ORDER OF BATTLE // -72 BCE
Siege of Cyzicus
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
2 sides catalogued · combined 330,000 estimated
Roman Republic
30,000
Medium-confidence figure
Kingdom of Pontus
300,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Siege of Cyzicus was a decisive engagement of the Third Mithridatic War, pitting the forces of Mithridates VI of Pontus against the Roman-allied citizens of Cyzicus and a Roman Republican army under Lucius Licinius Lucullus. The disparity in recorded force sizes — 300,000 for the Pontic side against 30,000 Romans — underscores the scale of the Pontic commitment to reducing Cyzicus, a strategically significant city in Mysia. The outcome, a decisive Roman victory, checked Mithridates' capacity to project power in the region and reinforced Roman dominance over their allied communities in Asia Minor during this phase of the war.
‹ Full battle dossier