▁Bos ph orus ▁into ▁his ▁father ' s ▁old ▁Pont ic ▁emp ire . ▁In ▁ 4 8 ▁BC ▁he ▁inv aded ▁C app ad ocia , ▁B ith yn ia , ▁and ▁Armen ia ▁Par va . ▁ ▁Cal vin us ▁concentr ated ▁his ▁forces ▁at ▁Com ana . ▁These ▁forces ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁veter an ▁Roman ▁XXX VI ▁Leg ion , ▁and ▁two ▁recently ▁lev ied ▁green ▁local ▁leg ions ▁rec ru ited ▁in ▁Armen ia ▁Par va , ▁which ▁were ▁armed , ▁trained , ▁and ▁organized ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁style ▁by ▁King ▁De iot arus ▁of ▁Gal atia . ▁He ▁also ▁had ▁local ▁auxili ary ▁sk irm ish ers ▁and ▁caval ry ▁from ▁C il icia . ▁Despite ▁being ▁out number ed ▁by ▁Ph arn aces , ▁Cal vin us ▁advanced ▁toward ▁Pont us ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁strength en ▁his ▁forces ▁with ▁military ▁sett lers ▁hast ily ▁rec ru ited ▁from ▁Rome ' s ▁Pont ic ▁colon ies . ▁Ph arn aces ▁tried ▁to ▁delay ▁Cal vin us ▁by ▁diplom atic ▁means ▁but , ▁failing ▁in ▁this , ▁retired ▁to ▁the ▁vic inity ▁of ▁Nic opol is ▁in ▁Armen ia ▁Par va . ▁Cal vin us ▁brought ▁his ▁army ▁to ▁within ▁seven ▁miles ▁of ▁Nic opol is ▁and , ▁avoid ing ▁an ▁amb ush ▁set ▁by ▁Ph arn aces , ▁deployed ▁his ▁army . ▁Ph arn aces ▁now ▁retired ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁await ed ▁a ▁further ▁Roman ▁advance . ▁ ▁Battle ▁Cal vin us ▁advanced ▁to ▁find ▁Ph arn