irection, and detain him in
his rear, he sent his admiral, Aristonikus, to the Grecian sea, and
Aristonikus was just on the point of setting sail when he was betrayed
to Lucullus, who got him into his power, together with ten thousand
pieces of gold which he was carrying to bribe a part of the Roman army
with. Upon this Mithridates fled to the sea, and his generals led the
land forces off. But Lucullus falling upon them at the river
Granikus,[357] took many prisoners, and slew twenty thousand of them.
It is said that near three hundred thousand persons were destroyed out
of the whole number of camp-followers and fighting-men.

XII. Upon entering Kyzikus, Lucullus took his pleasure, and enjoyed a
friendly reception suitably to the occasion; he next visited the
Hellespont, and got his navy equipped. Arriving at the Troad,[358] he
placed his tent within the sacred precincts of Aphrodite, and as he
was sleeping there he thought that he saw the goddess in the night
standing by him, saying:

"Why slumber, lion of the mighty heart?
The fawns are near at hand."

Waking from sleep, Lucullus called his friends and told them his
dream, while it was still night; and there came persons from Ilium,
who reported that thirteen of the king's quinqueremes had been seen
near the Achaean harbour, moving in the direction of Lemnos.
Immediately setting sail, Lucullus captured these vessels and killed
their commander, Isidorus, and he then advanced against the other
captains. Now, as they happened to be at anchor, they drew all their
vessels together up to the land, and, fighting from the decks, dealt
blows on the men of Lucullus; for the ground rendered it impossible to
sail round to the enemy's rear, and, as the ships of Lucullus were
afloat, they could make no attack on those of the enemy, which were
planted close to the land and securely situated. However, with some
difficulty, Lucullus landed the bravest of his soldiers in a part of
the island which was accessible, who, falling on the rear of the
enemy, killed some and compelled the rest to cut their cables and make
their escape from the land, and so to drive their vessels foul of one
another, and to be exposed to the blows of the vessels of Lucullus.
Many of the enemy perished; but among the captives there was
Marius,[359] he who was sent from Sertorius. Marius had only one eye,
and the soldiers had received orders from Lucullus, as they were
setting out on the expedition, t