Battle of the Abas

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Battle of the Abas
Part of the Third Mithridatic War
Date 65 BC Location Alazani, Caucasian Albania Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Republic	Kingdom of Albania
Commanders and leaders
Pompey Magnus	Oroeses Cosis
Strength
Unknown (Superior to Enemy) [1]	60,000 infantry 12,000 cavalry
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown

The Battle of the Abas was fought in 65 BC between the forces of the Roman Republic under Pompey Magnus and those of the Caucasian Albanian King Oroeses during the course of the Third Mithridatic War. The battle took place on a flat plain by the River Abas (likely the modern Alazani), after the Roman forces had only recently crossed over it from the other bank, and with much dense forest nearby.^[1] Pompey's victory neutralised the threat of the Albanians rejoining with their old ally Mithridates in his attempts to rekindle his lost war with Rome.

The battle is noteworthy for Pompey's concealment of his infantry behind a screen of cavalry, which would twenty years later be used against him at the Battle of Pharsalus. The near perfect double envelopment Pompey is reported to have here achieved also serves to showcase the high quality of his generalship during the Eastern campaigns.