e following year a second army was sent into Greece by
Mithridates, and the Romans and Asiatics met once more in the plain of the
Cephissus, near Orchomenus. The Romans were the victors, who speedily
cleared the European continent of its eastern invaders. At the end of the
third year of the war, Sulla took up his winter quarters in Thessaly, and
commenced to build ships.

(M980) Meanwhile a reaction against Mithridates took place in Asia Minor.
His rule was found to be more oppressive than that of the Romans. The
great mercantile cities of Smyrna, Colophon, Ephesus, and Sardis were in
revolt, and closed their gates against his governors. The Hellenic cities
of Asia Minor had hoped to gain civil independence and a remission of
taxes, and were disappointed. And those cities which were supposed to be
secretly in favor of the Romans were heavily fined. The Chians were
compelled to pay two thousand talents. Great cruelties were also added to
fines and confiscations. Lucullus, unable to obtain the help of an
Alexandrian fleet, was more fortunate in the Syrian ports, and soon was
able to commence offensive operations. Flaccus, too, had arrived with a
Roman army, but this incapable general was put to death by a mob-orator,
Fimbria, more able than he, who defeated a Pontic army at Miletopolis. The
situation of Mithridates then became perilous. Europe was lost; Asia Minor
was in rebellion; and Roman armies were pressing upon him.

(M981) He therefore negotiated for peace. Sulla required the restoration
of all the conquests he had made: Cappadocia, Paphlagonia, Galatia,
Bithynia, the Hellenic cities, the islands of the sea, and a contribution
of three thousand talents. These conditions were not accepted, and Sulla
proceeded to Asia, upon which Mithridates reluctantly acceded to his
terms.

(M982) Sulla then turned against Fimbria, who commanded the Roman army
sent to supplant him, which, as was to be expected, deserted to his
standard. Fimbria fled to Pergamus, and fell on his own sword. Sulla
intrusted the two legions which had been sent from Rome under Flaccus to
the command of his best officer, Murena, and turned his attention to
arrange the affairs of Asia. He levied contributions to the amount of
twenty thousand talents, reduced Mithridates to the rank of a client king,
richly compensated his soldiers, and embarked for Italy, leaving Lucullus
behind to collect the contributions.

(M983) Thus was the Mithridatic war ended b