1And yet if you consider carefully what Mithridates was able to do and what he accomplished and what sort of man he was, you will surely rank this king above all those with whom the Roman people has waged war. 1He was the man whom Sulla, with a very large and very brave army, being himself a combative, keen and by no means inexperienced commander, to say nothing more, let go in peace after he had invaded the whole of Asia in war; 1whom Murena, this man's father, after harrying him most vigorously and watchfully, left largely checked but not crushed; 1a king who, taking some years for himself to strengthen his plans and his resources for war, became so strong in hope and enterprise that he thought he would join the Ocean to the Pontus, and the forces of Sertorius to his own.
33To this war two consuls were sent, so that one should pursue Mithridates and the other protect Bithynia; the disasters of the latter on land and sea greatly increased both the king's resources and his name; 33but the achievements of Lucullus were so great that no greater war could be recalled, nor one waged with greater skill and valour. 33For when the whole onslaught of the war had come to rest at the walls of Cyzicus, and Mithridates had thought that city would be for him the gateway to Asia, so that once it was broken open and torn down the whole province would lie open, all this was accomplished by Lucullus: that the city of our most faithful allies was defended and all the king's forces were worn away by the length of the siege.
33What? 33that naval battle off Tenedos, when the enemy's fleet, under the keenest commanders, was making for Italy at full speed, swollen with hope and pride, do you think it was fought with a moderate struggle and slight combat? 33I pass over the battles, I leave aside the sieges of towns; 33driven at last from his kingdom, he still had such strength in counsel and authority that, by allying himself with the king of the Armenians, he renewed himself with fresh resources and forces.