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Chapter 48 : L. CORNELIUS SULLA, 138-78 B.C._His Character and Bearing._ Igitur Sulla gentis patrici

L. CORNELIUS SULLA, 138-78 B.C.

_His Character and Bearing._

Igitur Sulla gentis patriciae n.o.bilis fuit, familia prope iam exstincta maiorum ignavia, litteris Graecis et Latinis iuxta atque doctissimi eruditus, animo ingenti, cupidus voluptatum sed gloriae cupidior: tamen ab negotiis numquam voluptas remorata; {5} facundus callidus et amicitia facilis, ad simulanda negotia alt.i.tudo ingeni incredibilis, multarum rerum ac maxumae pecuniae largitor. Atque illi, felicissumo omnium ante civilem victoriam, numquam super industriam fortuna fuit, multique dubitavere fortior {10} an felicior esset. Nam postea quae fecerit, incertum habeo pudeat an pigeat magis disserere. Igitur Sulla, uti supra dictum est, postquam in Africam atque in castra Mari c.u.m equitatu venit, rudis antea et ignarus belli, solertissumus omnium in paucis {15} tempestatibus factus est. Ad hoc milites benigne appellare, multis rogantibus aliis per se ipse dare beneficia, invitus accipere, sed ea properantius quam aes mutuum reddere, ipse ab nullo repetere, magis id laborare ut illi quam plurimi deberent, ioca atque {20} seria c.u.m humillumis agere, in operibus in agmine atque ad vigilias multus adesse neque interim, quod prava ambitio solet, consulis aut cuiusquam boni famam laedere, tantum modo neque consilio neque manu priorem alium pati, plerosque antevenire. {25}

SALl.u.s.t, _Jug._ 95, 96.

[Linenotes: 1. +n.o.bilis+, i.e. of a patrician family which had held curule offices.

1-2. +familia ... exstincta.+ The Cornelii were a distinguished _gens_ in early times and included 7 patrician families (e.g. the Lentuli and Scipios). Of these the Sullae were the least known.

2-3. +litteris Graecis ... eruditus.+ Contrast the proud boast of Marius:--'I have learnt no Greek: in the knowledge, however, which is far the most important for the State, I am a master.' --Sall.

_Jug._ 85.

9. +ante civilem victoriam+, i.e. before 81 B.C.

10-11. +fortior an felicior.+ Sulla a.s.sumed the name Felix on the death of the younger Marius 82 B.C. Cf. Plut. _Sulla_, cap. vi.

11-12. +Nam postea ... disserere.+ Cf. Vell. Patere. II. xvii. 2: 'Sulla vir qui neque ad finem victoriae satis laudari neque post victoriam abunde vituperari potest.'

20. +illi+ more strictly _sibi_--'a negligence not unfrequent.'

--Merivale.

22. +multus adesse+ = _frequently visited_, +multus+ = _saepe_.]

For +character of Sulla+ cf. Plut. _Sulla_, and Mommsen, iv. pp.

139-142: 'One of the most marvellous characters in history.'

B12

MITHRIDATES THE GREAT, 130-63 B.C.

A. _His Youth and Early Training._

Huius futuram magnitudinem etiam caelestia ostenta praedixerant. Nam et eo, quo genitus est, anno, et eo, quo regnare primum coepit, stella cometes per utrumque tempus LXX diebus ita luxit, ut caelum omne conflagrare videretur. Puer tutorum insidias {5} pa.s.sus est, qui eum fero equo impositum equitare iacularique cogebant: qui conatus c.u.m eos fefellissent, supra aetatem regente equum Mithridate, veneno eum appetivere. Veritus deinde, ne inimici, quod veneno non potuerant, ferro peragerent, venandi {10} studium finxit, quo per septem annos neque urbano neque rustico tecto usus est, sed per silvas vagatus, diversis montium regionibus pernoctabat ignaris omnibus, quibus esset locis; adsuetus feras cursu aut fugere aut persequi, c.u.m quibusdam etiam viribus {15} congredi. Quibus rebus et insidias vitavit, et corpus ad omnem virtutis patientiam duravit.

[Linenotes: 1. +Huius.+ Mithridates (_Mithras_ = Persian sun-G.o.d) 'second only to Hannibal in inextinguishable, life-long hostility to Rome, as also in military genius.' Ihne.

5. +tutorum+ = (_at the hands_) _of his guardians_. Cf. _tueor._ 17. +ad omnem virtutis patientiam+ = _to all manly endurance_.]

B. _His Preparations for Conquest._

Ad regni deinde administrationem c.u.m accessisset, statim non de regendo, sed de augendo regno cogitavit. Itaque Scythas invictos antea ingenti {20} felicitate perdomuit. Hieme deinde appetente, non in convivio, sed in campo, nec in avocationibus, nec inter sodales, sed inter aequales, aut equo aut cursu aut viribus contendebat. Exercitum quoque suum ad parem laboris patientiam cotidiana exercitatione {25} durabat, atque ita invictus ipse inexpugnabilem exercitum fecerat.

JUSTINUS, x.x.xvii. 2, 3, 4.

[Linenotes: 19. +de augendo regno.+ He subdued all the coast districts of the Euxine, East, North and West, as far as the Hister (Danube).

22. +avocationibus+ = _in diversions_ (very rare).

24. +exercitum.+ At the outbreak of the War with Rome, 88 B.C., he had collected a motley force of 250,000 foot and 40,000 horse.]

+Mithridates.+ 'With one blow he overthrew the Roman dominion in Asia, carried the war into Europe, united almost the whole Eastern world in an attack on the Republic, and resisted for 25 years the first generals of his time,--a Sulla, a Lucullus, and a Pompeius.' --Ihne.

+Historic Parallels.+ Alexander, Hannibal, Peter the Great.

B13

FIRST MITHRIDATIC WAR, 88-84 B.C. (1)?]

_The Battle of Chaeronea, 86 B.C. Brilliant Tactics of Sulla._

Archelaus adversus L. Sullam in fronte ad perturbandum hostem falcatas quadrigas locavit, in secunda acie phalangem Macedonicam, in tertia Romanorum more armatos auxiliares, mixtis fugitivis Italicae gentis, quorum pervicaciae plurimum fidebat; {5} levem armaturam in ultimo statuit; in utroque deinde latere equitatum, cuius amplum numerum habebat, circ.u.meundi hostis causa posuit. Contra haec Sulla fossas amplae lat.i.tudinis utroque latere duxit et capitibus earum castella communiit: qua {10} ratione, ne circuiretur ab hoste et peditum numero et maxime equitatu superante, consecutus est. Triplicem deinde peditum aciem ordinavit relictis intervallis per quae levem armaturam et equitem, quem in novissimo conlocaverat, c.u.m res exegisset, emitteret.

{15} Tum postsignanis qui in secunda acie erant imperavit ut densos numerososque palos firme in terram defigerent, intraque eos appropinquantibus quadrigis antesignanorum aciem recepit: tum demum sublato universorum clamore velites et levem armaturam {20} ingerere tela iussit. Quibus factis quadrigae hostium aut implicitae palis aut exterritae clamore telisque in suos conversae sunt turbaveruntque Macedonum structuram: qua cedente, c.u.m Sulla instaret et Archelaus equitem opposuisset, Romani equites {25} subito emissi averterunt eos consummaverantque victoriam.

FRONTINUS, _Strategemata_, ii. 3. 17.

[Linenotes: 1. +Archelaus+ (and his brother Neoptolemus) 'trained in the traditions and experience of Greek and Macedonian masters.'

2. +falcatas quadrigras.+ Archelaus had 60 of these chariots armed with scythes projecting. Cf. Livy x.x.xvii. 41.

5. +pervicaciae+ = _steadfastness_ (_per_ + _vic_; cf. _vinco_).

11-12. +qua ratione ... consecutus est.+ Sulla had about 30,000 men (15,000 Romans only) against 120,000.

23. +turbaverunt.+ 'The war-chariots on this as on other occasions (e.g. at Magnesia) had not only proved a failure, but had actually led to a partial disaster.' --Ihne. Cf. use of war elephants, e.g.

at Beneventum 275 B.C. and at Zama 202 B.C.

27. +victoriam.+ It was a great victory, but the results were trifling, partly because Sulla had no fleet, and partly because his political enemies at Rome were bent on crippling him.]

+Historic Parallel.+ The Battle of Magnesia 190 B.C.

B14

FIRST MITHRIDATIC WAR, 88-84 B.C. (2)

A. _Capture of Athens and the Piraeus, 86 B.C._

Sulla interim c.u.m Mithridatis praefectis circa Athenas ita dimicavit, ut et Athenas reciperet et plurimo circa multiplices Piraei portus munitiones labore expleto amplius CC milia hostium interficeret nec minus multa caperet. . . . Nam oppressi (Athenienses) {5} Mithridatis armis homines miserrimae condicionis c.u.m ab inimicis tenerentur, oppugnabantur ab amicis et animos extra moenia, corpora necessitati servientes intra muros habebant.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS, ii. 23.

[Linenotes: 2. +ut Athenas reciperet.+ Sulla reduced the city by starvation.

3. +Piraei portus.+ This was strongly held by Archelaus, and was taken only after a most obstinate defence.

7. +c.u.m ... tenerentur.+ The contemptible adventurer Aristion, with his bodyguard of 2000 men and the bribe of Delos and its treasure, had made himself master of Athens.]

B. _Battle of Orchomenus, 85 B.C. Sulla restores the Fight._

L. Sulla, cedentibus iam legionibus exercitui {10} Mithridatico ductu Archelai, stricto gladio in primam aciem procucurrit appellansque milites dixit, si quis quaesisset, ubi imperatorem reliquissent, responderent pugnantem in Boeotia: cuius rei pudore universi eum secuti sunt. {15}

FRONTINUS, _Strategemata_, ii. 8. 12.

[Linenote: 10-15. = 'The great victory at Orchomenus was the turning-point in the War.' --Ihne.]

C. _Peace of Darda.n.u.s. End of the First Mithridatic War, 84 B.C._

Transgressus deinde in Asiam Sulla parentem ad omnia supplicemque Mithridatem invenit, quem multatum pecunia ac parte navium, Asia omnibusque aliis provinciis, quas armis occupaverat, decedere coegit, captivos recepit, in perfugas noxiosque {20} animadvert.i.t, paternis, id est Ponticis finibus contentum esse iussit.