Zela
(
τὰ Ζῆλα) or
Ziēla. Now
Zilleh; a city in the south of Pontus, not far south of Amasia. The surrounding district was
called Zeletis or Zelitis. At Zela the
Roman general Valerius Triarius was defeated by Mithridates; but the city is more celebrated
for another great battle, that in which Iulius Caesar defeated Pharnaces, and of which he
wrote his famous despatch to Rome—
Veni, vidi, vici (
Plut. Caes. 50;
Mithr. 89;
Bell. Alex. 73).