68 B.C. - events and references (original) (raw)

Click on the links in the lists of references to go to the sources for each event

ARM << The Romans capture Pinaca.
@ Strab_16'747.(1.24)

SYR << Tigranes loses control of Syria.
* Read Justin's account
@ Strab_10'532,(14.15) 14'669;(5.2) ~Appian:Syr_70; ~Just_40.1'4, 2'2-3;* Trog:Prol_40; { CAH_9'259.}

ROM The consul Metellus dies soon after taking office; his successor also dies, so Marcius is left as sole consul.
@ +DioCass_36.4'1; { CAH_9'792.}

EGY {11 Pharmouthi -E = April} Document: AET_6.15, the will of a 'katoikos hippeus'.

ARM Tigranes and Mithridates raise another army.
* Read Appian's account
@ ~Appian:Mith_87;* +DioCass_36.1'1.

PER Mithridates writes to Arsaces of Parthia, asking for his assistance against the Romans, but Arsaces decides to remain neutral.
* Read Sallust's account
@ Sall:Hist_4.67'1-23;* Memn_38'8; ~Plut:Luc_30'1; ~Appian:Mith_87; +DioCass_36.1'1-2, 3'1-3; { CAH_9'241-242.}

ROM L.Quinctius proposes that the command against Mithridates should be taken away from Lucullus.
* Read Plutarch's account
@ Sall:Hist_4'68;L Plut:Luc_33'5-6;* +DioCass_36.2'1-2; { CAH_9'331.}

PON Lucullus' garrisons in Pontus start to mutiny.
@ ~Plut:Luc_30'2-5.

PEL {July ?} Straton of Alexandria wins both the wrestling and the pancration contests at the Olympic games.
* Read Aelian's account
@ +Paus_5.21'9; Aelian:VH_4'15;* +[Euseb]:Chron_211.(↓)

CRE Metellus captures Cydonia and Cnossus.
* Read Livy's account
@ ~[Liv]:Per_99;* Flor_1.42'4; Appian:Sic_6'5;(9) { CAH_9'331.}

ARM Lucullus marches towards Artaxata, and beats off an attack by Mithridates and Tigranes near the river Arsanias.
* Read Plutarch's account
@ Sall:Hist_4'72-73;L ~Plut:Luc_31'1-9;* ~Appian:Mith_87; +DioCass_36.4'2-6'1; { CAH_9'242.}

{September} Lucullus' army refuses to march further into Armenia, amidst rumours that he is planning to invade Parthia.
* Read Cicero's account
@ Cic:LegMan_23-24;* ~Plut:Luc_32'1-4; { CAH_9'242; at the time of the autumn equinox.}

++ During Lucullus' invasion of Armenia, Roman armies penetrate further east than ever before.
* Read Cicero's account
@ Cic:Sest_58;* Julian:Caes_322'D; Festus:Brev_14'1, 15'3; AmmMarc_23.5'16.

MES Lucullus withdraws to Nisibis, which he starts to besiege.
* Read Plutarch's account
@ Sall:Hist_4'76;L ~Plut:Luc_32'4-5;* +DioCass_36.6'1-3, 8'1.

LUS << Caesar serves as quaestor in further Spain; his ambition is stirred by seeing a statue of Alexander.
* Read Suetonius' account
@ [Caes]:BHisp_42'1; Vell_2.43'4; Plut:Caes_5'6, 11'5, :Mor_206'B; Suet:Caes_7'1-2;* DioCass_37.52'2, 41.24'2; Julian:Caes_322'C; { OCD_c; DPRR.}

ROM C.Piso openly bribes voters in order to be elected as consul.
* Read Dio's account
@ Sall:Hist_4'78;L DioCass_36.38'3;* { CAH_9'331-332.}

PON Mithridates re-enters Pontus and wins support against the Romans.
* Read Dio's account
@ Cic:LegMan_24-25; Sall:Hist_5'2-3;L Memn_38'1; Plut:Luc_34'6; Appian:Mith_88; +DioCass_36.9'1-2;* Eutrop_6.9'2; { CAH_9'243; OCD_m.}

Mithridates defeats M.Fabius.
* Read Dio's account
@ Sall:Hist_5'5-6;L Plut:Luc_35'1; Appian:Mith_88; +DioCass_36.9'2-5;* { CAH_9'243.}

ARM Tigranes attacks L.Fannius.
@ +DioCass_36.8'1-2.

ROM {November -R} Document: Cic:Att_1.5 & 1.6, the two earliest surviving letters of Cicero to Atticus.

M.Cato is the only candidate to obey the canvassing laws, when elected to be tribunus militum.
@ ~Plut:CatMin_8'4-5.

CIS C.Caesar incites unrest in the towns of northern Italy.
@ ~Suet:Caes_8'1; { OCD_c; after his return from Spain.}

MES Lucullus captures Nisibis.
* Read Dio's account
@ ~Plut:Luc_32'5-6, 36'6, 46'1; +DioCass_36.7'1-8'1,* 14'3; Festus:Brev_14'1, 15'3; Eutrop_6.9'1-2; Hieron:Chron_1944; AmmMarc_25.9'8; Oros_6.3'7; { CAH_9'242; OCD_n.}

PON Triarius defeats Mithridates at Comana.
@ +DioCass_36.10'1-11'1.

ROM ?? Metellus Nepos and Curio agree to drop legal proceedings, after threatening to prosecute each other.
@ Ascon_63-64;L { When Metellus was still young - before he served under Pompeius in 67-64 B.C.}

== Hortensius fails to sustain his pre-eminence as an orator after his consulship.
@ Cic:Brut_320.

25a

GRE ?? Ariston of Alexandria and Cratippus move from the Academic school to become Peripatetic philosophers.
@ Phld:Acad_35;B

MES ++ The philosopher Antiochus accompanies Lucullus during his eastern campaigns.
* Read Aelian's account
@ Phld:Acad_34;B Cic:Acad_2'4, '10, '61, '63, '132-133, '137; Aelian:VH_12'25;* { OCD_a; Green_609.}

PAL == The birth of Joseph, the grandfather of the historian Josephus.
@ ~Joseph:Vit_5; { In the 9th year of the reign of Alexandra.}

ASI == P. Dolabella avoids condemning a woman of Smyrna, who is accused of murdering her husband.
* Read Gellius' account
@ ValMax_8.1am'2; Gell_12.7'1-8;* AmmMarc_29.2'19; { DPRR.}