The Gracchi Marius and Sulla eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 234 pages of information about The Gracchi Marius and Sulla.

The Gracchi Marius and Sulla eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 234 pages of information about The Gracchi Marius and Sulla.
men, and his troops abandoned their position. [Sidenote:  He flies to Mauretania.  At Pityussa.] Sertorius had few men, and fled to New Carthage, and thence to Mauretania.  Here he was attacked by the barbarians, and re-embarking, was on his way back to Spain, when he fell in with some Cilician pirates with whom he attacked Pityussa (Iviza) and expelled the Roman garrison. [Sidenote:  At Gades.] Annius hastened to the rescue and worsted him in a fight, after which Sertorius sailed away through the Straits of Gibraltar to Gades (Cadiz).  Here some sailors told him of two islands which the Spaniards believed to be the Islands of the Blest, with a pleasant climate and a fruitful soil.  In these islands—­probably Madeira—­Sertorius wished to settle. [Sidenote:  In Mauretania.] But, when his Cilician allies sailed to Mauretania to restore some prince to his throne, he went there too and fought on the other side.  Sulla sent help to the prince, but Sertorius defeated the commander and was joined by the troops. [Sidenote:  Invited to Spain.] Now, when once more at the head of a Roman army, he was invited to Spain by the Lusitani, who were preparing to revolt against Rome.  With 2,600 Romans and 700 Africans he crossed the sea, gaining a victory over the Roman cruisers on his way, and set to work organizing and drilling the Lusitani in Roman fashion. [Sidenote:  His white fawn.] One of them gave him a white fawn, and Sertorius declared that it had been given him by Diana.  After this, when he obtained any secret intelligence he said that the fawn had told him, and brought it out crowned with flowers, if it was some officer’s success of which he had heard.  By such means, and by introducing a gay and martial uniform among his troops, he made his army both well-disciplined and devoted to him personally, and defeated one governor of Further Spain on the Baetis (Guadalquiver). [Sidenote:  Defeats Metellus Pius.] Gaining afterwards a series of successes over Q. Metellus Pius, who had been sent against him, he was still in arms and master of a considerable part of Spain when Sulla died.

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE PERSONAL RULE AND DEATH OF SULLA.

Sulla was to all intents and purposes a king in Rome.  He harangued the people on what he had achieved, and told them that if they were obedient he would make things better for them, but that he would not spare his enemies, and would punish everyone who had sided with them since Scipio violated his covenant. [Sidenote:  Reign of terror in Rome.] Then began a reign of terror.  Not only did he kill his enemies, but gave over to his creatures men against whom he had no complaint to make.  At last a young noble, Caius Metellus, asked him in the Senate, ’Tell us, Sulla, when there is to be an end of our calamities.  We do not ask thee to spare those whom those hast marked out for punishment, but to relieve the suspense of

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The Gracchi Marius and Sulla from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.