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a prudent man, who had been of neither party, but seeing himself unexpectedly among the proscribed, said, "Alas, wretch that I am, the Alban estate pursues me." And rightly indeed did Sallust the Roman historian say that he had brought the worst end to good enterprises. For if, having cast down the power of Marius, a man who was harsh from the beginning and who intensified his nature in power, he had handed over the state to the senate and the people, he would have been admirable; but now, having appeared moderate and statesmanlike at first, and having provided the appearance of a leader beneficial to the people, when he had prevailed over his opponents, he himself was in that one's place. And while claiming to be driving out a tyranny from the city, he introduced another, more harsh one. For he proclaimed himself dictator; and for a long time he committed frantic and inhuman acts against both the citizens and the other subjects, but yet he so trusted in fortune, which followed him skillfully in every change, that having killed many men and having introduced so great an innovation into the state, he laid aside the unaccountable office, and again made the people master of the consular elections; although Lepidus was expected to come to the consulship through the efforts of Pompey on his behalf, a man most rash and especially hostile to him; but nevertheless from then on he was in the position of a private citizen and with equal right of speech with the many. When Lepidus was appointed consul, seeing Pompey rejoicing at the event, he said, "Well done, your zeal, young man, that you have proclaimed Lepidus even before Catulus, the most frantic man before the best of all citizens; it is time, however, for you to consider how you will overcome your rival, now that he has become strong." This, then, Sulla uttered as if by oracle. For after a little while, Lepidus, having grown insolent in his office, became an enemy to Pompey's party. And when a civil disturbance arose again, the Roman senate put Sulla forward for the unaccountable office. For when all the equestrians conspired together, it was not tolerable to those in power. Sulla, therefore, having come to the aforementioned office, gave a signal to the men throughout Italy, unknown to all those in Rome, and ordered them to enter the city carrying daggers, when the Romans celebrate the day of Rhea, so that through them he might destroy the equestrians of the city. The mob throughout Italy, therefore, thinking contrary to the soldiers, met at the appointed time. And having begun the civil disturbance, and at the same time having taken the people to his side, he destroyed many of the equestrians. While these things were being done throughout the city, Sulla, wishing to make the mob desist from the civil turmoil, cleverly devised some reports from his subjects everywhere, indicating barbarian raids. And immediately taking up all the armies and setting generals over them, he rid the city of the entire multitude. 69 Exc. De ins.: That Mithridates, the king of Pontus, being harsh and severe, overthrown by his son Pharnaces among his own soldiers, and forced to a necessary death, drank a deadly poison and died near the Bosporus. 70 Suidas: Pompey. "That Pompey, surnamed the Great, consul and general of the Romans, undertook the war against Mithridates and Tigranes. And he defeated Mithridates in lesser Armenia by a night battle, so as to plunder his camp and cut down thirty thousand hoplites. Mithridates, therefore, having been entirely stripped of his power, was content to escape along with his wife and two attendants; then, having been overthrown by his son Pharnaces among his own soldiers, and driven to a necessary death, he drank a deadly poison and died near the Bosporus. His son Pharnaces then became successor to the rule. And Pompey leads the army against Tigranes. But the Armenian, thinking it not advantageous to engage in battle with the Romans

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σώφρονα, οὐδετέρας μὲν γεγονότα μερίδος, ἀδοκήτως δὲ ἐν τοῖς προγεγραμμένοις θεασάμενον ἑαυτὸν, «Οἴμοι τάλας, εἰπεῖν, διώκει με τὸ ἐν Ἀλβανοῖς χωρίον.» Καὶ ὀρθῶς γε Σαλούστιος ὁ Ῥωμαῖος συγγραφεὺς ἔφη καλοῖς αὐτὸν ἐγχειρήμασι κάκιστον ἐπενηνοχέναι τὸ τέλος. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν Μαρίου καταβαλὼν δυναστείαν, ἀνδρὸς ἀρχῆθέν τε χαλεποῦ καὶ ἐπιτείναντος ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τὴν φύσιν, παρέδωκε τῇ βουλῇ καὶ τῷ δήμῳ τὴν πολιτείαν, θαυμαστὸς ἂν ἦν· νῦν δὲ μέτριος τὰ πρῶτα καὶ πολιτικὸς φανεὶς, καὶ δόξαν δημωφελοῦς ἡγεμόνος παρασχὼν, ἐπειδὰν τῶν ἐναντίων ἐκράτησεν, αὐτὸς ἀντ' ἐκείνου ἦν. Καὶ τυραννίδα φάσκων ἐλαύνειν ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἑτέραν εἰσῆγε χαλεπωτέραν. ∆ικτάτωρα μὲν γὰρ ἀνεῖπεν ἑαυτόν· ἔμπληκτα δὲ καὶ ἀπάνθρωπα ἔς τε τοὺς πολίτας καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ὑπηκόους ἐπιπολὺ διεπράττετο, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ οὕτω γε τῇ τύχῃ κατεπίστευσε πρὸς ἅπασαν αὐτῷ μεταβολὴν δεξιῶς ἑπομένῃ, ὥστε πολλοὺς μὲν ἀνῃρηκότα, καινότητα δὲ τοσαύτην εἰς τὴν πολιτείαν εἰσενεγκάμενον, ἀποθέσθαι τὴν ἀνυπεύθυνον ἀρχὴν, καὶ τὸν δῆμον αὖθις τῶν ὑπατικῶν ἀρχαιρεσιῶν ἀποφῆναι κύριον· καίτοι Λεπίδου παρελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ὑπατείαν διὰ τοῦ Πομπηίου περὶ τὸν ἄνδρα σπουδὴν προσδοκωμένου, ἀνδρὸς θρασυτάτου τε καί οἱ τὰ μάλιστα πολεμίου· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐν ἰδιώτου τάξει καὶ ἰσηγορίᾳ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἦν. Ἀποδειχθέντος δὲ ὑπάτου Λεπίδου, χαίροντα τῷ γεγονότι Πομπήιον ἰδὼν, «Εὖγε, ἔφη, τῆς σπουδῆς, ὦ νεανία, ὅτι καὶ Κατούλου πρότερον ἀνηγόρευσας Λέπιδον, τοῦ πάντων ἀρίστου τῶν πολιτῶν τὸν ἐμπληκτότατον· ὥρα μέντοι σοι σκοπεῖν ὅπως ἰσχυρὸν γεγονότα καταγωνίσῃ τὸν ἀντίπαλον.» Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ὁ Σύλλας ὥσπερ ἀπεθέσπισε. Μετ' ὀλίγον γὰρ ἐξυβρίσας ἐς τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ Λέπιδος, πολέμιος κατέστη τοῖς περὶ τὸν Πομπήιον. Κινήσεώς τε αὖθις ἐμφυλίου γενομένης Σύλλαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνυπεύθυνον ἀρχὴν ἡ Ῥωμαίων βουλὴ προεβάλετο. Τῶν γὰρ ἱππέων ἅμα πάντων συμφραξαμένων οὐκ ἀνεκτὸν ἦν τοῖς ἐν τέλει. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Σύλλας ἐπὶ τὴν εἰρημένην ἐλθὼν ἀρχὴν, σύνθημα τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἀνδράσι λαθὼν ἅπαντας τοὺς τῆς Ῥώμης ἔδωκεν, ἐγχειρίδιά τε αὐτοὺς ξίφη κομιζομένους εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν πόλιν προσέταξεν, ὁπηνίκα τῆς Ῥέας ἡμέραν πανηγυρίζουσι Ῥωμαῖοι, ὡς ἂν δι' αὐτῶν τοὺς τῆς πόλεως ἱππεῖς διαχρήσηται. Ὁ μὲν οὖν περὶ τὴν Ἰταλίαν ὄχλος ἐναντία τοῖς στρατιώταις φρονῶν κατὰ τὴν ὡρισμένην ἀπήντησεν. Ἀρξάμενός τε τῆς ἐμφυλίου κινήσεως, ἅμα τε καὶ τὸν δῆμον προσλαβόμενος πολλοὺς τῶν ἱππέων διέφθειρε. Τούτων δὲ κατὰ τὴν πόλιν πραττομένων, ὁ Σύλλας βουληθεὶς τὸν ὄχλον τῆς ἐμφυλίου ταραχῆς ἀποστῆσαι, διεσοφίσατο μηνύσεις τινὰς ἐκ τῶν πανταχόθεν ὑπηκόων, βαρβάρων ἐπιδρομὰς ἐπιφαινούσας. Καὶ εὐθέως ἀναλαβὼν ἅπαντα τὰ στρατεύματα, ἐπιστήσας τε αὐτοῖς στρατηγοὺς, τοῦ παντὸς πλήθους τὴν πόλιν ἀπήλλαξεν. 69 Exc. De ins.: Ὅτι Μιθριδάτης ὁ τοῦ Πόντου βασιλεὺς χαλεπὸς ὢν καὶ τραχὺς, καταστασιασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς Φαρνάκου παρὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις στρατιώταις, πρός τε θάνατον ἀναγκαῖον συνελασθεὶς, φάρμακον δηλητήριον ἐκπιὼν, τελευτᾷ περὶ τὸν Βόσπορον. 70 Suidas: Πομπήιος. «Ὅτι Πομπήιος ὁ μέγας ἐπικληθεὶς, ὕπατος καὶ στρατηγὸς Ῥωμαίων, τὸν πρὸς Μιθριδάτην καὶ Τιγράνην πόλεμον ἀνεδέξατο. Καὶ τὸν μὲν Μιθριδάτην κατὰ τὴν μικρὰν Ἀρμενίαν νυκτομαχίᾳ κατηγωνίσατο, ὡς τὸ στρατόπεδον αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι, καὶ τρεῖς μυριάδας ὁπλιτῶν καταβαλεῖν. Ὁ οὖν Μιθριδάτης γυμνωθεὶς παντάπασι τῆς δυνάμεως διαφεύγειν ἀγαπητῶς ἅμα τῇ γαμετῇ καὶ δύο τισὶν ἀκολούθοις ἱκανὸς γέγονεν· εἶτα καταστασιασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ παιδὸς Φαρνάκου παρὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις στρατιώταις, καὶ πρὸς θάνατον ἀναγκαῖον ἐλαθεὶς, φάρμακον δηλητήριον ἐκπιὼν τελευτᾷ περὶ τὸν Βόσπορον. Ὁ δὲ δὴ παῖς αὐτῷ Φαρνάκης γίνεται διάδοχος τῆς ἀρχῆς. Ὁ δὲ Πομπήιος ἐπὶ Τιγράνην ἄγει τὴν στρατιάν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀρμένιος διὰ μάχης ἐλθεῖν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις οὐλυσιτελὲς ἡγησάμενος