82BC: Rome is sacked by the Samnites when Sulla and Crassus fall in battle. Pompey manages to escape, but the city is open. The Samnites are unable to bring about utter destruction, but Rome is severely damaged. Marius the Younger takes control of the Republic, but is murdered by the Samnites, who set about reinvigorating the Social War.
81BC: Lucius Murena, a Sullan, leaves Asia Minor together with Pompey, seeking to restore the Republic. He strips both Asia and Greece of their legions to do this, with predictable consequences, as ruined Asia rises up, initially under the Greek tyrant Aristedes of Mytilene.
80BC: Murena lands in Italy, and he and Pompey inflict a heavy defeat on the Samnites. They then return to Rome, and set about rebuilding the Senate. Mithridates VI of Pontus meanwhile sweeps aside Aristedes, and establishes a Pontic Empire that covers much of Anatolia.
70sBC: Rome's control of the East further atrophies. To the south, Italy remains in revolt, blocking Roman communications with Macedon and Asia. Spain is now an independent warlordship under the Marian general Sertorius. Sertorius fights several inconclusive battles against Pompey in Transalpine Gaul, which lead mostly to further Gallic incursions into the province.
As one Empire wobbles, another rises. In 76BC, Mithridates the Great subjugates Rhodes and Mytilene with his shiny new war fleet, and sets up Athens, recently devastated by Sulla, as his client in Greece. He also recusitates the dormant Macedonian throne, and claims it for himself, but his actual control over Macedon is limited. No matter. In 72BC, the King captures Byzantium, and extends his control further into Thrace. Meanwhile, he develops Sardis as a capital for his Empire, partly replacing Amaseia.
Further east still, Tigranes of Armenia brings the half-life of the Seleucid Empire to a final conclusion by occupying Antioch in 75BC. Tigranes then begins to make covetous glances at Egypt, which, with lack of Roman support, is in severe trouble. Ptolemy XII is forced to beg for support from the Armenians to consolidate his shaky throne, which Tigranes is more than happy to give. Armenian troops enter Alexandria in 70BC.
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