oad, who were retreating
in great alarm and consternation, and he conjectured what had
happened, but as he soon heard of the defeat from a large number whom
he met, who had lost their arms and were wounded, he set out to seek
Tigranes. Though he found Tigranes destitute of everything, and
humbled, Mithridates did not retaliate for his former haughty
behaviour, but he got down from his horse, and lamented with Tigranes
their common misfortunes; he also gave Tigranes a royal train that was
attending on him, and encouraged him to hope for the future.
Accordingly, the two kings began to collect fresh forces. Now, in the
city of Tigranocerta[406] the Greeks had fallen to quarrelling with
the barbarians, and were preparing to surrender the place to Lucullus,
on which he assaulted and took it. Lucullus appropriated to himself
the treasures in the city, but he gave up the city to be plundered by
the soldiers, which contained eight thousand talents of coined money,
with other valuable booty. Besides this, Lucullus gave to each man
eight hundred drachmae out of the produce of the spoils. Hearing that
many actors had been taken in the city, whom Tigranes had collected
from all quarters, with the view of opening the theatre which he had
constructed, Lucullus employed them for the games and shows in
celebration of the victory. The Greeks he sent to their homes, and
supplied them with means for the journey, and in like manner those
barbarians who had been compelled to settle there; the result of which
was that the dissolution of one city was followed by the restoration
of many others, which thus recovered their citizens, by whom Lucullus
was beloved as a benefactor and a founder. Everything else also went
on successfully and conformably to the merits of the general, who
sought for the praise that is due to justice and humanity, and not the
praise that follows success in war: for the success in war was due in
no small degree, to the army and to fortune, but his justice and
humanity proved that he had a mild and well-regulated temper; and it
was by these means that Lucullus now subdued the barbarians without
resorting to arms; for the kings of the Arabs came to him to surrender
all that they had, and the Sopheni also came over to him. He also
gained the affection of the Gordyeni so completely that they were
ready to leave their cities, and to follow him, as volunteers, with
their children and wives, the reason of which was as follows: