visiting the general of the enemy army in person is the meaning of surrender.
It was a great humiliation, but the subjects welcomed the king's decision.
They are not directly humiliated, so shouldn't they live and see for now?
"That's a wise decision. Your Majesty!"
"You will be praised forever as a wise monarch who thought of the national interest!"
The flattery of the subjects twisted Tigranes' belly even more.
Without saying a word, he rose from his throne and went into his bed.
Regardless of whether they did or not, the subjects only breathed a sigh of relief that they protected their vested interests.
* * *
Pompeius responded willingly to the proposal to meet in person and sign a peace treaty.
Ironically, before the answer arrived, Tigranes placed a huge bounty on Mithridates.
It was a scene that clearly showed how urgent Armenia was in a situation.
Thanks to this, Mithridates, who was only looking for a chance to enter Armenia, had to turn north.
He went as far as Colchis, which is close to the west coast of the Black Sea, but it was not safe there either.
This is because the navy laid down by Pompeius, who predicted that Mithridates would come, was flashing the surveillance network.
Eventually, he had no choice but to hide himself inside the rugged Caucasus Mountains.
It was a harsh escape for the 66-year-old old man.
Mithridates, who has got sentenced to political death, is now almost unlikely to come back.
Pompeius showed his true character as a great strategist again this time.
There was only one battle that brought Pontus and Armenia to their knees.
The battle with Mithridates also flowed as designed by Pompeius from before to the end.
Not once did the war go beyond expectations?
It was the same until the last moment when the peace treaty was signed.
The Romans got fully prepared to greet King Tigranes and waited.
Pompeius greeted Tigranes sitting on a chair reminiscent of a throne.
Marcus vividly captured the signing of a historic peace treaty behind Pompeius.
Tigranes appeared wearing a splendid crown like a typical Eastern monarch.
Arriving in front of the Roman army's camp, he got off the horse and slowly walked to Pompeius.
Handing a golden sword to the guard, he looked at Pompeius, biting his trembling lips tightly.
It seemed that he would not forget what kind of person he was who made this situation; on the other hand, he seemed to be trying to suppress humiliation.
Eventually, Tigranes, who made up his mind, slowly knelt down and took off his crown.
Handing the crown to the other party in the East is like a declaration to admit defeat.
Marcus came forward and read the statue of Tigranes on the parchment.
"Tigranes II. A member of the House of Artaxiad and king of Armenia. He's an ally of King Mithridates VI of Pontus and he's referring to the monarch of Seleucus. Will you accept my surrender?"
Pompeius rose from his seat with a smile and approached Tigranes, who knelt down.
He returned the crown that he had handed over to him, took Tigranes' hand, and raised him up.
"I will gladly accept your wishes. If Armenia accepts my terms, there will be no more bloodshed between us."
"Any conditions... We are ready to accept."
"It's a wise decision. Then I'll deliver our request."
When Pompeius gave the signal, Marcus handed Tigranes a piece of parchment.
The contents written there were as follows.
I. Armenia pays 144 million Sestertii in compensation for the war.
II. Apart from the indemnity, Pompeius's legionnaires were given 200 sestertii per person.
III. All territories that Armenia unfairly occupied shall be returned. It no longer claims ownership of the east coast of the Phoenician, Cilician, and Euphrates rivers.
IV. All relations with Mithridates VI got terminated, and he will make no cooperation in the future.
V. Armenia no longer acts hostile to Rome, and Rome no longer acts militarily against Armenia.
VI. In case of violation above, Rome reserves the right to demand the implementation of the agreement from Armenia.
It was an expected proposal, but it was so painful when he checked it with his own eyes.
When items 1 and 2 are combined, the amount of damages to be paid amounts to 160 million sestertii. It is an amount that even affluent Eastern dynasties can raise by robbing the national treasury.
The same goes for 3 and 6.
This was a bluff that if they did anything suspicious in the future, they would immediately take military retaliation.
Everything they've done so far has gone to waste, and all that remains is a huge debt to pay to Rome.
Tigranes, who had lost everything he had built, just felt miserable.
He had no idea how long it would take to recover all of this damage.
Still, it is the least comforting thing to avoid destruction.
Tigranes ended the meeting with a forced smile.
Pompeius, who even received Armenia's surrender, immediately embarked on the next action.
Although he expelled Mithridates and won Armenia's submission, he could not say that he had yet conquered the East.
He wanted a victory in the war and a complete subjugation of the whole area.
Marcus decided it was time for him to step up.
A lot of damage naturally occurs in places where war has swept away.
Wealth has got plundered, and ordinary people suffer from shortages of food and supplies.
In fact, Pontus and Cilicia, which became Roman territories, and Armenia, were in a similar situation.
Marcus supported the poor who were festering their boats and the farmers who were affected by the war.
Various farming tools and lumber got delivered to citizens in the name of relief goods.
It was devastated by the war with Rome. But from now on, you must live under Rome's influence.
The people of Pontus had complicated minds.
However, thanks to the words of the Clientes of the Crassus family, who helped them, they accepted the help.
"The war was fought due to the circumstances of the superiors, but shouldn't we all live together anyway? If you think it's hard to get through this winter, I'll come running anytime, so ask for help."
For those who have been through life's hardships, the help of the Crassus family was like salvation from heaven.
Pompeius also actively supported Marcus's actions.
The most important thing in postwar processing is minimizing the ruled class's resistance.
Even Pontus, who fought Rome the most fiercely, thanks to Marcus, showed little resistance.
Rather, some of the Pontus people viewed Rome better than Mithridates.
Under Mithridates' rule, there was only war, but when Rome came in, life became more stable.
Pompeius's gaze naturally descended to the south when Pontus and Armenia got pacified.
There were still numerous areas in the East that were not under Roman influence.
The Seleucid dynasty of Syria.
Cyprus Island, west of Syria.
Jerusalem in Judea.
Nabateans are raging around Petra.
Pompeius decided to incorporate them all under Roman power without the consent of the Senate.
There was no intention of returning to Rome after returning his Imperium, which can get extended as much as necessary.
It was obviously Pompeius who had an absolute influence on the East.
Everyone was aware of that fact.
Thanks to this, Marcus was slowly but surely casting his shadow over the East without being checked by anyone.