Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
gave her part of it. Both drank of the potion, which prevailed
over the weaker body. But Berenice, having drunk too little, was
not released by it, but lingering on unable to die, was strangled
by Bacchides for haste. It is said that one of the unmarried
sisters drank the poison, with bitter execrations and curses; but
Statira uttered nothing ungentle or reproachful, but, on the
contrary, commended her brother, who in his own danger neglected
not theirs, but carefully provided that they might go out of the
world without shame or disgrace.
Lucullus, being a good and humane man, was concerned at these
things. However, going on he came to Talaura, from whence four
days before his arrival Mithridates had fled, and was got to
Tigranes in Armenia. He turned off, therefore, and subdued the
Chaldeans and Tibarenians, with the lesser Armenia, and having
reduced all their forts and cities, he sent Appius to Tigranes to
demand Mithridates. He himself went to Amisus, which still held
out under the command of Callimachus, who, by his great engineering
skill, and his dexterity at all the shifts and subtleties of a
siege, had greatly incommoded the Romans. For which afterward he
paid dear enough, and was now out-maneuvered by Lucullus, who,
unexpectedly coming upon him at the time of the day when the
soldiers used to withdraw and rest themselves, gained part of the
wall, and forced him to leave the city, in doing which he fired it;
either envying the Romans the booty, or to secure his own escape
the better. No man looked after those who went off in the ships,
but as soon as the fire had seized on most part of the wall, the
soldiers prepared themselves for plunder; while Lucullus, pitying
the ruin of the city, brought assistance from without, and
encouraged his men to extinguish the flames. But all, being intent
upon the prey, and giving no heed to him, with loud outcries beat
and clashed their arms together, until he was compelled to let them
plunder, that by that means he might at least save the city from
fire. But they did quite the contrary, for in searching the houses
with lights and torches everywhere, they were themselves the cause
of the destruction of most of the buildings, insomuch that when
Lucullus the next day went in, he shed tears, and said to his
friends, that he had often before blessed the fortune of Sylla but
never so much admired it as then, because when he was willing, he
was also able to save Athens, "but my infelicity is such, that
while I endeavor to imitate him, I become like Mummius."
Nevertheless, he endeavored to save as much of the city as he
could, and at the same time, also, by a happy providence, a fall of
rain concurred to extinguish the fire. He himself while present
repaired the ruins as much as he could, receiving back the
inhabitants who had fled, and settling as many other Greeks as were
willing to live there, adding a hundred and twenty furlongs of
ground to the place.
This city was a colony of Athens, built at that time when she
flourished and was powerful at sea, upon which account many who
fled from Aristion's tyranny settled here, and were admitted as
citizens, but had the ill-luck to fly from evils at home, into
greater abroad. As many of these as survived, Lucullus furnished
every one with clothes, and two hundred drachmas, and sent them
away into their own country. On this occasion, Tyrannion the
grammarian was taken. Murena begged him of Lucullus, and took him
and made him a freedman; but in this he abused Lucullus's favor,
who by no means liked that a man of high repute for learning should
be first made a slave, and then freed; for freedom thus speciously
granted again, was a real deprivation of what he had before. But
not in this case alone Murena showed himself far inferior in
generosity to the general. Lucullus was now busy in looking after
the cities of Asia, and having no war to divert his time, spent it
in the administration of law and justice, the want of which had for
a long time left the province a prey to unspeakable and incredible
miseries; so plundered and enslaved by tax-farmers and usurers,
that private people were compelled to sell their sons in the flower
of their youth, and their daughters in their virginity, and the
States publicly to sell their consecrated gifts, pictures, and
statues. In the end their lot was to yield themselves up slaves to
their creditors, but before this, worse troubles befell them,
tortures, inflicted with ropes and by horses, standing abroad to be
scorched when the sun was hot, and being driven into ice and clay
in the cold; insomuch that slavery was no less than a redemption
and joy to them. Lucullus in a short time freed the cities from
all these evils and oppressions; for, first of all, he ordered
there should be no more taken than one percent. Secondly, where
the interest exceeded the principal, he struck it off. The third,
and most considerable order was, that the creditor should receive
the fourth part of the debtor's income; but if any lender had added
the interest to the principal, it was utterly disallowed.
Insomuch, that in the space of four years all debts were paid, and
lands returned to their right owners. The public debt was
contracted when Asia was fined twenty thousand talents by Sylla,
but twice as much was paid to the collectors, who by their usury
had by this time advanced it to a hundred and twenty thousand
talents. And accordingly they inveighed against Lucullus at Rome,
as grossly injured by him, and by their money's help, (as, indeed,
they were very powerful, and had many of the statesmen in their
debt,) they stirred up several leading men against
him. But Lucullus was not only beloved by the cities which he
obliged, but was also wished for by other provinces, who blessed
the good-luck of those who had such a governor over them.
Appius Clodius, who was sent to Tigranes, (the same Clodius was
brother to Lucullus's wife,) being led by the king's guides, a
roundabout way, unnecessarily long and tedious, through the upper
country, being informed by his freedman, a Syrian by nation, of the
direct road, left that lengthy and fallacious one; and bidding the
barbarians, his guides, adieu, in a few days passed over Euphrates,
and came to Antioch upon Daphne. There being commanded to wait for
Tigranes, who at that time was reducing some towns in Phoenicia, he
won over many chiefs to his side, who unwillingly submitted to the
king of Armenia, among whom was Zarbienus, king of the Gordyenians;
also many of the conquered cities corresponded privately with him,
whom he assured of relief from Lucullus, but ordered them to lie
still at present. The Armenian government was an oppressive one,
and intolerable to the Greeks, especially that of the present king,
who, growing insolent and overbearing with his success, imagined
all things valuable and esteemed among men not only were his in
fact, but had been purposely created for him alone. From a small
and inconsiderable beginning, he had gone on to be the conqueror of
many nations, had humbled the Parthian power more than any before
him, and filled Mesopotamia with Greeks, whom he carried in numbers
out of Cilicia and Cappadocia. He transplanted also the Arabs, who
lived in tents, from their country and home, and settled them near
him, that by their means he might carry on the trade.
He had many kings waiting on him, but four he always carried with
him as servants and guards, who, when he rode, ran by his horse's
side in ordinary under-frocks, and attended him, when sitting on
his throne, and publishing his decrees to the people, with their
hands folded together; which posture of all others was that which
most expressed slavery, it being that of men who had bidden adieu
to liberty, and had prepared their bodies more for chastisement,
than the service of their masters. Appius, nothing dismayed or
surprised at this theatrical display, as soon as audience was
granted him, said he came to demand Mithridates for Lucullus's
triumph, otherwise to denounce war against Tigranes, insomuch that
though Tigranes endeavored to receive him with a smooth countenance
and a forced smile, he could not dissemble his discomposure to
those who stood about him, at the bold language of the young man;
for it was the first time, perhaps, in twenty-five years, the
length of his reign, or, more truly, of his tyranny, that any free
speech had been uttered to him. However, he made answer to Appius,
that he would not desert Mithridates, and would defend himself, if
the Romans attacked him. He was angry, also, with Lucullus for
calling him only king in his letter, and not king of kings, and, in
his answer, would not give him his title of imperator. Great gifts
were sent to Appius, which he refused; but on their being sent
again and augmented, that he might not seem to refuse in anger, he
took one goblet and sent the rest back, and without delay went off
to the general.
Tigranes before this neither vouchsafed to see nor speak with
Mithridates, though a near kinsman, and forced out of so
considerable a kingdom, but proudly and scornfully kept him at a
distance, as a sort of prisoner, in a marshy and unhealthy
district; but now, with much profession of respect and kindness, he
sent for him, and at a private conference between them in the
palace, they healed up all private jealousies between them,
punishing their favorites, who bore all the blame; among whom
Metrodorus of Scepsis was one, an eloquent and learned man, and so
close an intimate as commonly to be called the king's father. This
man, as it happened, being employed in an embassy by Mithridates to
solicit help against the Romans, Tigranes asked him, "what would
you, Metrodorus, advise me to in this affair?" In return to which,
either out of good-will to Tigranes, or a want of solicitude for
Mithridates, he made answer, that as ambassador he counseled him to
it, but as a friend dissuaded him from it. This Tigranes reported,
and affirmed to Mithridates, thinking that no irreparable harm
would come of it to Metrodorus. But upon this he was presently
taken off, and Tigranes was sorry for what he had done, though he
had not, indeed, been absolutely the cause of his death; yet he had
given the fatal turn to the anger of Mithridates, who had privately
hated him before, as appeared from his cabinet papers when taken,
among which there was an order that Metrodorus should die.
Tigranes buried him splendidly, sparing no cost to his dead body,
whom he betrayed when alive. In Tigranes's court died, also,
Amphicrates the orator, (if, for the sake of Athens, we may also
mention him,) of whom it is told that he left his country and fled
to Seleucia, upon the river Tigris, and, being desired to teach
logic among them, arrogantly replied, that the dish was too little
to hold a dolphin. He, therefore, came to Cleopatra, daughter of
Mithridates, and queen to Tigranes, but being accused of
misdemeanors, and prohibited all commerce with his countrymen,
ended his days by starving himself. He, in like manner, received
from Cleopatra an honorable burial, near Sapha, a place so called
in that country.
Lucullus, when he had reestablished law and a lasting peace in
Asia, did not altogether forget pleasure and mirth, but, during his
residence at Ephesus, gratified the cities with sports, festival
triumphs, wrestling games and single combats of gladiators. And
they, in requital, instituted others, called Lucullean games, in
honor to him, thus manifesting their love to him, which was of more
value to him than all the honor. But when Appius came to him, and
told him he must prepare for war with Tigranes, he went again into
Pontus, and, gathering together his army, besieged Sinope, or