15. his rival, and then made himself consul with Cinna. Thus gratified in his two favourite passions, vengeance and ambition, having once saved his country, and now deluged it with blood; at last, as if willing to crown the pile of slaughter which he had made with his own body he died the month after, not without suspicion of having hastened his end. 16. In the mean time these accounts were brought to Sylla, who had been sent against Mithrida'tes, and who was performing many signal exploits against him; hastily concluding a peace, therefore, he returned home to take vengeance on his enemies at Rome. 17. Nothing could intimidate Cinna from attempting to repel his opponent'. Being joined by Car'bo, (now elected in the room of Vale'rius, who had been slain,) together with young Ma'rius, who inherited all the abilities and the ambition of his father, he determined to send over part of the forces he had raised in Dalma'tia to oppose Sylla before he entered Italy. Some troops were accordingly embarked; but being dispersed by a storm, the others that had not yet put to sea absolutely refused to go. 18. Upon this, Cinna, quite furious at their disobedience, rushed forward to persuade them to their duty. In the mean time one of the most mutinous of the soldiers being struck by an officer returned the blow, and was apprehended for his crime. This ill-timed severity produced a tumult and a mutiny through the whole army and while Cinna did all he could to appease it, he was run through the body by one of the crowd. 19. Scipio, the consul, who commanded against Sylla, was soon after allured by proposals for a treaty; but a suspension of arms being agreed upon, Sylla's soldiers went into the opposite camp, displaying those riches which they had acquired in their expeditions, and offering to participate with their fellow-citizens, in case they changed their party. 20. In consequence of this the whole army declared unanimously for Sylla; and Scipio scarcely knew that he was forsaken and deposed, till he was informed of it by a party of the enemy, who, entering his tent, made him and his son prisoners. 21. In this manner both factions, exasperated to the To strengthen his interest, he married his daughter Cornelia about this time to Julius Cæsar, whose abilities were conspicuous even in his youth. highest degree, and expecting no mercy on either part, gave vent to their fury in several engagements. The forces on the side of young Ma'rius, who now succeeded his father in command, were the most numerous, but those of Sylla better united, and more under subordination. 22. Carbo, who commanded for Ma'rius in the field, sent eight legions to Prænes'te, to relieve his colleague, but they were met by Pompey, afterwards surnamed the Great, in a defile, who slew many of them, and dispersed the rest. Carbo soon after engaged Metellus, but was overcome, with the loss of ten thousand slain, and six thousand taken prisoners'. 23. In consequence, Urba'nus, one of the consuls, killed himself, and Carbo fled to Africa, where, after wandering a long time, he was at last delivered up to Pompey, who, to please Sylla, ordered him to be beheaded 2. Sylla, now become undisputed master of his country, entered Rome at the head of his army. Happy, had he supported in peace the glory which he had acquired in war; or, had he ceased to live when he ceased to conquer ! 24. 25. Eight thousand men,) who had escaped the general carnage, surrendered themselves to the conqueror;) he ordered them to be put into the Villa Publica, a large house in the Campus Mar'tius; and, at the same time, convoked the senate; there, without discovering the least emotion, he spoke with great fluency of his own exploits, and in the mean time, gave private directions that all those wretches whom he had confined should be slain. 26. The senate, amazed at the horrid outcries of the sufferers, at first thought that the city was given up to plunder; but Sylla, with an unembarrassed air, informed them, that it was only some criminals who were punished by his order, and that the senate ought not to make themselves uneasy at their fate. 27. The day after, he proscribed forty senators, and sixteen hundred knights; and after an intermission of two days, forty senators more, with an infinite number of the richest citizens. 28. He next resolved to invest himself with the dicta 1 The news of this defeat so exasperated young Ma'rius, that he sent orders to Ju'nius Bru'tus, then prætor at Rome, to put all Sylla's friends to death. (Appian.) This order was executed with the utmost cruelty, and probably contributed to those dreadful scenes of carnage which soon after followed. 2 Young Ma'rius destroyed himself, and his head was afterwards, by Sylla's order, exposed in the forum. torship, and that for a perpetuity and thus uniting all civil as well as military power in his own person, he thought he might thence give an air of justice to every oppression. 29. Thus he continued to govern with capricious tyranny, none daring to resist his power, until, contrary to the expectations of all mankind, he laid down the dictatorship, after having held it not quite three years 1. 30 After this, he retired into the country, and abandoned himself to debauchery; but he did not long survive his abdication he was seized with a horrible distemper 2, and died a loathsome and mortifying object, and a melancholy proof of the futility of human ambition. Questions for Examination. 1, 2. What were the first acts of Sylla? What became of Marius ? 3, 4. To what dangers was he exposed? Was an attempt made on his life? 5. How did the governor treat the fugitive general? 6, 7. What ingratitude was shown to Marius? What was his reply? 8, 9. From what African prince did he ask aid? Was it granted? 10. What opportunity was taken by the Marian party to renew the struggle? 11, 12. To what scruple did Marius pretend? What proves it a pretence? 13, 14. What cruelties were practised by Marius? change? What laws did he It is remarkable, that though on his laying down the dictatorship, the forum was full of those whom his cruelties had rendered his most bitter enemies, no one presumed to molest him, except one young man, who followed him to his house with the most scurrilous abuse. Sylla did not deign him an answer, but turning to the few friends who accompanied, "This usage," said he, "will, for the future, deter any man from laying down the sovereign power, if he once gets it into his hands." 2 Morbus Pedicula'ris. 3 Two events, important in the history of Rome, occurred about this time. Serto'rius, a Roman general, in Spain, had rebelled against the government of Sylla, and defeated every army sent against him, till Pompey took the command; and even then the result appeared doubtful, till Serto'rius being assassinated by his own officers, put an end to the war. Spartacus, a gladiator, having escaped from confinement, and assembled a number of his followers, commenced what is called the second Servile War. His army gradually increasing, he became a formidable enemy to the Roman state; overthrew the prætors and consuls sent against him; but was at length defeated by Crassus, and the remains of his army cut in pieces by Pompey, who met them on his return from Spain. 15. How did Marius die? 16. How did Sylla act when he learned the news of the change? 17, 18. What caused a tumult in Cinna's army? How did it end? 19, 20. What artifice was practised on Scipio? What was the result? 21. Describe the relative conditions of the rival forces. 22, 23. Did Pompey obtain any victory? What was the consequence? 24. Which faction finally prevailed? 25, 26, 27. What massacre was perpetrated by Sylla? How did ho excuse it? Were these his only cruelties? 28, 29. What magistracy did Sylla usurp? How did he govern ? 30. In what manner did the tyranny of Sylla terminate? CHAPTER XIX. FROM THE PERPETUAL DICTATORSHIP OF SYLLA TO THE TRIUMVIRATE OF CESAR, POMPEY AND 680. CRASSUS.-U.C. Or should the deep-brew'd tempest muttering rise, 1. Dissen'sions, s. contentions, quar- 3. Ab'rogate, v. to repeal, annul, abolish. 6. Prefer'red, v. offered for considera tion. 8. Ter'minate, v. to put an end to. 10. Project'ed, v. contrived. THOMSON. 11. Profligate, a. abandoned, wicked. Insa'tiable, a. greedy beyond mea sure. 16. Punc'tual, a. exact. 18. Confront'ed, v. opposed. Vindica'tion, s. defence, a clearing of character. 1. UPON the death of Sylla the jealousies of Pompey and Crassus, the two most powerful men in the empire, began to excite fresh dissensions. Pompey was the most beloved general, but Crassus the richest man in Rome. 2. The first opportunity that was offered of discovering their mutual jealousy, was upon disbanding their troops. Neither chose to begin; so that the most fatal consequences were likely to arise from their dissension. At length Crassus, stiffing his resentment, laid down his command; and the other followed his example immediately after 3. The next trial between them was, who should be foremost "in obtaining the favour of the people. Crassus entertained the populace at a thousand tables, distributed corn to the families of the poor, and fed the greatest part of the citizens for nearly three months. Pompey, on the other hand, laboured to abrogate the laws made against the authority of the people by Sylla; restored to the knights the power of judging, which had been formerly granted them by Gracchus; and gave back to the tribunes all their former privileges. 4. Thus each gave his private aim an appearance of zeal for the public good; so that what was in reality ambition in both, took with one the name of liberality, with the other that of a love of freedom. 5. An expedition, in which Pompey cleared the Mediterranean, which was infested by pirates, having added greatly to his reputation the tribunes of the people hoped it would be easy to advance their favourite still higher. 6. Mani'lius, therefore, one of the number, preferred a law, that all the armies of the empire, the government of Asia, and the management of the war, which was renewed against Mithrida'tes. should be committed to Pompey alone The law passed with little opposition, and the decree was confirmed. 7. Being thus appointed to the command of that important war, he departed for Asia. 8. Mithrida'tes had been obliged by Lucullus to take refuge in Lesser Arme'nia, and thither that general was preparing to follow him, when his whole army abandoned him ; so that it remained for Pompey to terminate the war, which he effected with great ease and expedition, adding a large extent of domi to Roman empire, and returning to Rome in triumph at the head of his conquering army. 9. But the victories of Pompey rather served to heighten the glory than to increase the power of Rome; they made it a more glaring object of ambition, and exposed its liberties to greater danger Those liberties, indeed, seemed devoted to ruin on every side; for even while he was pursuing his conquests abroad, Rome was at the verge of ruin from a conspiracy at home. 10. This conspiracy was projected and carried on by Sergius Cat'iline, a patrician by birth, who resolved to build his own power on the downfal of his country./ 11. He was singularly formed, both by art and nature, to conduct a conspiracy: he was possessed of courage equal to the most desperate attempts, and of eloquence to give a colour to his ambition: ruined in his fortune, profligate in his manners, vigilant in pursuing his aims: he was insatiable after wealth, only with a view to lavish it on his guilty pleasures. 12. Cat'iline having contracted debts in consequence of such an ill-spent |