thelastdiadoch:The Siege of Themiscyra and Bees used in defense Third Mithridatic War, 72 ADMithrida
thelastdiadoch:The Siege of Themiscyra and Bees used in defense Third Mithridatic War, 72 ADMithridatic WarsAfter losing 2 wars against Rome, a 3rd arose after a rival kingdom in western Anatolia (Turkey), Bithynia, granted their lands to Rome upon King Nicomedes IV Philopater’s death. Mithridates believed that the will which gave them the lands of Bithynia were falsified so he took those lands from Rome The Roman Republic, Kingdoms of Pontus,Armenia and Parthia before theoutbreak of the Third Mithridatic War Before the start of the war Mithridates the VI allied himself with King Tigranes II of Armenia and Ptolemaic Egypt, as well as with the Roman rebel Sertorius who was in Hispania. After the 3rd Mithridatic War had commenced, he eventually allied himself with the rebel Spartacus in Italy.Mithridates (VI) the Great, King of PontusMusée du Louvre After Lucullus (governor of Asia and Cilicia) repelled Mithridates and pushed him back to Pontus, he began sieging and taking cities and forts as he advanced. He eventually made it to the city of Themiscyra, which in earlier times was famed for being the capital of the Amazonian Women.According to Appian’s History of Rome: The Mithridatic Wars “[78] As Mithridates was sailing to Pontus a second tempest overtook him and he lost about 10,000 men and sixty ships, and the remainder were scattered wherever the wind blew them. His own ship sprang a leak and he went aboard a small piratical craft although his friends tried to dissuade him.The pirates landed him safely at Sinope. From that place he was towed to Amisus, whence he sent appeals to his son-in-law, Tigranes the Armenian, and his son, Machares, the ruler of the Cimmerian Bosporus that they should hasten to his assistance.Engraving of a marble bust traditionallysaid to be Lucullus (Hermitage Museum)He ordered Diocles to take a large quantity of gold and other presents to the neighboring Scythians, but Diodes took the gold and the presents and deserted to Lucullus. Lucullus moved to the front with the prestige of victory, subduing everything in his path and subsisting on the country.Presently he came to a rich district, exempt from the ravages of war, where a slave was sold for four drachmas, an ox for one, and goats, sheep, clothing, and other things in proportion.Lucullus laid siege to Amisus and also to Eupatoria, which Mithridates had built alongside of Amisus and named after himself and where he had fixed the royal residence.With another army he besieged Themiscyra, which is named after one of the Amazons and is situated on the river Thermodon. The besiegers of this place brought up towers, built mounds, and dug tunnels so large that great subterranean battles could be fought in them.Themiscyra, Pontus (Modern day Turkey)The inhabitants cut openings into these tunnels from above and thrust bears and other wild animals and swarms of bees into them against the workers. Those who were besieging Amisus suffered in other ways.The inhabitants repelled them bravely, made frequent sallies, and often challenged them to single combat. Mithridates sent them plenty of supplies and arms and soldiers from Cabira, where he wintered and collected a new army. Here he brought together about 40,000 foot and 4000 horse.”Appian’s History of Rome: The Mithridatic Wars 11.78http://www.livius.org/ap-ark/appian/appian_mithridatic_16.htmlhttp://tinyurl.com/kqbxwr2 http://www.beekeeping.com/articles/us/war_bees.htm http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/agriculture/entomology/beekeeping/general/bees_history/bee_war.txt https://www.facebook.com/1526506277606537/photos/a.1526887804235051.1073741828.1526506277606537/1549657618624736/?type=1“Swarms of angry bees cause terror amongst men, and terror is a powerful weapon”“Whilst large-scale beekeeping for agricultural purposes was a later innovation, the humble honeybee nevertheless held an important place in ancient Greek culture.A trio of mythical nymphs, the Thriae or ‘bee maidens’, were loved by Apollo and Poseidon, bearing their children. Bees also have a practical application in battle, as a swarm of angry bees will always cause troops to stall and panic.”http://www.honga.net/totalwar/rome2/unit.php?l=en&v=rome2&f=rom_macedon&u=Gre_Beehive_Onager -- source link