sylla-第10章

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awakened　at　the　flight　of　his　men。　Sylla；　according　to　his　own
account；　lost　only　twenty…three　men　in　this　fight；　having　killed　of
the　enemy　twenty　thousand；　and　taken　alive　eight　thousand。
　　The　like　success　attended　his　lieutenants；　Pompey；　Crassus；
Metellus；　Servilius；　who　with　little　or　no　loss　cut　off　vast　numbers
of　the　enemy；　insomuch　that　Carbo；　the　prime　supporter　of　the　cause；
fled　by　night　from　his　charge　of　the　army；　and　sailed　over　into　Libya。
　In　the　last　struggle；　however；　the　Samnite　Telesinus；　like　some
champion；　whose　lot　it　is　to　enter　last　of　all　into　the　lists　and　take
up　the　wearied　conqueror；　came　nigh　to　have　foiled　and　overthrown
Sylla　before　the　gates　of　Rome。　For　Telesinus　with　his　second；
Lamponius　the　Lucanian；　having　collected　a　large　force；　had　been
hastening　towards　Praeneste；　to　relieve　Marius　from　the　siege；　but
perceiving　Sylla　ahead　of　him；　and　Pompey　behind；　both　hurrying　up
against　him；　straitened　thus　before　and　behind；　as　a　valiant　and
experienced　soldier；　he　arose　by　night；　and　marching　directly　with　his
whole　army；　was　within　a　little　of　making　his　way　unexpectedly　into
Rome　itself。　He　lay　that　night　before　the　city；　at　ten　furlongs'
distance　from　the　Colline　gate；　elated　and　full　of　hope　at　having　thus
out…generalled　so　many　eminent　commanders。　At　break　of　day；　being
charged　by　the　noble　youth　of　the　city；　among　many　others　he　overthrew
Appius　Claudius；　renowned　for　high　birth　and　character。　The　city；　as
is　easy　to　imagine；　was　all　in　an　uproar；　the　women　shrieking　and
running　about；　as　if　it　had　already　been　entered　forcibly　by
assault；　till　at　last　Balbus；　sent　forward　by　Sylla；　was　seen　riding
up　with　seven　hundred　horse　at　full　speed。　Halting　only　long　enough　to
wipe　the　sweat　from　the　horses；　and　then　hastily　bridling　again；　he　at
once　attacked　the　enemy。　Presently　Sylla　himself　appeared；　and
commanding　those　who　were　foremost　to　take　immediate　refreshment；
proceeded　to　form　in　order　for　battle。　Dolabella　and　Torquatus　were
extremely　earnest　with　him　to　desist　awhile；　and　not　with　spent　forces
to　hazard　the　last　hope；　having　before　them　in　the　field；　not　Carbo　or
Marius；　but　two　warlike　nations　bearing　immortal　hatred　to　Rome；　the
Samnites　and　Lucanians；　to　grapple　with。　But　he　put　them　by；　and
commanded　the　trumpets　to　sound　a　charge；　when　it　was　now　about　four
o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　In　the　conflict　which　followed；　as　sharp　a
one　as　ever　was；　the　right　wing　where　Crassus　was　posted　had　clearly
the　advantage；　the　left　suffered　and　was　in　distress；　when　Sylla
came　to　its　succour；　mounted　on　a　white　courser；　full　of　mettle　and
exceedingly　swift；　which　two　of　the　enemy　knowing　him　by；　had　their
lances　ready　to　throw　at　him；　he　himself　observed　nothing；　but　his
attendant　behind　him　giving　the　horse　a　touch；　he　was；　unknown　to
himself；　just　so　far　carried　forward　that　the　points；　falling　beside
the　horse's　tail；　stuck　in　the　ground。　There　is　a　story　that　he　had
a　small　golden　image　of　Apollo　from　Delphi；　which　he　was　always　wont
in　battle　to　carry　about　him　in　his　bosom；　and　that　he　then　kissed
it　with　these　words；　〃O　Apollo　Pythius；　who　in　so　many　battles　hast
raised　to　honour　and　greatness　the　Fortunate　Cornelius　Sylla；　wilt
thou　now　cast　him　down；　bringing　him　before　the　gate　of　his　country；
to　perish　shamefully　with　his　fellow…citizens？〃　Thus；　they　say；
addressing　himself　to　the　god；　he　entreated　some　of　his　men；
threatened　some；　and　seized　others　with　his　hand；　till　at　length　the
left　wing　being　wholly　shattered；　he　was　forced；　in　the　general
rout；　to　betake　himself　to　the　camp；　having　lost　many　of　his　friends
and　acquaintance。　Many；　likewise；　of　the　city　spectators；　who　had　come
out；　were　killed　or　trodden　under　foot。　So　that　it　was　generally
believed　in　the　city　that　all　was　lost；　and　the　siege　of　Praeneste　was
all　but　raised；　many　fugitives　from　the　battle　making　their　way
thither；　and　urging　Lucretius　Ofella；　who　was　appointed　to　keep　on　the
siege；　to　rise　in　all　haste；　for　that　Sylla　had　perished；　and　Rome
fallen　into　the　hands　of　the　enemy。
　　About　midnight　there　came　into　Sylla's　camp　messengers　from　Crassus；
to　fetch　provision　for　him　and　his　soldiers；　for　having　vanquished　the
enemy；　they　had　pursued　him　to　the　walls　of　Antemna；　and　had　sat
down　there。　Sylla；　hearing　this；　and　that　most　of　the　enemy　was
destroyed；　came　to　Antemna　by　break　of　day；　where　three　thousand　of
the　besieged　having　sent　forth　a　herald；　he　promised　to　receive　them
to　mercy；　on　condition　they　did　the　enemy　mischief　in　their　coming
over。　Trusting　to　his　word；　they　fell　foul　on　the　rest　of　their
companions；　and　made　a　great　slaughter　one　of　another。　Nevertheless；
Sylla　gathered　together　in　the　circus；　as　well　these　as　other
survivors　of　the　party；　to　the　number　of　six　thousand；　and　just　as
he　commenced　speaking　to　the　senate；　in　the　temple　of　Bellona；
proceeded　to　cut　them　down；　by　men　appointed　for　that　service。　The　cry
of　so　vast　a　multitude　put　to　the　sword；　in　so　narrow　a　space；　was
naturally　heard　some　distance；　and　startled　the　senators。　He；　however；
continuing　his　speech　with　a　calm　and　unconcerned　countenance；　bade
them　listen　to　what　he　had　to　say；　and　not　busy　themselves　with　what
was　doing　out　of　doors；　he　had　given　directions　for　the　chastisement
of　some　offenders。　This　gave　the　most　stupid　of　the　Romans　to
understand　that　they　had　merely　exchanged；　not　escaped；　tyranny。　And
Marius；　being　of　a　naturally　harsh　temper；　had　not　altered；　but　merely
continued　what　he　had　been；　in　authority；　whereas　Sylla；　using　his
fortune　moderately　and　unambitiously　at　first；　and　giving　good　hopes
of　a　true　patriot；　firm　to　the　interests　both　of　the　nobility　and
commonalty；　being；　moreover；　of　a　gay　and　cheerful　temper　from　his
youth；　and　so　easily　moved　to　pity　as　to　shed　tears　readily；　has；
perhaps　deservedly；　cast　a　blemish　upon　offices　of　great　authority；　as
if　they　deranged　men's　former　habits　and　character；　and　gave　rise　to
violence；　pride；　and　inhumanity。　Whether　this　be　a　real　change　and
revolution　in　the　mind；　caused　by　fortune；　or　rather　a　lurking
viciousness　of　nature；　discovering　itself　in　authority；　it　were　matter
of　another　sort　of　disquisition　to　decide。
　　Sylla　being　thus　wholly　bent　upon　slaughter；　and　filling　the　city
with　executions　without　number　or　limit；　many　wholly　uninterested
persons　falling　a　sacrifice　to　private　enmity；　through　his
permission　and　indulgence　to　his　friends；　Caius　Metellus；　one　of　the
younger　men；　made　bold　in　the　senate　to　ask　him　what　end　there　was
of　these　evils；　and　at　what　point　he　might　be　expected　to　stop？　〃We　do
not　ask　you；〃　said　he；　〃to　pardon　any　whom　you　have　resolved　to
destroy；　but　to　free　from　doubt　those　whom　you　are　pleased　to　save。〃
Sylla　answering；　that　he　knew　not　as　yet　whom　to　spare；　〃Why；　then；〃
said　he；　〃tell　us　whom　you　will　punish。〃　This　Sylla　said　he　would
do。　These　last　words；　some　authors　say；　were　spoken　not　by　Metellus；
but　by　Afidius；　one　of　Sylla's　fawning　companions。　Immediately　upon
this；　without　communicating　with　any　of　the　magistrates；　Sylla
proscribed　eighty　persons；　and　notwithstanding　the　general
indignation；　after　one　day's　respite；　he　posted　two　hundred　and　twenty
more；　and　on　the　third　again；　as　many。　In　an　address　to　the　people
on　this　occasion；　he　told　them　he　had　put　up　as　many　names　as　he　could
think　of；　those　which　had　escaped　his　memory；　he　would　publish　at　a
future　time。　He　issued　an　edict　likewise；　making　death　the
punishment　of　humanity；　proscribing　any　who　should　dare　to　receive　and
cherish　a　proscribed　person　without　exception　to　brother；　son；　or
parents。　And　to　him　who　should　slay　any　one　proscribed　person；　he
ordained　two　talents　reward；　even　were　it　a　slave　who　had　killed　his
master；　or　a　son　his　father。　And　what　was　thought　most　unjust　of
all；　he　caused　the　attainder　to　pass　upon　their　sons；　and　sons'
sons；　and　made　open　sale　of　all　their　property。　Nor　did　the
proscription　prevail　only　at　Rome；　but　throughout　all　the　cities　of
Italy　the　effusion　of　blood　was　such；　that　neither　sanctuary　of　the
gods；　nor　hearth　of　hospitality；　nor　ancestral　home　escaped。　Men
were　butchered　in　the　embraces　of　the