Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
the fens in which the Melas, rising close under Orchomenus, loses
itself, the only Greek river which is a deep and navigable water from
the very head, increasing also about the summer solstice like the
Nile, and producing plants similar to those that grow there, only
small and without fruit. It does not run far before the main stream
disappears among the blind and woody marsh-grounds; a small branch.
however, joins the Cephisus, about the place where the lake is
thought to produce the best flute-reeds.
Now that both armies were posted near each other, Archelaus lay
still, but Sylla employed himself in cutting ditches from either
side; that if possible, by driving the enemies from the firm and open
champain, he might force them into the fens. They, on the other
hand, not enduring this, as soon as their leaders allowed them the
word of command, issued out furiously in large bodies; when not only
the men at work were dispersed, but most part of those who stood in
arms to protect the work fled in disorder. Upon this, Sylla leaped
from his horse, and snatching hold of an ensign, rushed through the
midst of the rout upon the enemy, crying out aloud, "To me, O Romans,
it will be glorious to fall here. As for you, when they ask you
where you betrayed your general, remember and say, at Orchomenus."
His men rallying again at these words, and two cohorts coming to his
succor from the right wing, he led them to the charge and turned the
day. Then retiring some short distance and refreshing his men, he
proceeded again with his works to block up the enemy's camp. They
again sallied out in better order than before. Here Diogenes,
step-son to Archelaus, fighting on the right wing with much
gallantry, made an honorable end. And the archers, being hard
pressed by the Romans, and wanting space for a retreat, took their
arrows by handfuls, and striking with these as with swords, beat them
back. In the end, however, they were all driven into the
entrenchment and had a sorrowful night of it with their slain and
wounded. The next day again, Sylla, leading forth his men up to
their quarters, went on finishing the lines of entrenchment, and when
they issued out again with larger numbers to give him battle, fell on
them and put them to the rout, and in the consternation ensuing, none
daring to abide, he took the camp by storm. The marshes were filled
with blood, and the lake with dead bodies, insomuch that to this day
many bows, helmets, fragments of iron, breastplates, and swords of
barbarian make, continue to be found buried deep in mud, two hundred
years after the fight. Thus much of the actions of Chaeronea and
Orchomenus.
At Rome, Cinna and Carbo were now using injustice and violence
towards persons of the greatest eminence, and many of them to avoid
this tyranny repaired, as to a safe harbor, to Sylla's camp, where,
in a short space, he had about him the aspect of a senate. Metella,
likewise, having with difficulty conveyed herself and children away
by stealth, brought him word that his houses, both in town and
country, had been burnt by his enemies, and entreated his help at
home. Whilst he was in doubt what to do, being impatient to hear of
his country being thus outraged, and yet not knowing how to leave so
great a work as the Mithridatic war unfinished, there comes to him
Archelaus, a merchant of Delos, with hopes of an accommodation, and
private instructions from Archelaus, the king's general. Sylla liked
the business so well as to desire a speedy conference with Archelaus
in person, and a meeting took place on the sea-coast near Delium,
where the temple of Apollo stands. When Archelaus opened the
conversation, and began to urge Sylla to abandon his pretensions to
Asia and Pontus, and to set sail for the war in Rome, receiving money
and shipping, and such forces as he should think fitting from the
king, Sylla, interposing, bade Archelaus take no further care for
Mithridates, but assume the crown to himself, and become a
confederate of Rome, delivering up the navy. Archelaus professing
his abhorrence of such treason, Sylla proceeded: "So you, Archelaus,
a Cappadocian, and slave, or if it so please you, friend, to a
barbarian king, would not, upon such vast considerations, be guilty
of what is dishonorable, and yet dare to talk to me, Roman general
and Sylla, of treason? as if you were not the selfsame Archelaus who
ran away at Chaeronea, with few remaining out of one hundred and
twenty thousand men; who lay for two days in the fens of Orchomenus,
and left Boeotia impassable for heaps of dead carcasses." Archelaus,
changing his tone at this, humbly besought him to lay aside the
thoughts of war, and make peace with Mithridates. Sylla consenting
to this request, articles of agreement were concluded on. That
Mithridates should quit Asia and Paphlagonia, restore Bithynia to
Nicomedes, Cappadocia to Ariobarzanes, and pay the Romans two
thousand talents, and give him seventy ships of war with all their
furniture. On the other hand, that Sylla should confirm to him his
other dominions, and declare him a Roman confederate. On these terms
he proceeded by the way of Thessaly and Macedon towards the
Hellespont, having Archelaus with him, and treating him with great
attention. For Archelaus being taken dangerously ill at Larissa, he
stopped the march of the army, and took care of him, as if he had
been one of his own captains, or his colleague in command. This gave
suspicion of foul play in the battle of Chaeronea; as it was also
observed that Sylla had released all the friends of Mithridates taken
prisoners in war, except only Aristion the tyrant, who was at enmity
with Archelaus, and was put to death by poison; and, above all, ten
thousand acres of land in Euboea had been given to the Cappadocian,
and he had received from Sylla the style of friend and ally of the
Romans. On all which points Sylla defends himself in his Memoirs.
The ambassadors of Mithridates arriving and declaring that they
accepted of the conditions, only Paphlagonia they could not part
with; and as for the ships, professing not to know of any such
capitulation, Sylla in a rage exclaimed, "What say you? Does
Mithridates then withhold Paphlagonia? and as to the ships, deny that
article? I thought to have seen him prostrate at my feet to thank me
for leaving him so much as that right hand of his, which has cut off
so many Romans. He will shortly, at my coming over into Asia, speak
another language; in the mean time, let him at his ease in Pergamus
sit managing a war which he never saw." The ambassadors in terror
stood silent by, but Archelaus endeavored with humble supplications
to assuage his wrath, laying hold on his right hand and weeping. In
conclusion he obtained permission to go himself in person to
Mithridates; for that he would either mediate a peace to the
satisfaction of Sylla, or if not, slay himself. Sylla having thus
dispatched him away, made an inroad into Maedica, and after wide
depopulations returned back again into Macedon, where he received
Archelaus about Philippi, bringing word that all was well, and that
Mithridates earnestly requested an interview. The chief cause of
this meeting was Fimbria; for he having assassinated Flaccus, the
consul of the contrary faction, and worsted the Mithridatic
commanders, was advancing against Mithridates himself, who, fearing
this, chose rather to seek the friendship of Sylla.
And so met at Dardanus in the Troad, on one side Mithridates,
attended with two hundred ships, and land forces consisting of twenty
thousand men at arms, six thousand horse, and a large train of
scythed chariots; on the other, Sylla with only four cohorts, and two
hundred horse. As Mithridates drew near and put out his hand, Sylla
demanded whether he was willing or no to end the war on the terms
Archelaus had agreed to, but seeing the king made no answer, "How is
this?" he continued, "ought not the petitioner to speak first, and
the conqueror to listen in silence?" And when Mithridates, entering
upon his plea, began to shift off the war, partly on the gods, and
partly to blame the Romans themselves, he took him up, saying that he
had heard, indeed, long since from others, and now he knew it himself
for truth, that Mithridates was a powerful speaker, who in defense of
the most foul and unjust proceedings, had not wanted for specious
presences. Then charging him with and inveighing bitterly against
the outrages he had committed, he asked again whether he was willing
or no to ratify the treaty of Archelaus? Mithridates answering in
the affirmative, Sylla came forward, embraced and kissed him. Not
long after he introduced Ariobarzanes and Nicomedes, the two kings,
and made them friends Mithridates, when he had handed over to Sylla
seventy ships and five hundred archers, set sail for Pontus.
Sylla, perceiving the soldiers to be dissatisfied with the peace, (as
it seemed indeed a monstrous thing that they should see the king who
was then bitterest enemy, and who had caused one hundred and fifty
thousand Romans to be massacred in one day in Asia, now sailing off
with the riches and spoils of Asia, which he had pillaged, and put
under contribution for the space of four years,) in his defense to
them alleged, that he could not have made head against Fimbria and
Mithridates, had they both withstood him in conjunction. Thence he
set out and went in search of Fimbria, who lay with the army about
Thyatira, and pitching his camp not far off, proceeded to fortify it
with a trench. The soldiers of Fimbria came out in their single
coats, and, saluting his men, lent ready assistance to the work;
which change Fimbria beholding, and apprehending Sylla as
irreconcilable, laid violent hands on himself in the camp.
Sylla imposed on Asia in general a tax of twenty thousand talents,
and despoiled individually each family by the licentious behavior and
long residence of the soldiery in private quarters. For he ordained
that every host should allow his guest four tetradrachms each day,
and moreover entertain him, and as many friends as he should invite,
with a supper; that a centurion should receive fifty drachmas a day,
together with one suit of clothes to wear within doors, and another
when he went abroad.
Having set out from Ephesus with the whole navy, he came the third
day to anchor in the Piraeus. Here he was initiated in the
mysteries, and seized for his use the library of Apellicon the Teian,
in which were most of the works of Theophrastus and Aristotle, then
not in general circulation. When the whole was afterwards conveyed
to Rome, there, it is said, the greater part of the collection passed
through the hands of Tyrannion the grammarian, and that Andronicus
the Rhodian, having through his means the command of numerous copies,
made the treatises public, and drew up the catalogues that are now
current. The elder Peripatetics appear themselves, indeed, to have
been accomplished and learned men, but of the writings of Aristotle
and Theophrastus they had no large or exact knowledge, because
Theophrastus bequeathing his books to the heir of Neleus of Scepsis,
they came into careless and illiterate hands.
During Sylla's stay about Athens, his feet were attacked by a heavy
benumbing pain, which Strabo calls the first inarticulate sounds of
the gout. Taking, therefore, a voyage to Aedepsus, he made use of
the hot waters there, allowing himself at the same time to forget all
anxieties, and passing away his time with actors. As he was walking
along the sea-shore, certain fishermen brought him some magnificent
fish. Being much delighted with the gift, and understanding, on
inquiry, that they were men of Halaeae, "What," said he, "are there