sylla-第4节

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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　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