Battle of Chaeronea (86 BCE)
The Battle of Chaeronea, fought in 86 BCE, was a significant conflict during the Roman attempts to exert control over Greece amidst rising tensions and local resistance. This battle occurred as King Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus sought to expand his influence, aided by local discontent with Roman rule following the Social War in Italy. In March of 86 BCE, Roman general L. Cornelius Sulla besieged and captured Athens and subsequently pursued Mithridates' general, Archelaus, to Chaeronea. Utilizing strategic entrenchments and palisades, Sulla effectively defended against Pontic attacks and launched a successful counteroffensive, forcing the Pontic army to retreat.
The battle was pivotal in the greater context of the Roman-Pontic Wars, ultimately leading to the Treaty of Dardanus in 85 BCE, where Mithridates agreed to withdraw from Greek territories. Despite Sulla's harsh tactics in Athens, this campaign showcased his military prowess and set the stage for his rise to power in Rome, culminating in his dictatorship by 83 BCE. The Battle of Chaeronea remains a critical episode in understanding the dynamics of Roman expansion and the complexities of local and regional politics in the ancient Mediterranean.
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Battle of Chaeronea (86 BCE)
Type of action: Ground battle in the First Mithridatic War
Date: 86 b.c.e.
Location: Boeotia, central Greece
Combatants: About 40,000 Romans vs. around 110,000 Pontics
Principal commanders:Roman, Proconsul Sulla (138-78 b.c.e.); Pontic, General Archelaus (fl. first century b.c.e.)
Result: Sulla destroyed two Pontic armies; both sides’ reported casualty figures are improbable
Corruption and oppression made Roman rule hated in Greece and Anatolia. The Social War (91-88 b.c.e.) in Italy enabled King Mithridates VI Eupator of Pontus to conquer territory while posing as a liberator. He eliminated Roman forces in western Anatolia, where the inhabitants massacred resident Italians. Invited by Athens, royal armies occupied Greece in 87 b.c.e.
Consul in 88 b.c.e. and then proconsul, Sulla crossed to Greece, where he besieged and sacked Athens and Piraeus (March 1, 86 b.c.e.). Short on food, Archelaus withdrew from Attica to Boeotia, where he joined another and then a third Pontic army moving south from Macedonia. Sulla followed Archelaus to Chaeronea, where he used entrenchments to prevent his troops from being surrounded and palisades to protect against chariots. Sulla repulsed the Pontic charge, then counterattacked, driving the Pontics from the battle site. The following year, Sulla again defeated the Pontics at Orchomenos.
Significance
In 85 b.c.e., Mithridates signed the Treaty of Dardanus, in which he agreed to vacate Greece and Roman possessions in Anatolia, surrender seventy warships, and pay an indemnity. Sulla’s pillage of Athens contributed to the Romans’ reputation as barbarians, but the campaign revealed him to be a skillful commander. He returned to Italy in 83 b.c.e., eliminated opponents by battle and proscription, and became dictator.
Bibliography
Hind, J. G. F. “Mithridates.” In Cambridge Ancient History. 2d ed. Vol. 9. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Seager, R. “Sulla.” In Cambridge Ancient History. 2d ed. Vol. 9. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Sherwin-White, A. N. Roman Foreign Policy in the East, 168 b.c.-a.d. 1. London: Duckworth, 1984.
Zielkowski, A. “Urbs direpta, or How the Romans Sacked Cities.” In War and Society in the Roman World, edited by J. Rich and G. Shipley. London: Routledge, 1993.