But As Soon As The Island Was Divided Into Independent
Republics, Their Navigation And Commerce Seem To Have Declined.
Their
piratical expeditions were conducted with so much boldness and success,
especially at the time when the Romans were engaged in hostilities with
Mithridates, that they determined to curb them.
Anthony, the father of Marc
Anthony, was appointed to execute their vengeance; but, too confident of
success, he was beaten by the Cretans in a sea-battle. This naturally
encouraged them to carry on their piracies on a greater scale, and with
more boldness; but their triumph was of short duration, for Metellus, the
proconsul, having defeated their forces, united with those of the Cilician
pirates, landed on the island, and subdued the whole of it.
In the meantime, Mithridates, who had been very instrumental in encouraging
the pirates to commit depredations on the Roman vessels and coasts, was
vigorously preparing for war with the republic. His naval force, formed
partly of his own ships, and partly from those of most of the maritime
states, all of whom were jealous and afraid of the Romans, and regarded
Mithridates as their protector and deliverer, insulted even the coasts of
Italy. We have already noticed his unsuccessful sea-fight with the
Rhodians, almost the only people who continued faithful to the Romans. The
latter, at length, were fully sensible of the absolute necessity of forming
such a fleet as would enable them successfully to oppose Mithridates, who
was master, not only of Asia, but of all Greece, and the adjacent islands,
except Rhodes. Sylla was employed against him; but as he had very few
ships, he sent Lucullus to Syria, Egypt, Lybia, and Cyprus, to collect a
fleet. From Ptolemy, who was afraid of the power of Mithridates, and,
perhaps, jealous of the Romans, he received no vessels; but from the other
quarters he received considerable supplies of ships and experienced
mariners. It is probable, however, that by sea the Romans would not have
been able to cope with Mithridates, had not that monarch been beaten by
land, and had not his admiral, Archelaus, delivered up the fleet under his
command to Sylla. In the meantime, Mithridates was blocked up in Pitane, a
city near Troy, from which he could not have escaped, if Lucullus had
brought his fleet against it; this, however, out of jealousy to the Roman
general Fimbria, he refused to do, contenting himself with naval
operations. In these he was successful, gaining two victories over
Mithridates's fleet, near the coast of Troy. These defeats, and the
treachery of Archelaus, nearly annihilated the maritime force of
Mithridates. But this monarch was not easily dispirited; in a short time he
collected another fleet, and invaded Bithynia. It was therefore necessary
for the Romans to send a fleet thither, which they did, under the command
of Cotta. This fleet, however, was far inferior to that of the king, which
consisted of 400 ships of thirty oars, besides a great many smaller
vessels.
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