Cum esset in fine bellum piraticum et L. Lucullus, qui ante septem annos ex consulatu sortitus Asiam Mithridati oppositus erat magnasque et memorabiles res ibi gesserat, Mithridatem saepe multis locis fuderat, egregia Cyzicum liberarat victoria, Tigranem, regum maximum, in Armenia vicerat ultimamque bello manum paene magis noluerat imponere quam non potuerat, quia alioqui per omnia laudabilis et bello paene invictus pecuniae pellebatur cupidine, idem bellum adhuc administraret, Manilius tribunus plebis, semper venalis et alienae minister potentiae, legem tulit, ut bellum Mithridaticum per Cn. Pompeium administraretur.
When the war with the pirates was drawing to a close, Pompey was assigned to the command against Mithridates in place of Lucius Lucullus. Seven years before this, Lucullus, at the conclusion of his consulship, had obtained the pro-consulship of Asia, and had been placed in command against Mithridates. In this post he had performed some great and notable exploits, having defeated Mithridates several times in different regions, freed Cyzicus by a brilliant victory, and conquered Tigranes, the greatest of kings, in Armenia. That he had not put an end to the war was due, one might say, to lack of inclination rather than of ability; for although in all other respects he was a man of laudable character and in war had scarcely ever been defeated, he was a victim to the love of money. He was still engaged in carrying on the same struggle when Manilius, tribune of the people, a man of venal character always, and ready to abet the ambitions of others, proposed a law that Pompey should be given the chief command in the Mithridatic war.
final_alignments\Velleius_Paterculus_Compendium.json