Chapter 52
25. +sine missione+ = _without quarter_. Cf. _missio_ = _the discharge_ from service of soldiers and gladiators.]
B25
THE THIRD MITHRIDATIC WAR, 74-63 B.C. (1)
_Lucullus Ponticus._
Quoniam de genere belli dixi, nunc de magnitudine pauca dicam. Atque ut omnes intellegant me L. Lucullo tantum impertire laudis, quantum forti viro et sapienti homini et magno imperatori debeatur, dico eius adventu maximas Mithridatis {5} copias omnibus rebus ornatas atque instructas fuisse urbemque Asiae clarissimam n.o.bisque amicissimam, Cyzicenorum, obsessam esse ab ipso rege maxima mult.i.tudine et oppugnatam vehementissime, quam L. Lucullus virtute, a.s.siduitate, consilio summis {10} obsidionis periculis liberavit: ab eodem imperatore cla.s.sem magnam et ornatam, quae ducibus Sertorianis ad Italiam studio inflammata raperetur, superatam esse atque depressam; magnas hostium praeterea copias multis proeliis esse deletas patefactumque {15} nostris legionibus esse Pontum, qui antea populo Romano ex omni aditu clausus fuisset; Sinopen atque Amisum, quibus in oppidis erant domicilia regis, omnibus rebus ornatas atque refertas, ceterasque urbes Ponti et Cappadociae permultas uno {20} aditu adventuque esse captas; regem spoliatum regno patrio atque avito ad alios se reges atque ad alias gentes supplicem contulisse: atque haec omnia salvis populi Romani sociis atque integris vectigalibus esse gesta. {25}
CICERO, _pro Lege Manilia_, 20, 21.
[Linenotes: 5-6. +maximas... fuisse.+ M. had 140,000 well-trained men, Roman officers sent by Sertorius, 16,000 cavalry, a war-fleet of 400 s.h.i.+ps, and abundance of stores.
7-11. +urbemque... liberavit.+ The city of Cyzicus stood on the S.
side of the island of the same name in the Propontis (Sea of Marmora), close to the sh.o.r.e of M?sia, to which it was joined by two bridges.
12-14. +cla.s.sem... depressam+, i.e. probably the Battle of Tenedos 73 B.C., in which Marcus Marius and the ablest of the Roman emigrants met their death, and the whole Aegean fleet of Mithridates was annihilated.
15. +multis proeliis+, e.g. of Cabira, 72 B.C.; Tigranocerta, 69 B.C.
18. +Sinopen.+ +Sinope+, on the W. headland of the great bay of which the delta of the R. Halys forms the E. headland, was the birthplace and residence (+domicilia+) of M.
22. +ad alios reges+, e.g. to his son-in-law, Tigranes of Armenia.
23-24. +salvis... vectigalibus+, i.e. without ruining the provincial by forced contributions and requisitions.]
+Reference.+ For _Siege of Cyzicus_, see Mommsen, vol. iv. pp. 326-328; Frontinus, _Strat._ ii. 13. 6.
B26
CN. POMPEIUS MAGNUS, 106-48 B.C.
_His Character, and Career to 66 B.C._
Iam vero virtuti Cn. Pompei quae potest oratio par inveniri? Quid est quod quisquam aut illo dignum, aut vobis novum aut cuiquam inauditum possit adferre? Neque enim illae sunt solae virtutes imperatoriae, quae vulgo esistimantur, labor in {5} negotiis, fort.i.tudo in periculis, industria in agendo, celeritas in conficiendo, consilium in providendo, quae tanta sunt in hoc uno, quanta in omnibus reliquis imperatoribus, quos aut vidimus aut audivimus, non fuerunt. Testis est Italia, quam ille ipse {10} victor L. Sulla huius virtute et subsidio confessus est liberatam: testis est Sicilia, quam multis undique cinctam periculis non terrore belli, sed consilii celeritate explicavit: testis est Africa, quae magnis oppressa hostium copiis eorum ipsorum sanguine {15} redundavit: testis est Gallia, per quam legionibus nostris iter in Hispaniam Gallorum internecione patefactum est: testis est Hispania, quae saep.i.s.sime plurimos hostes ab hoc superatos prostratosque conspexit: testis est iterum et saepius Italia, quae {20} c.u.m servili bello taetro periculosoque premeretur, ab hoc auxilium absente expetivit, quod bellum exspectatione eius attenuatum atque imminutum est, adventu sublatum ac sepultum: testes nunc vero iam omnes orae atque omnes exterae gentes ac nationes. {25}
CICERO, _pro Lege Manilia_, 29-31.
[Linenotes: 10-12. +Testis est Italia... liberatam.+ In 83 B.C. Pompeius, aged twenty-four, raised three legions in Picenum, gained several advantages over the Marian generals, and was saluted by Sulla as Imperator.
12-14. +testis est Sicilia... explicavit.+ In 82 B.C. Pompeius, sent as propraetor to Sicily, quickly took possession of the island
14-16. +testis est Africa... redundavit.+ In 81 B.C. Pompeius defeated at Utica the Marian Ahen.o.barbus (allied with Hiarbas of Numidia), and was, though _a simple Roman eques_, granted a triumph by Sulla and saluted as +Magnus+.
16-18. +testis est Gallia... patefactum est.+ In 77 B.C., on his way to Spain as proconsul against Sertorius, he had to cut his way through the Transalpine Gauls, and laid out a new and shorter road over the Cottian Alps.
21. +servili bello.+ On his return from Spain he cut to pieces the scattered remnants of the army of Spartacus.
21-23. +ab hoc... imminutum est.+ Cic. a.s.sumes that the enemy was crippled even by the mere notion of sending for Pompeius.]
+References.+ Plutarch, _Pompeius_; Vell. Paterc. ii. 29.
B27
GAIUS IULIUS CAESAR (1)
_The Man Caesar._
Fuisse traditur excelsa statura, colore candido, teretibus membris, ore paulo pleniore, nigris vegetisque oculis, valetudine prospera; nisi quod tempore extremo repente animo linqui atque etiam per somnum exterreri solebat. Armorum et equitandi {5} peritissimus, laboris ultra fidem patiens erat. In agmine nonnunquam equo, saepius pedibus anteibat, capite detecto, seu sol seu imber esset; longissimas vias incredibili celeritate confecit. In obeundis expeditionibus dubium cautior an audentior, {10} exercitum neque per insidiosa itinera duxit umquam nisi perspeculatus locorum situs. A Brundisio Dyrrachium inter oppositas cla.s.ses hieme transmisit cessantibusque copiis, quas subsequi iusserat, c.u.m ad accersendas frustra saepe misisset, {15} novissime ipse clam noctu parvulum navigium solus obvoluto capite conscendit, neque aut quis esset ante detexit aut gubernatorem cedere adversae tempestati pa.s.sus est, quam paene obrutus fluctibus. Ne religione quidem ulla a quoquam incepto absterritus {20} umquam vel r.e.t.a.r.datus est. c.u.m immolanti aufugisset hostia, profectionem adversus Scipionem et Iubam non distulit. Prolapsus etiam in egressu navis, verso ad melius omine Teneo te, inquit, Africa.
SUETONIUS, _Divus Iulius_, 45, 57-59 (sel.)
[Linenotes: 4. +animo linqui+ = _he was subject to fainting-fits_.
8. +capite detecto+, so Cyrus the Younger and Hannibal.
9. +incredibili celeritate+, cf. Cic. _Ep. ad Att._ viii. 9 _hoc_ t??a? (= prodigy) _horribili vigilantia, celeritate, diligentia est_. Cf. also Napoleon the Great.
14. +cessantibusque copiis+ = _and when the troops delayed their coming_. Caesar did not then know that Antonius had himself been attacked at Brundisium by a Pompeian fleet, and had shown great skill in baffling it, and forcing it to put to sea again. Once more Antonius set sail with 4 legions and 800 hors.e.m.e.n, and fortunately a strong S. wind carried him safely to the port of Lissus (N. of Dyrrachium).
18-19. +gubernatorem... pa.s.sus est.+ '_Quid times? Caesarem vehis!_' was Caesar's famous exhortation to the pilot. (Florus.) 21-22. +c.u.m... hostia:+ if the victim even tugged at the rope when being led to sacrifice, it was considered unfortunate, and hence a long slack rope was used. Cf. Juv. xii. 5 _Sed procul extensum petulans_ (b.u.t.ting) _quat.i.t hostia funem_.
24. According to Frontinus his words were '_Teneo te, terra mater_.']
+The man Caesar.+ 'We may picture him as a man the dignity of whose bodily presence was in due proportion to the greatness of his mental powers.' --Warde Fowler.
B28
GAIUS IULIUS CAESAR (2)
_Captured by Pirates. Studies Oratory at Rhodes, 76-75 B.C._
Composita seditione civili Cornelium Dolabellam consularem et triumphalem repetundarum postulavit; absolutoque Rhodum secedere statuit, et ad declinandam invidiam et ut per otium ac requiem Apollonio Moloni clarissimo tunc dicendi magistro {5} operam daret. Huc dum hibernis iam mensibus traicit, circa Pharmacussam insulam a praedonibus captus est, mansitque apud eos, non sine summa indignatione, prope quadraginta dies c.u.m uno medico et cubicularis duobus. Nam comites servosque {10} ceteros initio statim ad expediendas pecunias, quibus redimeretur, dimiserat. Numeratis deinde quinquaginta talentis, expositus in litore non distulit quin e vestigio cla.s.se deducta persequeretur abeuntis, ac redactos in potestatem supplicio, quod saepe illis {15} minatus inter ioc.u.m fuerat, adficeret. Vastante regiones proximas Mithridate ne desidere in discrimine sociorum videretur, ab Rhodio quo pertenderat, transiit in Asiam, auxiliisque contractis et praefecto regis provincia expulso, nutantes ac dubias civitates {20} retinuit in fide.
SUETONIUS, _Divus Iulius_, 4.
[Linenotes: 1. +Composita seditione civili+, i.e. after the abortive attempt of Lepidus to make himself master of the state 77 B.C.
+C. Dolabellam,+ impeached for illegal extortion during his government of Macedonia.
+Repetundarum+ (sc. _pecuniarum_), post-Aug. for _de repetundis (pecuniis)_, used i. of money extorted by an official and to be returned, ii. of money extorted as a bribe. Caesar lost his case, but succeeded in showing that Sulla's senatorial judges were corrupt.
4. +Apollonio Moloni+, the famous rhetorician, whose pupil Cicero was both at Rome and at Rhodes. Very possibly Caesar took this step by the advice of Cicero.
7. +circa Pharmacussam insulam:+ S.W. of Miletus (= mod. _Farmako_).
8-9. +non sine summa indignatione:+ Plutarch, _Caes._ gives a picturesque account of his adventures as their prisoner.
10. +cubicularis+ (_cubiculum_) = lit. _chamber-servants_.
11. +pecunias...+ Velleius says that Caesar's ransom was paid out of public funds.
14. +e vestigio+ (= _statim_) = _immediately_.]
+Caesar at Rhodes.+ 'Caesar, from what we know of his taste and character, could hardly have found the same delight as Cicero in his studies at Rhodes. He nevertheless became one of the greatest orators of his day, and according to some accounts, second only to Cicero. It is characteristic of Caesar, but unfortunate for us, that he never took any pains to collect and preserve his speeches.' --Warde Fowler.
B29
CICERO PROSECUTES VERRES, 70 B.C.
_A Roman Citizen maltreated._
Quid ego de P. Gavio, Consano municipe, dicam, indices? Aut qua vi vocis, qua gravitate verborum, quo dolore animi dicam? Quod crimen eius modi est ut, c.u.m primum ad me delatum est, usurum me illo non putarem; tametsi enim verissimum esse {5} intellegebam, tamen credibile fore non arbitrabar. Quid nunc agam? Rem in medio ponam: quae tantum habet ipsa gravitatis ut neque mea, quae nulla est, neque cuiusquam ad inflammandos vestros animos eloquentia requiratur. {10}
Caedebatur virgis in medio foro Messanae civis Roma.n.u.s, iudices; c.u.m interea nullus gemitus, nulla vox alia illius miseri inter dolorem crepitumque plagarum audiebatur, nisi haec, _Civis Roma.n.u.s sum_. Hac se commemoratione civitatis omnia verbera {15} depulsurum, cruciatum a corpore deiecturum arbitrabatur. Is non modo hoc non perfecit ut virgarum vim deprecaretur, sed c.u.m imploraret saepius usurparetque nomen civitatis, crux, crux, inquam, infelici et aerumnoso comparabatur. {20}
O nomen dulce libertatis! O ius eximium nostrae civitatis! O lex Porcia legesque Semp.r.o.niae! O graviter desiderata et aliquando reddita plebi Romanae tribunicia potestas! Hucine tandem omnia reciderunt ut civis Roma.n.u.s in provincia populi Romani, {25} in oppido foederatorum, ab eo qui beneficio populi Romani fasces et secures haberet deligatus in foro virgis caederetur?