sylla-第4章

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Basillus　and　Caius　Mummius；　to　secure　the　city　gate；　and　the　walls
on　the　side　of　the　Esquiline　hill；　and　then　close　at　their　heels
followed　himself　with　all　speed。　Basillus　made　his　way　successfully
into　the　city；　but　the　unarmed　multitude；　pelting　him　with　stones
and　tiles　from　off　the　houses；　stopped　his　further　progress；　and
beat　him　back　to　the　wall。　Sylla　by　this　time　was　come　up；　and
seeing　what　was　going　on；　called　aloud　to　his　men　to　set　fire　to　the
houses；　and　taking　a　flaming　torch；　he　himself　led　the　way；　and
commanded　the　archers　to　make　use　of　their　fire…darts；　letting　fly
at　the　tops　of　houses；　all　which　he　did；　not　upon　any　plan；　but　simply
in　his　fury；　yielding　the　conduct　of　that　day's　work　to　passion；　and
as　if　all　he　saw　were　enemies；　without　respect　or　pity　either　to
friends；　relations；　or　acquaintance；　made　his　entry　by　fire；　which
knows　no　distinction　betwixt　friend　or　foe。
　　In　this　conflict；　Marius；　being　driven　into　the　temple　of
Mother…Earth；　thence　invited　the　slaves　by　proclamation　of　freedom；
but　the　enemy　coming　on　he　was　overpowered　and　fled　the　city。
　　Sylla　having　called　a　senate；　had　sentence　of　death　passed　on
Marius；　and　some　few　others；　amongst　whom　was　Sulpicius；　tribune　of
the　people。　Sulpicius　was　killed；　being　betrayed　by　his　servant；
whom　Sylla　first　made　free；　and　then　threw　him　headlong　down　the
Tarpeian　rock。　As　for　Marius；　he　set　a　price　on　his　life；　by
proclamation；　neither　gratefully　nor　politically；　if　we　consider
into　whose　house；　not　long　before；　he　put　himself　at　mercy；　and　safely
dismissed。　Had　Marius　at　that　time　not　let　Sylla　go；　but　suffered
him　to　be　slain　by　the　hands　of　Sulpicius；　he　might　have　been　lord
of　all：　nevertheless　he　spared　his　life；　and　a　few　days　after；　when　in
a　similar　position　himself；　received　a　different　measure。
　　By　these　proceedings　Sylla　excited　the　secret　distaste　of　the
senate；　but　the　displeasure　and　free　indignation　of　the　commonalty
showed　itself　plainly　by　their　actions。　For　they　ignominiously
rejected　Nonius；　his　nephew；　and　Servius；　who　stood　for　offices　of
state　by　his　interest；　and　elected　others　as　magistrates；　by　honouring
whom　they　thought　they　should　most　annoy　him。　He　made　semblance　of
extreme　satisfaction　at　all　this；　as　if　the　people　by　his　means　had
again　enjoyed　the　liberty　of　doing　what　seemed　best　to　them。　And　to
pacify　the　public　hostility；　he　created　Lucius　Cinna　consul；　one　of
the　adverse　party；　having　first　bound　him　under　oaths　and　imprecations
to　be　favourable　to　his　interest。　For　Cinna；　ascending　the　capitol
with　a　stone　in　his　hand；　swore　solemnly；　and　prayed　with　direful
curses；　that　he　himself；　if　he　were　not　true　to　his　friendship　with
Sylla；　might　be　cast　out　of　the　city；　as　that　stone　out　of　his　hand；
and　thereupon　cast　the　stone　to　the　ground；　in　the　presence　of　many
people。　Nevertheless　Cinna　had　no　sooner　entered　on　his　charge；　but　he
took　measures　to　disturb　the　present　settlement；　having　prepared　an
impeachment　against　Sylla；　got　Virginius；　one　of　the　tribunes　of　the
people；　to　be　his　accuser；　but　Sylla；　leaving　him　and　the　court　of
judicature　to　themselves；　set　forth　against　Mithridates。
　　About　the　time　that　Sylla　was　making　ready　to　put　off　with　his　force
from　Italy；　besides　many　other　omens　which　befell　Mithridates；　then
staying　at　Pergamus；　there　goes　a　story　that　a　figure　of　Victory；　with
a　crown　in　her　hand；　which　the　Pergamenians　by　machinery　from　above
let　down　on　him；　when　it　had　almost　reached　his　head；　fell　to
pieces；　and　the　crown　tumbling　down　into　the　midst　of　the　theatre；
there　broke　against　the　ground；　occasioning　a　general　alarm　among
the　populace；　and　considerably　disquieting　Mithridates　himself；
although　his　affairs　at　that　time　were　succeeding　beyond
expectation。　For　having　wrested　Asia　from　the　Romans；　and　Bithynia　and
Cappadocia　from　their　kings；　he　made　Pergamus　his　royal　seat；
distributing　among　his　friends　riches；　principalities；　and　kingdoms。
Of　his　sons；　one　residing　in　Pontus　and　Bosporus　held　his　ancient
realm　as　far　as　the　deserts　beyond　the　lake　Maeotis；　without
molestation；　while　Ariarathes；　another；　was　reducing　Thrace　and
Macedon；　with　a　great　army；　to　obedience。　His　generals；　with　forces
under　them；　were　establishing　his　supremacy　in　other　quarters。
Archelaus；　in　particular；　with　his　fleet；　held　absolute　mastery　of　the
sea；　and　was　bringing　into　subjection　the　Cyclades；　and　all　the
other　islands　as　far　as　Malea；　and　had　taken　Euboea　itself。　Making
Athens　his　headquarters；　from　thence　as　far　as　Thessaly　he　was
withdrawing　the　states　of　Greece　from　the　Roman　allegiance；　without
the　least　ill…success；　except　at　Chaeronea。　For　here　Bruttius　Sura；
lieutenant　to　Sentius；　governor　of　Macedon；　a　man　of　singular　valour
and　prudence；　met　him；　and；　though　he　came　like　a　torrent　pouring　over
Boeotia；　made　stout　resistance；　and　thrice　giving　him　battle　near
Chaeronea；　repulsed　and　forced　him　back　to　the　sea。　But　being
commanded　by　Lucius　Lucullus　to　give　place　to　his　successor；　Sylla；
and　resign　the　war　to　whom　it　was　decreed；　he　presently　left
Boeotia；　and　retired　back　to　Sentius；　although　his　success　had　outgone
all　hopes；　and　Greece　was　well　disposed　to　a　new　revolution；　upon
account　of　his　gallant　behaviour。　These　were　the　glorious　actions　of
Bruttius。
　　Sylla；　on　his　arrival；　received　by　their　deputations　the　compliments
of　all　the　cities　of　Greece；　except　Athens；　against　which；　as　it　was
compelled　by　the　tyrant　Aristion　to　hold　for　the　king；　he　advanced
with　all　his　forces；　and　investing　the　Piraeus；　laid　formal　siege　to
it；　employing　every　variety　of　engines；　and　trying　every　manner　of
assault；　whereas；　had　he　forborn　but　a　little　while；　he　might
without　hazard　have　taken　the　Upper　City　by　famine；　it　being　already
reduced　to　the　last　extremity；　through　want　of　necessaries。　But
eager　to　return　to　Rome；　and　fearing　innovation　there；　at　great
risk；　with　continual　fighting　and　vast　expense；　he　pushed　on　the
war。　Besides　other　equipage；　the　very　work　about　the　engines　of
battery　was　supplied　with　no　less　than　ten　thousand　yoke　of　mules；
employed　daily　in　that　service。　And　when　timber　grew　scarce；　for
many　of　the　works　failed；　some　crushed　to　pieces　by　their　own
weight；　others　taking　fire　by　the　continual　play　of　the　enemy；　he
had　recourse　to　the　sacred　groves；　and　cut　down　the　trees　of　the
Academy；　the　shadiest　of　all　the　suburbs；　and　the　Lyceum。　And　a　vast
sum　of　money　being　wanted　to　carry　on　the　war；　he　broke　into　the
sanctuaries　of　Greece；　that　of　Epidaurus　and　that　of　Olympia；
sending　for　the　most　beautiful　and　precious　offerings　deposited　there。
He　wrote；　likewise；　to　the　Amphictyons　at　Delphi；　that　it　were
better　to　remit　the　wealth　of　the　god　to　him；　for　that　he　would　keep
it　more　securely；　or　in　case　he　made　use　of　it；　restore　as　much。　He
sent　Caphis；　the　Phocian；　one　of　his　friends；　with　this　message；
commanding　him　to　receive　each　item　by　weight。　Caphis　came　to
Delphi；　but　was　loth　to　touch　the　holy　things；　and　with　many　tears；　in
the　presence　of　the　Amphictyons；　bewailed　the　necessity。　And　on　some
of　them　declaring　they　heard　the　sound　of　a　harp　from　the　inner
shrine；　he；　whether　he　himself　believed　it；　or　was　willing　to　try
the　effect　of　religious　fear　upon　Sylla；　sent　back　an　express。　To
which　Sylla　replied　in　a　scoffing　way；　that　it　was　surprising　to　him
that　Caphis　did　not　know　that　music　was　a　sign　of　joy；　not　anger；　he
should；　therefore；　go　on　boldly；　and　accept　what　a　gracious　and
bountiful　god　offered。
　　Other　things　were　sent　away　without　much　notice　on　the　part　of　the
Greeks　in　general；　but　in　the　case　of　the　silver　tun；　that　only
relic　of　the　regal　donations；　which　its　weight　and　bulk　made　it
impossible　for　any　carriage　to　receive；　the　Amphictyons　were　forced　to
cut　it　into　pieces；　and　called　to　mind　in　so　doing；　how　Titus
Flamininus；　and　Manius　Acilius；　and　again　Paulus　Aemilius；　one　of　whom
drove　Antiochus　out　of　Greece；　and　the　others　subdued　the　Macedonian
kings；　had　not　only　abstained　from　violating　the　Greek　temples；　but
had　even　given　them　new　gifts　and　honours；　and　increased　the　general
veneration　for　them。　They；　indeed；　the　lawful　command