epublic was of necessity mixed
up henceforth with the various movements and struggles which agitated
Western Asia, and was naturally led to strengthen its position among the
Asiatic kingdoms by such alliances as seemed at each conjuncture best
fitted for its interests.

Hitherto no occasion had arisen for any direct dealings between Rome
and Parthia. Their respective territories were still separated by
considerable tracts, which were in the occupation of the Syrians, the
Cappadocians, and the Armenians. Their interests had neither clashed,
nor as yet sufficiently united them to give rise to any diplomatic
intercourse. But the progress of the two Empires in opposite directions
was continually bringing them nearer to each other; and events had now
reached a point at which the Empires began to have (or seem to have)
such a community of interests as led naturally to an exchange of
communications. A great power had been recently developed in these
parts. In the rapid way so common in the East. Mithridates V., of
Pontus, the son and successor of Rome's ally, had, between B.C. 112 and
B.C. 93, built up an Empire of vast extent, numerous population, and
almost inexhaustible resources. He had established his authority over
Armenia Minor, Colchis, the entire east coast of the Black Sea, the
Chersonesus Taurica, or kingdom of the Bosporus, and even over the whole
tract lying west of the Chersonese as far as the mouth of the Tyras,
or Dniester. Nor had these gains contented him. He had obtained half of
Paphlagonia by an iniquitous compact with Nicomedes, King of Bithynia;
he had occupied Galatia; and he was engaged in attempts to bring
Cappadocia under his influence. In this last-named project he was
assisted by the Armenians, with whose king, Tigranes, he had (about B.C.
96) formed a close alliance, at the same time giving him his daughter,
Cleopatra, in marriage. Rome, though she had not yet determined on war
with Mithridates, was resolved to thwart his Cappadocian projects, and
in B.C. 92 sent Sulla into Asia with orders to put down the puppet whom
Mithridates and Tigranes were establishing, and to replace upon the
Cappadocian throne a certain Ariobarzanes, whom they had driven from
his kingdom. In the execution of this commission, Sulla was brought
into hostile collision with the Armenians, whom he defeated with great
slaughter, and drove from Cappadocia together with their puppet king.
Thus, not only did the growing power of M