ravaging shipping for many years. His command lasted from 78 until 74 BC. The first year (78) he allocated to the military preparations, the following two years he fought a combined naval and land campaign against pirates and the Isauri in Cilicia. In 77 and 76 he achieved a number of naval victories against the pirates off the Cilician coast, and was able to occupy the Lycian and Pamphylian coasts. After the pirates fled to their fortified strongholds, Vatia Isauricus began attacking their coastal fortresses. He captured the town of Olympos, the stronghold of brigand Zenicetus. He then went on to capture Phaselis before subduing Corycus and a number of minor pirate strongholds, capturing a number of pirate captains in the process, including the famous Nicon. In 75 BC he advanced across the Taurus Mountains, the first time a Roman army crossed these mountains, and succeeded in defeating the Isauri along the northern slopes. He laid siege to their principal town, Isaura, and managed to capture it after diverting the course of a river, thereby depriving the defenders in the town of their only source of water, after which they surrendered. It was during this part of the campaign that he was acclaimed Imperator by his legionaries. By 74 BC, Vatia Isauricus had organized the territory he had conquered and incorporated it into the province of Cilicia. He was succeeded as proconsul of Cilicia by Lucius Octavius who died shortly after arriving. Octavius was succeeded by Lucius Licinius Lucullus who incorporated Vatia Isauricus' veteran troops and fleet into his army when he marched against Mithridates VI of Pontus at the outbreak of the Third Mithridatic War. Upon his return to Rome, in 74 BC, he was granted a triumph, as well as being awarded the agnomen Isauricus for his victories in Isauria. After parading the captured pirates in his triumph, he deposited the entire war booty he had captured into the treasury and, unlike his peers, kept none for himself, a feat for which he was widely acclaimed. Later career By now, Vatia Isauricus was considered one of the leading members of the Senate, and sometime prior to 76 BC, Vatia Isauricus was admitted to the College of Pontiffs. In 70 BC he served as one of the judges in the trial of Gaius Verres. In 66 BC he supported the proposal of Gaius Manilius to give Pompey the command