Battle of Tigranocerta

The Battle of Tigranocerta was a Roman victory under Lucullus over Tigranes the Great’s forces in 69 BCE, during the Third Mithridatic War.

Lucullus’s Armenian campaign: Lucullus’s invasion of Armenia brought Roman forces to Tigranocerta in 69 BCE. The battle was the decisive engagement of this campaign.
Third Mithridatic War: The Third Mithridatic War was Rome’s final major conflict against Mithridates VI of Pontus, fought from 73 to 63 BCE. Lucullus invaded Armenia while pursuing Rome’s war against Mithridates.
Tigranocerta: Tigranocerta was a city founded by Tigranes II as the capital of his expanding Armenian kingdom. Lucullus captured the city after defeating its relieving army.
Appian: Appian was a Greek-speaking Roman historian of the second century CE who wrote a history of Rome’s wars. His account places the battle within the wider Mithridatic conflict.
Tigranes the Great: Tigranes II ruled Armenia from about 95 to 55 BCE and built a powerful regional empire. He commanded the Armenian army and fled as its formation broke.
First Mithridatic War: The First Mithridatic War was Rome’s conflict with Mithridates VI from 89 to 85 BCE. It began the Roman-Pontic rivalry that ultimately brought Lucullus to Armenia.
Siege of Tigranocerta: The Siege of Tigranocerta was Lucullus’s 69 BCE assault on the Armenian capital during the Third Mithridatic War. The field victory enabled Lucullus to take the city and its royal treasure.
Plutarch: Plutarch was a Greek biographer and essayist of the first and second centuries CE. His Life of Lucullus describes the commander’s tactics and the Armenian rout.
Roman legion: The Roman legion was a military unit whose organization and tactics changed across Roman history. Lucullus’s infantry advanced uphill against the Armenian cavalry.
Treaty of Dardanos: The Treaty of Dardanos ended the First Mithridatic War in 85 BCE between Rome and Mithridates VI. Its terms left Mithridates in power, allowing the conflict with Rome to resume.

Linked from 3 pages

LucullusBroader topic: Lucullus’s bold attack on Tigranes’s larger force became his most celebrated victory.