Lucullus had managed to set an astonishing marching pace and covered around 25 kilometres per day, a speed which was extremely fast for that time.
Tigran was completely surprised by this beginning of the war and its rapidity which he, by all rights, could call a "treacherous attack". He sent an army of 3 000 cavalry, led by Mithrobarzan, to engage the enemy but Lucullus had foreseen this move and was prepared for the attack and the Armenian army was defeated by the Roman cavalry which was led by Sextillius.
After having heard of the defeat, Tigran left his capital and handed its defence to one of his generals by the name of Mancéos, while he hurried, though the Souh-su valley 55 to Moush, in order to gather his forces and liberate Tigranakert. He summoned his Arabian forces and these, under the command of Armenian-appointed leader in Syria, Magadates, began the march towards Armenia. However, with help from his general Sextillius, Lucullus managed to cut off these Arabian forces and they were defeated heavily at Amida (present-day Diyarbakir) and were scattered, without being able to assist the Armenian forces at all. 60
Tigran left his wives and all his assets in Tigranakert. Lucullus managed to conquer the surrounding villages of Tigranakert, but the royal palace that lay in the central part of the capital could, thanks to its tall walls and brave defenders, withstand his attack.
Lucullus decided not to chase Tigran through the mountains, but to continue the siege of Tigranakert, reasoning that sooner or force Tigran would to want to liberate his beautiful capital.
But this time Lucullus was proved wrong. Tigran, who was waiting in the lowlands of Moush, was rearming his army to meet the Romans.
At the same time Tigran attempted to liberate his wives and his assets and move them to a safer place. In order to achieve this, he sent 6 000 horsemen to break through the enemy lines surrounding Tigranakert. Part of the Armenian cavalry managed to get to the palace and return to Moush 61, but most were either killed or captured. 62
The siege went on and the Romans had by now built machines to break through the defences of the palace. The Armenians retaliated by using their own methods, which included pouring boiling oil. This was completely unknown to the Romans and caused them great damage.
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