sylla-第2章

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he　would　then　show　them　magnificent　hunting…shows　and　combats
between　Libyan　wild　beasts；　chose　other　praetors；　on　purpose　to
force　him　into　the　aedileship。　The　vanity　of　this　pretext　is
sufficiently　disproved　by　matter…of…fact。　For　the　year　following；
partly　by　flatteries　to　the　people；　and　partly　by　money；　he　got
himself　elected　praetor。　Accordingly；　once　while　he　was　in　office；
on　his　angrily　telling　Caesar　that　he　should　make　use　of　his　authority
against　him；　Caesar　answered　him　with　a　smile；　〃You　do　well　to　call　it
your　own；　as　you　bought　it。〃　At　the　end　of　his　praetorship　he　was　sent
over　into　Cappadocia；　under　the　pretence　of　reestablishing
Ariobarzanes　in　his　kingdom；　but　in　reality　to　keep　in　check　the
restless　movements　of　Mithridates；　who　was　gradually　procuring　himself
as　vast　a　new　acquired　power　and　dominion　as　was　that　of　his　ancient
inheritance。　He　carried　over　with　him　no　great　forces　of　his　own；
but　making　use　of　the　cheerful　aid　of　the　confederates；　succeeded；
with　considerable　slaughter　of　the　Cappadocians；　and　yet　greater　of
the　Armenian　succours；　in　expelling　Gordius　and　establishing
Ariobarzanes　as　king。
　　During　his　stay　on　the　banks　of　the　Euphrates；　there　came　to　him
Orobazus；　a　Parthian；　ambassador　from　King　Arsaces；　as　yet　there
having　been　no　correspondence　between　the　two　nations。　And　this　also
we　may　lay　to　the　account　of　Sylla's　felicity；　that　he　should　be　the
first　Roman　to　whom　the　Parthians　made　address　for　alliance　and
friendship。　At　the　time　of　which　reception；　the　story　is；　that；　having
ordered　three　chairs　of　state　to　be　set；　one　for　Ariobarzanes；　one　for
Orobazus；　and　a　third　for　himself；　he　placed　himself　in　the　middle；
and　so　gave　audience。　For　this　the　King　of　Parthia　afterwards　put
Orobazus　to　death。　Some　people　commended　Sylla　for　his　lofty
carriage　towards　the　barbarians；　others　again　accused　him　of　arrogance
and　unseasonable　display。　It　is　reported　that　a　certain　Chaldaean；
of　Orobazus's　retinue；　looking　Sylla　wistfully　in　the　face；　and
observing　carefully　the　motions　of　his　mind　and　body；　and　forming　a
judgment　of　his　nature；　according　to　the　rules　of　his　art；　said　that
it　was　impossible　for　him　not　to　become　the　greatest　of　men；　it　was
rather　a　wonder　how　he　could　even　then　abstain　from　being　head　of　all。
　　At　his　return；　Censorinus　impeached　him　of　extortion；　for　having
exacted　a　vast　sum　of　money　from　a　well…affected　and　associate
kingdom。　However；　Censorinus　did　not　appear　at　the　trial；　but
dropped　his　accusation。　His　quarrel；　meantime；　with　Marius　began　to
break　out　afresh；　receiving　new　material　from　the　ambition　of　Bocchus；
who；　to　please　the　people　of　Rome；　and　gratify　Sylla；　set　up　in　the
temple　of　Jupiter　Capitolinus　images　bearing　trophies；　and　a
representation　in　gold　of　the　surrender　of　Jugurtha　to　Sylla。　When
Marius；　in　great　anger；　attempted　to　pull　them　down；　and　others
aided　Sylla；　the　whole　city　would　have　been　in　tumult　and　commotion
with　this　dispute；　had　not　the　Social　War；　which　had　long　lain
smouldering；　blazed　forth　at　last；　and　for　the　present　put　an　end　to
the　quarrel。
　　In　the　course　of　this　war；　which　had　many　great　changes　of
fortune；　and　which；　more　than　any；　afflicted　the　Romans；　and；
indeed；　endangered　the　very　being　of　the　Commonwealth；　Marius　was
not　able　to　signalize　his　valour　in　any　action；　but　left　behind　him
a　clear　proof；　that　warlike　excellence　requires　a　strong　and　still
vigorous　body。　Sylla；　on　the　other　hand；　by　his　many　achievements；
gained　himself；　with　his　fellow…citizens；　the　name　of　a　great
commander；　while　his　friends　thought　him　the　greatest　of　all
commanders；　and　his　enemies　called　him　the　most　fortunate。　Nor　did
this　make　the　same　sort　of　impression　on　him　as　it　made　on　Timotheus
the　son　of　Conon；　the　Athenian；　who；　when　his　adversaries　ascribed　his
successes　to　his　good　luck；　and　had　a　painting　made；　representing
him　asleep；　and　Fortune　by　his　side；　casting　her　nets　over　the　cities；
was　rough　and　violent　in　his　indignation　at　those　who　did　it；　as　if；
by　attributing　all　to　Fortune；　they　had　robbed　him　of　his　just
honours；　and　said　to　the　people　on　one　occasion　at　his　return　from
war；　〃In　this；　ye　men　of　Athens；　Fortune　had　no　part。〃　A　piece　of
boyish　petulance；　which　the　deity；　we　are　told；　played　back　upon
Timotheus；　who　from　that　time　was　never　able　to　achieve　anything
that　was　great；　but　proving　altogether　unfortunate　in　his　attempts；
and　falling　into　discredit　with　the　people；　was　at　last　banished　the
city。　Sylla；　on　the　contrary；　not　only　accepted　with　pleasure　the
credit　of　such　divine　felicities　and　favours；　but　joining　himself
and　extolling　and　glorifying　what　was　done；　gave　the　honour　of　all
to　Fortune；　whether　it　were　out　of　boastfulness；　or　a　real　feeling
of　divine　agency。　He　remarks；　in　his　Memoirs；　that　of　all　his
well…advised　actions；　none　proved　so　lucky　in　the　execution　as　what　he
had　boldly　enterprised；　not　by　calculation；　but　upon　the　moment。
And；　in　the　character　which　he　gives　of　himself；　that　he　was　born
for　fortune　rather　than　war；　he　seems　to　give　Fortune　a　higher　place
than　merit；　and；　in　short；　makes　himself　entirely　the　creature　of　a
superior　power；　accounting　even　his　concord　with　Metellus；　his　equal
in　office；　and　his　connection　by　marriage；　a　piece　of　preternatural
felicity。　For　expecting　to　have　met　in　him　a　most　troublesome；　he
found　him　a　most　accommodating；　colleague。　Moreover；　in　the　Memoirs
which　he　dedicated　to　Lucullus；　he　admonished　him　to　esteem　nothing
more　trustworthy　than　what　the　divine　powers　advise　him　by　night。
And　when　he　was　leaving　the　city　with　an　army；　to　fight　in　the
Social　War；　he　relates　that　the　earth　near　the　Laverna　opened；　and　a
quantity　of　fire　came　rushing　out　of　it；　shooting　up　with　a　bright
flame　into　the　heavens。　The　soothsayers　upon　this　foretold　that　a
person　of　great　qualities；　and　of　a　rare　and　singular　aspect；　should
take　the　government　in　hand；　and　quiet　the　present　troubles　of　the
city。　Sylla　affirms　he　was　the　man；　for　his　golden　head　of　hair　made
him　an　extraordinary…looking　man；　nor　had　he　any　shame；　after　the
great　actions　he　had　done；　in　testifying　to　his　own　great　qualities。
And　thus　much　of　his　opinion　as　to　divine　agency。
　　In　general　he　would　seem　to　have　been　of　a　very　irregular　character；
full　of　inconsistencies　with　himself　much　given　to　rapine；　to
prodigality　yet　more；　in　promoting　or　disgracing　whom　he　pleased；
alike　unaccountable；　cringing　to　those　he　stood　in　need　of；　and
domineering　over　others　who　stood　in　need　of　him；　so　that　it　was
hard　to　tell　whether　his　nature　had　more　in　it　of　pride　or　of
servility。　As　to　his　unequal　distribution　of　punishments；　as；　for
example；　that　upon　slight　grounds　he　would　put　to　the　torture；　and
again　would　bear　patiently　with　the　greatest　wrongs；　would　readily
forgive　and　he　reconciled　after　the　most　heinous　acts　of　enmity；　and
yet　would　visit　small　and　inconsiderable　offences　with　death　and
confiscation　of　goods；　one　might　judge　that　in　himself　he　was　really
of　a　violent　and　revengeful　nature；　which；　however；　he　could
qualify；　upon　reflection；　for　his　interest。　In　this　very　Social　War；
when　the　soldiers　with　stones　and　clubs　had　killed　an　officer　of
praetorian　rank；　his　own　lieutenant；　Albinus　by　name；　he　passed　by
this　flagrant　crime　without　any　inquiry；　giving　it　out　moreover　in　a
boast；　that　the　soldiers　would　behave　all　the　better　now；　to　make
amends；　by　some　special　bravery；　for　their　breach　of　discipline。　He
took　no　notice　of　the　clamours　of　those　that　cried　for　justice；　but
designing　already　to　supplant　Marius；　now　that　he　saw　the　Social　War
near　its　end；　he　made　much　of　his　army；　in　hopes　to　get　himself
declared　general　of　the　forces　against　Mithridates。
　　At　his　return　to　Rome　he　was　chosen　consul　with　Quintus　Pompeius；　in
the　fiftieth　year　of　his　age；　and　made　a　most　distinguished　marriage
with　Caecilia；　daughter　of　Metellus；　the　chief　priest。　The　common
people　made　a　variety　of　verses　in　ridicule　of　the　marriage；　and
many　of　the　nobility　also　were　disgusted　at　it；　esteeming　him；　as　Livy
writes；　unworthy　of　this　connection；　whom　before　they　thought　worthy
of　a　consulship。　This　was　not　h