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NOw as for Sylla's victory, ye reuenger of al this cruelty, it was not got with•…•… much store of cittizens bloud, and yet the wars only hauing ended and n•…•… the grudges: this victory brake out into a far more cruell wast, in ye midst of al the peace. For after the butcheries that the elder Marius had made (beeing yet b•…•…
fresh and bleeding, there followed worse by the handes of the yonger Marius & Carbo, both of the old faction of Marius. These two perceiuing Sylla to come vp∣pon them, being desperate both of safety and victory, filled all with slaughters, both of them-selues and others: For besides the massacre they made else-where in the citty, they besieged the Senate in the very Court, and from thence as from a prison, dragged them out by the heades to execution. (b) Mutius Seaeuola, the Priest was slain iust as he had hold of the altar of Vesta, the most reuerend relique of all the cittie (c) almost quenching that fire with his bloud, which the Virgins care kept alwaies burning. Then entered victorious Sylla into the citty (d) and in the common streete, (wars cruelty now done, and peaces beginning) put seauen thousand vnarmed men to the sword, not in fight, but by an expresse commaund. And after that he put euen whom he list to death, throughout the whole citty, in so much that the slaughters grew so inumerable (e) that one was gladde to put Sylla in mind that he must either let some liue, or else he should haue none to bee Lord ouer. And then indeed this rauenous murtherer began to be restrained by degrees; and a (f) table was set vp (with great applause) wt proscribed but 2000. of the Patriots and Gentlemen, appointing them all to bee presently killed. The number made all men sad, but the manner cheered them againe: nor were they so sad, that so many should perish, as they reioyced, that the rest should escape. Ne∣uerthelesse, this cruell carelesnesse of theirs groned at the exquisite torments, that some of the condemned persons suffered in their deaths. For (g) one of them was torn in peeces by mēs hands without touch of iron, wher the executiōers shew∣ed far more cruelly in rending this liuing man thus, then they vse ordinarily vpon a dead beast. (h) Another hauing first his eies pluckt out, and then all the parts of his body cut away ioint by ioint, was forced to liue, or rather to die, thus long in such intollerable torment. Many also of the noblest citties and townes were put vnto the sacke: and as one guilty man is vsed to be led out to death, so was one whole Citty as then laid out and appointed for execution. These were the fruits of their peace after their warres, wherin they hasted not to gette the conquest, but were swift to abuse it being got. Thus this peace bandied in bloud with that war, and quite exceeded it. for then war killed but the armed, but this peace neuer spared the naked. In the war he that was striken, if hee could might strike againe: but in this peace, he that escaped the war, must not liue, but tooke his death with patience perforce.
THe yonger (a) Marius] Son to the elder: ioined Consul with Carbo ere he were 25. yeares old by forced meanes. He commanded his man Damasippus to kill all the Patriots in the citty, who (being military Praetor) like a good seruant did al that his maister bad him, & vnder shew of calling a Senate, killed them euery one. (b) Mutius Scaeuola] (Liu. lib. 87.) But Lucan (lib 2.) seemes to hold that Scaeuola was slaine by the elder Marius: mary so do not the Histori∣agrahers; but by the yonger. (c) Almost quenshing] In imitation of Lucan.
—Parum sed fessa senectus * 1.2 Sanguinis effudit iugulo; flammis{que} pepercit.—Nor did the aged sire Bleed much: but spared the prophaned fire.
(d) In the common streete] Liuie saith, eight thousand, and the author of the booke De viris illustribus, saith nine thousand. (e) One was] This Eutropius and Oros. thinke was Q. Catulus. Others say that C. Metellus trusting to his kindred with Sylla spake this in a youthfull for∣wardnesse: Plutarch and Florus say it was Fusidius (though Plutarch call him Offidius that is but a falt as a great many more are in him either through him-selfe, his translators, or the
copiers.) Orosius saith Fursidus. This Fusidius, Salust remembers in his oration of Lepidus the Consull. (f) A table] The table of proscription, shewing the certaine number of such as should bee slaine, that each might know what should become of him. Such as were proscribed it * 1.3 was lawfull to kill, their goods were shared, part to Sylla, part to the executioner. Their chil∣dren were depriued of honors and forbidden by Sylla's law to sue for any. This was the first proscription table, that Rome euer saw. (g) One] This was Bebius, a Marian, the other was for Sylla: and they died both one death. For the Syllans returning like cruelty for like vpon the Marians, vsed their Bebius after the same sort as the other was vsed by them. Florus names * 1.4 them both. (h) Another] M. Marius Gratidianus, Caius his kinsman. This deed was Cat∣ilines, at the Graue of L. Caculus, vpon this Marius, a most gratious and honest man, hauing beene twice tribune, and twice Praetor. Q. Cicero in Paraenes. ad. M. Fratr. He first cut off his armes and legges, then his eares, tongue, and nose: then puld out his eyes, and lastly cut off * 1.5 his head. (i) Put to the sacke] Subhastatae, doth Laurinus reade it, most congruently to the history. The fairest holds of Italy (saith Florus) Subhastatae sunt, came to the souldiors spoyling: Spoletum, Interamna, Praeneste, Fluentia. But Sulmo, an ancient friend of Romes, (Oh vnworthy deede) being vnbesieged, euen as warres pledges beeing condemned to die, are ledde forth to executi∣on, so was this City by Sylla, singled out and appointed for a direct spoile and slaughter. Flor. lib. 3. Liuie lib. 88. Saith that Sylla commanded all the Prenestines, beeing disarmed to bee slaine, * 1.6 Subhastate was a word of vse in Augustines time, for Theodosius, and Archadius Emperors doe both vse it. C. de rescind. vend.
Marius his Sonne.
Scaeuola.
Tables of proscripti∣on.
The Bebii.
Marius Gra•…•…idia∣nus his death.
Sulmo.