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

938 SULLA. SULLA.
and Apulia, and he formed separate treaties with involved in great obscurity. Carbo made two
many of the Italian towns, by which he secured to efforts to relieve Praeneste, but failed in each; and
them all the rights and privileges of Roman citi- after fighting with various fortune against Pompey,
zens which they then enjoyed. Among the Italians Metellus, and Sulla, he at length embarked for
the Samnites continued to be the most formidable Africa, despairing of further success in Italy. [For
enemies of Sulla. They had not yet received the details see CARBO, No. 7.] Meantime Rome had
Roman franchise, because they had continued in nearly fallen into the hands of the enemy. The
arms down to this time, and they now joined the Samnites and Lucanians under Pontius Telesinus
Marian party, not simply with the design of se- and L. Lamponius, after attempting to relieve Praecuring the supremacy for the latter, but with the neste, resolved to march straight upon Rome, which
hope of conquering Rome by their means, and had been left without any army for its protection.
then destroying for ever their hated oppressor. Sulla barely arrived in time to save the city. The
Thus this civil war became merely another phase battle was fought before the Colline gate; it was
of the Marsic war, and the struggle between Rome long and obstinately contested; the contest was not
and Samnium for the supremacy of the peninsula simply for the supremacy of a party; the very
was renewed after the subjection of the latter for existence of Rome was at stake, for Telesinus had
more than two hundred years. declared that he would raze the city to the ground.
Sulla marched from Apulia into Campania with- The left wing where Sulla commanded in person
out meeting with ally resistance. It was in the was driven off the field by the vehemence of the
latter country that he gained his first victory over enemy's charge; but the success of the right wing,
the consul Norbanus, who was defeated with great which was commanded by Crassus, enabled Sulla
loss, and obliged to take refuge in Capua. His to restore the battle, and at length gain a comcolleague Scipio, who was at no great distance, plete victory. Fifty thousand men are said to
willingly accepted a truce which Sulla offered him, have fallen on each side (Appian, B. C. i. 93).
although Sertorius warned him against entering All the most distinguished leaders of the enemy
into any negotiations, and his caution was justified either perished in the engagement or were taken
by the event. By means of his emissaries Sulla prisoners and put to death. Among these was the
seduced the troops of Scipio, who at length found brave Samnite Pontius Telesinus, whose head was
himself deserted by all his soldiers, and was taken cut off and carried under the walls of Praeneste,
prisoner in his tent. Sulla, however, dismissed thereby announcing to the younger Marius that
him uninjured. On hearing of this Carbo is said his last hope of succour was gone. To the Samto have observed " that he had to contend in Sulla nite prisoners Sulla showed no mercy. He was
both with a lion and a fox, but that the fox resolved to root out of the peninsula those heroic
gave him more trouble." Many distinguished enemies of Rome. On the third day after the
Romans meantime had taken up arms on behalf of battle he collected all the Samnite and Lucanian
Sulla. Cn. Pompey had levied three legions for prisoners in the Campus Martius, and ordered his
him in Picenum and the surrounding districts; soldiers to cut them down. The dying shrieks of
and Q. Metellus Pius, M. Crassus, M. Lucullus, so many victims frightened the senators, who had
and several others offered their services as legates. been assembled at the same time by Sulla in the
It was not, however, till the following year, B. c. temple of Bellona; but he bade them attend to
82, that the struggle was brought to a decisive what he was saying and not mind what was taking
issue. The consuls of this year were Cn. Papirius place outside, as he was only chastising some
Carbo and the younger Marius; the former of rebels, and he then quietly proceeded to finish his
whom was entrusted with the protection of Etruria discourse. Praeneste surrendered soon afterwards.
and Umbria, while the latter had to guard Rome The Romans in the town were pardoned; but all the
and Latium. Sulla appears to have passed the Samnites and Praenestines were massacred without
winter at Campania. At the commencement of mercy. The younger Marius put an end to his
spring he advanced against the younger Marius, own life [MaRIUS, No. 2]. The war in Italy
who had concentrated all his forces at Sacriportus, was now virtually at an end, for the few towns
and defeated him with great loss. Marius took which still held out had no prospect of offering any
refuge in Praeneste, where he had previously de- effectual opposition, and were reduced soon afterposited his military stores, and a great quantity of wards. In other parts of the Roman world the war
gold and silver which he had brought from the continued still longer, and Sulla did not live to see
Capitol and other temples at Rome. Sulla followed its completion. The armies of the Marian party
him to Praeneste, and after leaving Q. Lucretius in Sicily and Africa were subdued by Pompey in
Ofella with a large force to blockade the town and the course of B. c. 82; but Sertorius in Spain
compel it to a surrender by famine, he marched continued to defy all the attempts of the senate to
with the main body of his army to Rome. Marius crush him, till his cowardly assassination by Perwas resolved not to perish unavenged, and ac- perna in B. C. 72. [SERTORIUS.]
cordingly before Sulla could reach Rome, he sent Sulla was now master of Rome. He had not
orders to L. Damasippus, the praetor, to put to commenced the civil war, but had been driven to
death all his leading opponents. His orders were it by the nmad ambition of Marius. His enemies
faithfully obeyed. Q. Mucius Scaevola, the pontifex had attempted to. deprive him of the command in
maximus and jurist, P. Antistius, L. Domitius, and the Mithridatic war which had been legally conmany other distingished men were butchered and ferred upon him by the senate; and while he was
their corpses thrown into the Tiber. Sulla entered fighting the battles of the republic they had dethe city without opposition; Damasippus and his clared him a public enemy, confiscated his proadherents had previously withdrawn, and repaired perty, and murdered the most distinguished of his
to Carbo in Etruria. Sulla marched against Carbo, friends and adherents. For all these wrongs,
who had been previously opposed by Pompeius and Sulla had threatened to take the most ample venMetellus. The history of this part of the war is geance; and he more than redeemed his word.