The bellum dardanicum and the third mithridatic war

Abstract

It is argued here that the Balkan campaign of C. Scribonius Curio was not simply the adventure of an ambitious general bent on triumph and glory in a war against the barbarians. On the contrary, it was a carefully planned action by the Sullan regime Curio's war was a continuation of Pulcher's -, aimed at pacifying the Balkans and preparing the ground for the final war against Mithridates, which ensued. Among the facts which corroborate this conclusion, the unusually large number of troops mustered by Curio should be stressed (5 legions, according to Frontinus). Such a force was hardly necessary for a mere retaliatory operation against the barbarians of the Balkan interior.