sylla-第5章

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had　even　given　them　new　gifts　and　honours；　and　increased　the　general
veneration　for　them。　They；　indeed；　the　lawful　commanders　of
temperate　and　obedient　soldiers；　and　themselves　great　in　soul；　and
simple　in　expenses；　lived　within　the　bounds　of　the　ordinary
established　charges；　accounting　it　a　greater　disgrace　to　seek
popularity　with　their　men；　than　to　feel　fear　of　their　enemy。　Whereas
the　commanders　of　these　times；　attaining　to　superiority　by　force；
not　worth；　and　having　need　of　arms　one　against　another；　rather　than
against　the　public　enemy；　were　constrained　to　temporize　in
authority；　and　in　order　to　pay　for　the　gratifications　with　which
they　purchased　the　labour　of　their　soldiers；　were　driven；　before
they　knew　it；　to　sell　the　commonwealth　itself；　and；　to　gain　the
mastery　over　men　better　than　themselves；　were　content　to　become　slaves
to　the　vilest　of　wretches。　These　practices　drove　Marius　into　exile。
and　again　brought　him　in　against　Sylla。　These　made　Cinna　the
assassin　of　Octavius；　and　Fimbria　of　Flaccus。　To　which　courses　Sylla
contributed　not　the　least；　for　to　corrupt　and　win　over　those　who
were　under　the　command　of　others；　he　would　be　munificent　and　profuse
towards　those　who　were　under　his　own；　and　so；　while　tempting　the
soldiers　of　other　generals　to　treachery；　and　his　own　to　dissolute
living；　he　was　naturally　in　want　of　a　large　treasury；　and　especially
during　that　siege。
　　Sylla　had　a　vehement　and　an　implacable　desire　to　conquer　Athens。
whether　out　of　emulation；　fighting　as　it　were　against　the　shadow　of
the　once　famous　city；　or　out　of　anger；　at　the　foul　words　and
scurrilous　jests　with　which　the　tyrant　Aristion；　showing　himself
daily；　with　unseemly　gesticulations；　upon　the　walls；　had　provoked
him　and　Metella。
　　The　tyrant　Aristion　had　his　very　being　compounded　of　wantonness
and　cruelty；　having　gathered　into　himself　all　the　worst　of
Mithridates's　diseased　and　vicious　qualities；　like　some　fatal　malady
which　the　city；　after　its　deliverance　from　innumerable　wars；　many
tyrannies　and　seditions；　was　in　its　last　days　destined　to　endure。　At
the　time　when　a　medimnus　of　wheat　was　sold　in　the　city　for　one
thousand　drachmas　and　men　were　forced　to　live　on　the　feverfew
growing　round　the　citadel；　and　to　boil　down　shoes　and　oil…bags　for
their　food；　he；　carousing　and　feasting　in　the　open　face　of　day；　then
dancing　in　armour；　and　making　jokes　at　the　enemy；　suffered　the　holy
lamp　of　the　goddess　to　expire　for　want　of　oil；　and　to　the　chief
priestess；　who　demanded　of　him　the　twelfth　part　of　a　medimnus　of
wheat；　he　sent　the　like　quantity　of　pepper。　The　senators　and　priests
who　came　as　suppliants　to　beg　of　him　to　take　compassion　on　the　city；
and　treat　for　peace　with　Sylla；　he　drove　away　and　dispersed　with　a
flight　of　arrows。　At　last；　with　much　ado；　he　sent　forth　two　or　three
of　his　revelling　companions　to　parley；　to　whom　Sylla；　perceiving
that　they　made　no　serious　overtures　towards　an　accommodation；　but　went
on　haranguing　in　praise　of　Theseus；　Eumolpus；　and　the　Median　trophies；
replied；　〃My　good　friends；　you　may　put　up　your　speeches　and　be　gone。　I
was　sent　by　the　Romans　to　Athens；　not　to　take　lessons；　but　to　reduce
rebels　to　obedience。〃
　　In　the　meantime　news　came　to　Sylla　that　some　old　men；　talking　in　the
Ceramicus；　had　been　overheard　to　blame　the　tyrant　for　not　securing　the
passages　and　approaches　near　the　Heptachalcum；　the　one　point　where　the
enemy　might　easily　get　over。　Sylla　neglected　not　the　report；　but　going
in　the　night；　and　discovering　the　place　to　be　assailable；　set
instantly　to　work。　Sylla　himself　makes　mention　in　his　Memoirs　that
Marcus　Teius；　the　first　man　who　scaled　the　wall；　meeting　with　an
adversary；　and　striking　him　on　the　headpiece　a　home…stroke；　broke
his　own　sword；　but；　notwithstanding；　did　not　give　ground；　but　stood
and　held　him　fast。　The　city　was　certainly　taken　from　that　quarter；
according　to　the　tradition　of　the　oldest　of　the　Athenians。
　　When　they　had　thrown　down　the　wall；　and　made　all　level　betwixt　the
Piraic　and　Sacred　Gate；　about　midnight　Sylla　entered　the　breach；
with　all　the　terrors　of　trumpets　and　cornets　sounding；　with　the
triumphant　shout　and　cry　of　an　army　let　loose　to　spoil　and
slaughter；　and　scouring　through　the　streets　with　swords　drawn。　There
was　no　numbering　the　slain；　the　amount　is　to　this　day　conjectured　only
from　the　space　of　ground　overflowed　with　blood。　For　without　mentioning
the　execution　done　in　other　quarters　of　the　city；　the　blood　that　was
shed　about　the　market…place　spread　over　the　whole　Ceramicus　within　the
Double…gate；　and；　according　to　most　writers；　passed　through　the　gate
and　overflowed　the　suburb。　Nor　did　the　multitudes　which　fell　thus
exceed　the　number　of　those　who；　out　of　pity　and　love　for　their　country
which　they　believed　was　now　finally　to　perish；　slew　themselves；　the
best　of　them；　through　despair　of　their　country's　surviving；　dreading
themselves　to　survive；　expecting　neither　humanity　nor　moderation　in
Sylla。　At　length；　partly　at　the　instance　of　Midias　and　Calliphon；
two　exiled　men；　beseeching　and　casting　themselves　at　his　feet；
partly　by　the　intercession　of　those　senators　who　followed　the　camp；
having　had　his　fill　of　revenge；　and　making　some　honourable　mention
of　the　ancient　Athenians；　〃I　forgive；〃　said　he；　〃the　many　for　the　sake
of　the　few；　the　living　for　the　dead。〃　He　took　Athens；　according　to　his
own　Memoirs；　on　the　calends　of　March；　coinciding　pretty　nearly　with
the　new　moon　of　Anthesterion；　on　which　day　it　is　the　Athenian　usage　to
perform　various　acts　in　commemoration　of　the　ruins　and　devastations
occasioned　by　the　deluge；　that　being　supposed　to　be　the　time　of　its
occurrence。
　　At　the　taking　of　the　town；　the　tyrant　fled　into　the　citadel；　and　was
there　besieged　by　Curio；　who　had　that　charge　given　him。　He　held　out
a　considerable　time；　but　at　last　yielded　himself　up　for　want　of　water；
and　divine　power　immediately　intimated　its　agency　in　the　matter。　For
on　the　same　day　and　hour　that　Curio　conducted　him　down；　the　clouds
gathered　in　a　clear　sky；　and　there　came　down　a　great　quantity　of
rain　and　filled　the　citadel　with　water。
　　Not　long　after；　Sylla　won　the　Piraeus；　and　burnt　most　of　it；　amongst
the　rest；　Philo's　arsenal；　a　work　very　greatly　admired。
　　In　the　meantime　Taxiles；　Mithridates's　general；　coming　down　from
Thrace　and　Macedon；　with　an　army　of　one　hundred　thousand　foot；　ten
thousand　horse；　and　ninety　chariots；　armed　with　scythes　at　the　wheels；
would　have　joined　Archelaus；　who　lay　with　a　navy　on　the　coast　near
Munychia；　reluctant　to　quit　the　sea；　and　yet　unwilling　to　engage　the
Romans　in　battle；　but　desiring　to　protract　the　war　and　cut　off　the
enemy's　supplies。　Which　Sylla　perceiving　much　better　than　himself；
passed　with　his　forces　into　Boeotia；　quitting　a　barren　district
which　was　inadequate　to　maintain　an　army　even　in　time　of　peace。　He　was
thought　by　some　to　have　taken　false　measures　in　thus　leaving　Attica；　a
rugged　country；　and　ill　suited　for　cavalry　to　move　in；　and　entering
the　plain　and　open　fields　of　Boeotia；　knowing　as　he　did　the
barbarian　strength　to　consist　most　in　horses　and　chariots。　But　as
was　said　before；　to　avoid　famine　and　scarcity；　he　was　forced　to　run
the　risk　of　a　battle。　Moreover　he　was　in　anxiety　for　Hortensius；　a
bold　and　active　officer；　whom　on　his　way　to　Sylla　with　forces　from
Thessaly；　the　barbarians　awaited　in　the　straits。　For　these　reasons
Sylla　drew　off　into　Boeotia。　Hortensius；　meantime；　was　conducted　by
Caphis；　our　countryman；　another　way　unknown　to　the　barbarians；　by
Parnassus；　just　under　Tithora；　which　was　then　not　so　large　a　town　as
it　is　now；　but　a　mere　fort；　surrounded　by　steep　precipices　whither　the
Phocians　also；　in　old　times；　when　flying　from　the　invasion　of
Xerxes；　carried　themselves　and　their　goods　and　were　saved。　Hortensius；
encamping　here；　kept　off　the　enemy　by　day；　and　at　night　descending
by　difficult　passages　to　Patronis；　joined　the　forces　of　Sylla　who　came
to　meet　him。　Thus　united　they　posted　themselves　on　a　fertile　hill　in
the　middle　of　the　plain　of　Elatea；　shaded　with　trees　and　watered　at
the　foot。　It　is　called　Philoboeotus；　and　its　situation　and　natural
advantages　are　spoken　of　with　great　admiration　by　Sylla。
　　As　they　lay　thus