The Mad Tycoon of Rome

Chapter 51:  Pompey Magnus 2

Mithridates had no choice but to retreat after his defeat at Cyzicus.

“Your Majesty, you must flee to Armenia as soon as possible. The Romans are moving faster than we expected.”

“I know!”

Mithridates planned to use the same strategy that he had used when he lost to Lucullus.

The eastern region of Pontus was a rugged mountainous area. The large Roman legions did not want to pass through there.

Lucullus had wasted too much time by taking a long detour around the mountainous area, under the pressure of his subordinates.

But Pompey had already investigated Lucullus’ failure beforehand.

He had sent one legion that he did not call to Cyzicus to the rear and cut off Mithridates’ escape route.

When the road crossing the east was blocked, Mithridates had no choice but to go to Armenia by taking a long way around.

The war situation was different from what he had thought.

It was not easy to gather troops after suffering too many defeats.

Who would be loyal to a king who only lost battles?

It meant that his resources were running out.

“Hehehe…”

  Out of the 33,000 troops he had gathered with difficulty, only 5,000 remained.

Even some of the cavalry ran away without listening to his offer of a hefty reward.

The desertion of the cavalry.

It was a situation he had only imagined.

Mithridates, who ordered the retreat, did not want to admit this situation.

“The last hope is the pirates… If they cut off the supply lines, there is still a chance.”

“Ha, but Your Majesty… Didn’t you hear that the pirates were wiped out by Pompey?”

“Ha! That’s nonsense.”

The rumor that the pirates all over the Mediterranean were annihilated in just 89 days had reached Mithridates’ ears as well.

Of course, he did not believe it.

It did not make sense.

It would take more than 89 days just to travel around the Mediterranean by boat.

How could they destroy all the hiding pirates in such a short time?

“The Romans are trying to confuse us by deliberately leaking false information. And they are cutting off all the contacts that the pirates are sending us.”

“Indeed… That might be possible.”

“Yes. That’s why I secretly sent a messenger to Cilicia. I will decide on the next strategy depending on what answer they bring back.”

But reality was more cruel than expected.

A urgent report from the messenger sent to Mithridates arrived while he was on his way around.

“Yo, Your Majesty! The pirates of Cilicia have already been uprooted. Moreover, most of the pirates are living as farmers after receiving land from Pompey…”

“What!”

He felt a shock as if he had been hit by a blunt object on his head.

“That’s impossible… They really annihilated all the pirates in the Mediterranean in just 89 days? How?”

Mithridates’ common sense and perception could not keep up with the current situation.

He didn’t even feel real about losing in battle.

He couldn’t accept the situation that befell him.

Something was wrong. The gods must have made a mistake.

The war should not have turned out like this.

There must have been some distortion or error in the information somewhere.

“Your Majesty! We need to speed up our retreat. We don’t know when we’ll be caught by the Romans!”

“Yes… Let’s go… To Armenia.”

A weak and small voice came out of Mithridates’ mouth.

The Pontic army hurried along without any direction.

Some soldiers who thought there was no hope deserted again.

Mithridates didn’t even care about that.

They were just soldiers who would lose anyway if they fought face-to-face.

It didn’t matter whether they deserted or not.

He just hoped that this nightmare would end soon.

The Roman army that followed behind Pontus did not hurry.

They leisurely reorganized their legions and praised their soldiers for their achievements.

Spartacus, who had made a great contribution by breaking through the enemy’s center and saving the lives of seven comrades, received a civic crown.

The civic crown was a type of crown made of oak leaves and branches, and it was the second most honorable medal that a Roman soldier could receive.

Marcus was happy for Spartacus receiving such a medal as if it were his own.

He even sent a letter to Rome to have a silver crown made for preservation.

The Roman army resumed their movement after finishing everything from awarding medals to taking care of the wounded.

Pompey judged that it would not be easy to kill Mithridates physically.

It was almost impossible to find and capture a king who ran away in this vast east.

So Pompey did not intend to capture Mithridates from the beginning.

 If it was possible, it would be good, but if not, it didn’t matter.

Instead, he decided to issue a death sentence to Mithridates diplomatically, not physically.

The reason why Mithridates kept reviving even after losing was because he had an alliance with Armenia.

If he cut off this link, Mithridates would become a kite with a broken string.

To restrain Armenia, the best way was to move Parthia, which was holding on to their east.

Pompey had already sent an envoy to Parthia at the same time as he marched to Cyzicus.

In fact, Lucullus, his predecessor, knew this too.

He had also offered an alliance to Parthia when he drove out Armenia, but he was rejected.

Parthia had no intention of getting involved in the war between Rome and Pontus.

At that time, Parthia was consolidating its internal affairs and thought that it was none of their concern who won or lost.

Besides, Lucullus, who had only 30,000 troops, was not a reliable ally for Parthia.

In this respect, Pompey had a much better advantage than Lucullus.

He had more than 60,000 troops, and he had a record of sweeping away the pirates all over the Mediterranean.

The unbelievable report that he had pacified the Mediterranean in less than three months reached the royal court of Parthia.

Phraates III, the king of Parthia, seriously considered the alliance.

Pompey did not ask for anything that would burden Parthia.

“Rome and the Senate, and the citizens, recognize the fact and legitimacy that Parthia under Phraates III is the ruler of Mesopotamia. Parthia also recognizes Rome’s sovereignty over its territories. The boundary between Parthia and Rome is set at the Euphrates River, and the two countries sign a non-aggression treaty.”

The basic framework was the same as what Lucullus had offered, but it felt different for Parthia to accept it.

Pompey did not ask Parthia to restrain Armenia or anything like that.

He just wanted to form an alliance and show their presence.

Since Pontus also offered an alliance to Parthia, their proposals were naturally compared.

Mithridates persuaded Parthia to form an alliance with him and fight actively against Rome.

For Phraates III, it was a situation where he had to choose one side between Pontus and Rome.

After weighing both sides carefully, Parthia soon made a decision.

There was no reason to join forces with a Hellenistic kingdom that was half-ruined and fight against Rome.

The fact that Parthia was in a power struggle internally also contributed to this.

It was obvious which side would be more attractive between the one asking them to move their army and the one asking them to stay still.

Parthia officially announced that they would form an alliance with Rome.

Rome welcomed this and publicized it widely.

Now the one who was in trouble became Armenia.

Pompey marched his army slowly toward Armenia’s territory, as if to show off.

He did not start a war right away, nor did he send an ultimatum to surrender.

He just deployed his army of over 60,000 on the border and sent silent pressure.

Unlike before, time was on Pompey’s side.

The Armenian nobles were extremely anxious about being surrounded by Parthia and Rome.

If the two countries made an agreement to divide and occupy Armenia, Armenia would be destroyed immediately.

Parthia and Armenia had clashed several times before, so they were not on good terms.

And now that they had a strong ally like Rome, they might want to destroy Armenia once and for all.

The nobles openly criticized Tigranes II for forming an alliance with Mithridates out of his ambition.

Even a prince who thought that the kingdom would perish raised a rebellion.

This prince sent an envoy to Pompey and offered to form an alliance with Rome if he supported him.

Pompey did not act rashly this time either. He calmly waited.

This judgment was not wrong.

Tigranes II’s royal authority was shaken, but it was not enough to be pushed aside by a mere prince.

But he felt a lot of pressure.

He suppressed the prince’s rebellion, but he did not know when such a situation would happen again.

In fact, he received complaints from his subordinates every day.

“Your Majesty! A war with Rome is impossible! It is a matter of life and death for Armenia!”

“Pompey’s army is twice as large and stronger than Lucullus’!”

“Even Parthia has joined Rome. Haven’t we already fulfilled our loyalty to Mithridates enough?”

“…But if we bow down to Rome here, we will be like their vassals forever.”

Tigranes’ words of rebuttal did not sound very convincing.

He knew it too well himself.

Being a vassal was incomparable to losing the country.

There was only one choice from the beginning. He couldn’t make a decision because of his pride.

He had to admit that he had been played by the Roman army from start to finish. 

He had never seen his face, but he was afraid of the Roman commander named Pompey.

Lucullus was also a formidable enemy, but Pompey felt a little different.

He did not think he could win in a battle, just like Lucullus.

But Pompey deprived him of even the opportunity to choose to fight.

He felt like his hands and feet were tied and he couldn’t do anything but surrender.

He stared at the ground silently for a long time, then called his secretary.

“Send… an envoy to the Roman army. I will visit him personally. Let’s make a peace treaty.”

For a king of a country to visit an enemy general personally, it was almost the same as surrendering.

It was a huge humiliation, but his subordinates applauded his decision.

They didn’t suffer any direct humiliation, and they had to survive first anyway.

“It is a wise decision, Your Majesty!”

“You will be praised for a long time as a wise and benevolent ruler who thought of the national interest!”

The obvious flattery of his subordinates twisted Tigranes’ stomach even more.

He got up from his throne without saying a word and went into his bedroom.

Whether they liked it or not, the servants only breathed a sigh of relief that they had protected their privileges.

  ※※※※

Pompey gladly accepted the proposal to meet in person and sign a treaty of alliance.

But before his reply even arrived, Tigranes put a huge bounty on Mithridates.

It was a clear sign of how desperate Armenia was.

Mithridates, who had been waiting for a chance to invade Armenia, had to change his direction to the north.

He went as far as Colchis, which was close to the western coast of the Black Sea, but he was not safe there either.

Pompey had anticipated his move and deployed a navy that was keeping watch.

In the end, he had no choice but to hide himself in the harsh mountains of Caucasus.

It was a brutal escape route for a 66-year-old man.

Mithridates, who had been declared politically dead, had almost no chance of recovering.

Pompey had once again shown his true colors as a master strategist.

He had only fought one battle to subdue Pontus and Armenia.

The negotiation with Mithridates also went exactly as Pompey had planned from start to finish.

Nothing went beyond his expectations.

Even until the last moment of signing the treaty, it was the same.

The Roman army was ready to welcome King Tigranes.

Pompey sat on a chair that resembled a throne and greeted Tigranes.

Marcus stood behind Pompey and witnessed the historic treaty being signed.

Tigranes appeared with a splendid crown, typical of an eastern monarch.

He reached the front of the Roman camp and dismounted from his horse. He walked slowly towards Pompey.

He handed his golden sword to his guard and looked at Pompey with his lips trembling. 

He seemed to want to remember who had caused this situation, but also to suppress his humiliation.

Finally, Tigranes made up his mind and knelt down slowly. He took off his crown.

In the east, giving one’s crown to another meant declaring one’s defeat.

Marcus stepped forward and read aloud Tigranes’ identity written on a parchment.

“Tigranes II. A descendant of the Artaxiad dynasty and the king of Armenia. An ally of Mithridates VI, the king of Pontus, and the one who claims to be the ruler of Seleucus. Do you accept his surrender?”

Pompey smiled and rose from his seat. 

He approached Tigranes, who was kneeling down. He returned his crown and took his hand to help him stand up.

“I gladly accept your will. If Armenia agrees to my terms, there will be no more bloodshed between us.”

“We are ready to accept any terms…”

“A wise decision. Then I will deliver my demands.”

Pompey signaled Marcus, who handed a parchment to Tigranes.

It contained the following:

Armenia will pay 144 million sesterces as war reparations.In addition to the reparations, each legionary of Pompey will receive 200 sesterces.

III. Armenia will return all territories that it unjustly occupied. It will not claim any rights over Phoenicia, Cilicia, or the eastern coast of the Euphrates River.

Armenia will sever all ties with Mithridates VI and will not cooperate with him in any way.Armenia will not engage in any hostile acts against Rome, and Rome will not conduct any military actions against Armenia.If any of these terms are violated, Rome reserves the right to demand compliance from Armenia at any time.

It was an expected proposal, but it was still very painful to see it with his own eyes.

The total amount of compensation he had to pay was 160 million sesterces if he added items I and II. 

Even for a wealthy eastern dynasty, it would take a lot of money from the treasury.

Items III and VI were also the same.

They meant that if he did anything suspicious, Rome would immediately retaliate militarily.

Everything he had done so far had gone to waste, and all he had left was a huge debt to Rome.

He had lost everything he had built up.

He had no idea how long it would take to recover from this damage.

But at least he had avoided destruction. 

Maybe that was some consolation.

Tigranes forced a smile and concluded the negotiation.

After securing Armenia’s surrender, Pompey moved on to his next action.

He had driven out Mithridates and obtained Armenia’s obedience, but he could not say that he had pacified the east.

What he wanted was not a simple victory in war, but a complete submission of the region.

Marcus thought it was time for him to step in.

Wherever war swept through, there was bound to be a lot of damage.

Property was plundered, and ordinary people suffered from lack of food and supplies.

In fact, Pontus and Cilicia, which had become Roman territories, as well as Armenia, were all in similar situations.

Marcus helped the lower class people and the farmers who had been affected by the war.

Various farming tools and wood were delivered to the citizens as relief goods.

They had fought fiercely against Rome, but they had to live under Rome’s influence from now on.

The Pontic people had mixed feelings.

  But they accepted the help from the clients of the Crassus family, who offered them assistance.

“War is something that happens because of the upper class, but we have to live together, don’t we? If you have trouble getting through this winter, come to us anytime and we will help you.”

For those who were struggling with their immediate livelihoods, the help from the Crassus family was like a salvation from heaven.

Pompey also actively supported Marcus’ actions.

The most important thing in post-war treatment was to minimize the resistance of the subjugated people.

Thanks to Marcus, even Pontus, which had fought the most fiercely against Rome, did not show much resistance.

Rather, some of the Pontic people came to like Rome more than Mithridates.

Life had been stable under Rome’s rule, while it had been nothing but war under Mithridates.

After Pontus and Armenia were pacified, Pompey’s eyes naturally went south.

There were still many areas in the east that were not under Rome’s influence.

The Seleucid dynasty of Syria.

The island of Cyprus west of Syria.

Jerusalem of Judea.

The Nabataeans who ruled Petra with their power.

Pompey decided to incorporate them all under Rome’s power without the consent of the Senate.

He had no intention of returning his imperium, which he could extend as much as he needed, to Rome at this point.

Thus, Pompey exerted absolute influence in the east.

Everyone recognized that fact.

Thanks to that, Marcus was able to cast his shadow over the east slowly but surely without anyone’s interference.