the difficulties of keeping an army fed. From interrogating a number of prisoners Lucullus found out the Mithridatic army had only about four days of supplies left. He explained to his officers that the best way to defeat a large army is to stamp on its stomach. He then ordered his men to conduct a counter-siege, they did so and even succeeded in cutting off Mithridates' supply lines while keeping their own open. Mithridates attempted to convince the Cyzicans that the Roman army was his own reserve, but Lucullus was able to get one of his men into the city and he convinced them otherwise. The messenger had to sneak through the Mithridatic siege lines and then swim seven miles to the city (he did so with the help of a flotation device). With the onset of winter, Mithridates's forces faced starvation and plague. The plague was brought on by "corpses that were thrown out unburied". The army of Lucullus was a constant threat, always nearby and yet never willing to engage in force. With disease and starvation running rampant the king decided it was time to withdraw. Probably making use of the vile winter weather, Mithridates was able to break through Lucullus' stranglehold and marched his army towards Lampsacus. Aftermath The Mithridatic army made its way along the coast to the port of Lampsacus. Along the way, they were attacked and destroyed at the Granicus river (the same river where Alexander the Great won his first victory over the Persians). Of the 300,000 who had set out for Bithynia only 20,000 effective troops remained. The siege of Cyzicus could be considered an unmitigated disaster. Notes and references Bibliography Rickard, J. Military History Encyclopedia on the Web. "Siege of Cyzicus, 73 B.C." Accessed 3 Sept 2011. Philip Matyszak, Mithridates the Great, Rome's Indomitable Enemy, pp 106–113 Lee Fratantuono, Lucullus the Life and Campaigns of a Roman Conqueror, pp 55–62. Cyzicus 073 Cyzicus 073 Mithridatic Wars Cyzicus 73 BC History of Balıkesir Province Cyzicus