A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

SULLA. SULLA. 937
the prosecution of this war, the history of which Italy. After exacting enormous sums from the
is given under MITHRIDATES VI. and his general wealthy cities of Asia, he left his legate, L. LiARCHELAUS, and may therefore be dismissed here cinius Murena, in command of the province of
with a few words. Sulla landed at Dyrrhachium, Asia, with two legions, and set sail with his own
and forthwith marched against Athens, which had army to Athens. While preparing for his deadly
become the head-quarters of the Mithridatic cause struggle in Italy, he did not lose his interest in
in Greece. After a long and obstinate siege, literature. He carried with him from Athens to
Athens was taken by storm on the 1st of March Rome the valuable library of Apellicon of Teos,
in the following year, B. c. 86; and in consequence which contained most of the works of Aristotle
of the insults which Sulla and his wife Metella had and Theophrastus. [APELLICON.] During his
received from the tyrant Aristion, the city was stay at Athens, Sulla had an attack of gout, of
given up to rapine and plunder. He next ob- which he was cured by the use of the warm springs
tained possession of the Peiraeeus, which had been of Aedepsus in Euboea. As soon as he recovered,
defended by Archelaus. Meantime Mithridates he led his army to Dyrrhachium, and from thence
had sent fresh reinforcements to Archelaus, who crossed over to Brundusium in Italy.
concentrated all his troops in Boeotia. Sulla ad- Sulla landed at Brundusium in the spring of
vanced against him, and defeated him in the B. C. 83, in the consulship of L. Scipio and C.
neighbourhood of Chaeroneia with such enormous Norbanus. During the preceding year he had
loss, that out of the 120,000 men with whom written to the senate, recounting the services he
Archelaus had opened the campaign, he is said had rendered to the commonwealth from the time
to have assembled only 10,000 at Chalcis in Eu- of the Jugurthine war down to the conquest of
boea, where he had taken refuge. But while Sulla Mithridates, complaining of the ingratitude with
was carrying on the war with such success in which he had been treated, announcing his speedy
Greece, his enemies had obtained the upper hand return to Italy, and threatening to take vengeance
in Italy. The consul Cinna, who had been driven upon his enemies and those of the republic. The
out of Rome by his colleague Octavius, soon after senate, in alarm, sent an embassy to Sulla to enSulla's departure from Italy, had entered it again deavour to bring about a reconciliation between
with Marius at the close of the year. Both Ciina him and his enemies, and meantime ordered the
and Marius were appointed consuls B. C. 86, all consuls Cinna and Carbo to desist from levying
the regulations of Sulia were swept away, his friends troops, and making further preparations for war.
and adherents murdered, his property confiscated, Cinna and Carbo gave no heed to this command;
and he himself declared a public enemy. It they knew that a reconciliation was inmpossible,
has frequently been made a subject of panegyric and resolved to carry over an army to Dalmatia,
upon Sulla that he still continued to prosecute the in order to oppose Sulla in Greece; but after one
war with Mithridates under these circumstances, detachment of their troops had embarked, the
and preferred the subjugation of the enemies of remaining soldiers rose in mutiny, and murdered
Rome to the gratification of his own revenge. Cinna. The Marian party had thus lost their
But it must be recollected that an immediate leader, but continued nevertheless to make every
peace with Mithridates would have discontented preparation to oppose Sulla,for they were well aware
his soldiers; while by bringing the war to an that he would never forgive them, and thattheir only
honourable conclusion, he gratified his troops by choice lay between victory and destruction. Beplunder, attached them more and more to his person, sides this the Italians were ready to support thenm,
and at the same time collected from the conquered as these new citizens feared that Sulla would decities vast sums of money for the prosecution of prive them of the rights which they had lately
the war against his enemies in Italy. At the same obtained after so much bloodshed. The Marian
time it is an undoubted proof of his sagacity and party had every prospect of victory, for their
forethought that he knew how to bide his time. troops far exceeded those of Suilla. According to
Most other men in his circumstances would have Velleius Paterculus, they had 200,000 men in
hurried back to Italy at once to crush their ene- arms, while Sulla landed at Brundusium with only
mies, and thus have ruined themselves. Marius 30,000, or at the most 40,000 men. (Vell. Pat.
died seventeen days after he had entered upon his ii. 24; Appian, B. C. i. 79.) But on the other
consulship, and was succeeded in the office by L. hand, the popular party had no one of sufficient
Valerius Flaccus, who was sent into Asia that he influence and military reputation to take the
might prosecute the war at the same time against supreme command in the war; their vast forces
Mithridates and Sulla. Flaccus was murdered by were scattered about Italy, in different armies,
his troops at the instigation of Fimbria, who now under different generals; the soldiers had no conassumed the command, and who gained several fidence in their commanders, and no enthusiasm
victories over the generals of Mithridates in Asia, in their cause; and the consequence was, that
in B. c. 85. About the same time the new army, whole hosts of them deserted to Sulla on the first
which Mithridates had again sent to Archelaus in opportunity. Sulla's soldiers, on the contrary,
Greece, was again defeated by Sulla in the neigh- were veterans, who had frequently fought by each
bourhood of Orchomenus. These repeated dis- other's side, and had acquired that confidence in
asters made Mithridates anxious for peace, but it themselves and in their general which frequent
was not granted by Sulla till the following year, victories always give to soldiers. Still if the
B. C. 84, when he had crossed the Hellespont in Italians had remained faithful to the cause of the
order to carry on the war in that country. Sulla Marian party, Sulla would hardly have conquered,
was now at liberty to turn his arms against Fim- and therefore one of his first cares after landing at
bria, who was with his army at Thyateira. The Brundusium was to detach them from his enemies.
name of Sulla carried victory with it. The troops For this purpose he would not allow his troops to
of Fimbria deserted their general, who put an end do any injury to the towns or fields of the Italianls
to his own life. Sulla now prepared to return to in his march from Brundusium through Calabria