GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

ARCHELAUS OF CAPPADOCIA (1st century B.C.), general of Mithradates the Great in the war against Rome. In 87 B.C. he was sent to Greece with a large army and fleet, and occupied the Peiraeus after three days' fighting with Bruttius Sura, prefect of Macedonia, who in the previous year had defeated Mithradates' fleet under Metrophanes and captured the island of Sciathus. Here he was besieged by Sulla, compelled to withdraw into Boeotia, and completely defeated at Chaeroneia (86).

A fresh army was sent by Mithradates, but Archelaus was again defeated at Orchomenus, after a two days' battle (85). On the II.12 a conclusion of peace, Archelaus, finding that he had incurred the suspicion of Mithradates, deserted to the Romans, by whom he was well received. Nothing further is known of him. Appian, Mithrid. 30, 49, 56, 64; Plutarch, Sulla, ii, 16 -19, 20, 23; Lucullus, 8.