A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

4. One of the generals of Mithridates, and brother of Archelaus. He had already distinguisned himself previous to the breaking out of the wars with Rome, by an expedition against the barbarians north of the Euxine, whom he defeated in several battles, and appears to have pushed his conquests as far as the mouth of the Tyras (Duiester), where he erected a fortress which continued to bear his name. In the course of these wars he is said to have defeated the barbarians in a combat of cavalry, on the ice at the entrance of the Palus Maeotis, on the very same spot where he the following summer gained a naval victory. (Strab. 2.1, p. 73, 7.3, pp. 306, 307.) In B. C. 88 he was united with his brother Archelaus in the command of the great army with which Mithridates invaded Bithynia, and defeated Nicomedes III. at the river Amnius. This success was quickly followed up by Neoptolemus and Menophanes, who defeated the Roman general M. Aquillius in a second decisive action, and compelled him to fly for refuge to Pergamus. (App. Mith. 17-19.) After this he appears to have accompanied Archelaus to Greece, where he was defeated by Sulla's lieutenant, Munatius, near Chalcis, with heavy loss, B. C. 86. (Ibid. 34.) After this we find him commanding the fleet of Mithridates, which was stationed at Tenedos (B. C. 85), where he was attacked and defeated by Lucullus, the quaestor of Sulla. (Plut. Luc. 3.) From this time we hear no more of him.

[E.H.B]