Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
the most distinguished and bravest of the Romans for wives, it
happened that some goatswains and herdsmen of the meaner rank
were carrying off a beautiful and tall maiden; and lest any of
their betters should meet them, and take her away, as they ran,
they cried out with one voice, Talasio, Talasius being a
well-known and popular person among them, insomuch that all
that heard the name, clapped their hands for joy, and joined
with them in the shout, as applauding and congratulating the
chance. Now, say they, because this proved a fortunate match
to Talasius, hence it is that this acclamation is sportively
used as a nuptial cry at all weddings. This is the most
credible of the accounts that are given of the Talasio. And
some few days after this judgment, Pompey married Antistia.
After this he went to Cinna's camp, where finding some false
suggestions and calumnies prevailing against him, he began to
be afraid and presently withdrew himself secretly; which sudden
disappearance occasioned great suspicion. And there went a
rumor and speech through all the camp, that Cinna had murdered
the young man; upon which all that had been anyways disobliged,
and bore any malice to him, resolved to make an assault upon
him. He, endeavoring to make his escape, was seized by a
centurion, who pursued him with his naked sword. Cinna, in
this distress, fell upon his knees, and offered him his
seal-ring, of great value, for his ransom; but the centurion
repulsed him insolently, saying, "I did not come to seal a
covenant, but to be revenged upon a lawless and wicked tyrant;"
and so dispatched him immediately.
Thus Cinna being slain, Carbo, a tyrant yet more senseless than
he, took the command and exercised it, while Sylla meantime was
approaching, much to the joy and satisfaction of most people,
who in their present evils were ready to find some comfort if
it were but in the exchange of a master. For the city was
brought to that pass by oppression and calamities, that being
utterly in despair of liberty, men were only anxious for the
mildest and most tolerable bondage. At that time Pompey was in
Picenum in Italy, where he spent some time amusing himself, as
he had estates in the country there, though the chief motive of
his stay was the liking he felt for the towns of that district,
which all regarded him with hereditary feelings of kindness and
attachment. But when he now saw that the noblest and best of
the city began to forsake their homes and property, and fly
from all quarters to Sylla's camp, as to their haven, he
likewise was desirous to go; not, however, as a fugitive, alone
and with nothing to offer, but as a friend rather than a
suppliant, in a way that would gain him honor, bringing help
along with him, and at the head of a body of troops.
Accordingly he solicited the Picentines for their assistance,
who as cordially embraced his motion, and rejected the
messengers sent from Carbo; insomuch that a certain Vindius
taking upon him to say, that Pompey was come from the
school-room to put himself at the head of the people, they
were so incensed that they fell forthwith upon this Vindius and
killed him. From henceforward Pompey, finding a spirit of
government upon him, though not above twenty-three years of
age, nor deriving, an authority by commission from any man,
took the privilege to grant himself full power, and causing a
tribunal to be erected in the market-place of Auximum, a
populous city, expelled two of their principal men, brothers,
of the name of Ventidius, who were acting against him in
Carbo's interest, commanding them by a public edict to depart
the city; and then proceeded to levy soldiers, issuing out
commissions to centurions, and other officers, according to the
form of military discipline. And in this manner he went round
all the rest of the cities in the district. So that those of
Carbo's faction flying, and all others cheerfully submitting to
his command, in a little time he mustered three entire legions,
having supplied himself beside with all manner of provisions,
beasts of burden, carriages, and other necessaries of war. And
with this equipage he set forward on his march towards Sylla,
not as if he were in haste, or desirous of escaping
observation, but by small journeys, making several halts upon
the road, to distress and annoy the enemy, and exerting himself
to detach from Carbo's interest every part of Italy that he
passed through.
Three commanders of the enemy encountered him at once, Carinna,
Cloelius, and Brutus, and drew up their forces, not all in the
front, nor yet together on any one part, but encamping three
several armies in a circle about him, they resolved to
encompass and overpower him. Pompey was no way alarmed at
this, but collecting all his troops into one body, and placing
his horse in the front of the battle, where he himself was in
person, he singled out and bent all his forces against Brutus,
and when the Celtic horsemen from the enemy's side rode out to
meet him, Pompey himself encountering hand to hand with the
foremost and stoutest among them, killed him with his spear.
The rest seeing this turned their backs, and fled, and breaking
the ranks of their own foot, presently caused a general rout;
whereupon the commanders fell out among themselves, and marched
off, some one way, some another, as their fortunes led them,
and the towns round about came in and surrendered themselves to
Pompey, concluding that the enemy was dispersed for fear. Next
after these, Scipio, the consul, came to attack him, and with
as little success; for before the armies could join, or be
within the throw of their javelins, Scipio's soldiers saluted
Pompey's, and came over to them, while Scipio made his escape
by flight. Last of all, Carbo himself sent down several troops
of horse against him by the river Arsis, which Pompey assailed
with the same courage and success as before; and having routed
and put them to flight, he forced them in the pursuit into
difficult ground, unpassable for horse, where seeing no hopes
of escape, they yielded themselves with their horses and armor,
all to his mercy.
Sylla was hitherto unacquainted with all these actions; and on
the first intelligence he received of his movements was in
great anxiety about him, fearing lest he should be cut off
among so many and such experienced commanders of the enemy, and
marched therefore with all speed to his aid. Now Pompey,
having advice of his approach, sent out orders to his officers,
to marshal and draw up all his forces in full array, that they
might make the finest and noblest appearance before the
commander-in-chief; for he expected indeed great honors from
him, but met with even greater. For as soon as Sylla saw him
thus advancing, his army so well appointed, his men so young
and strong, and their spirits so high and hopeful with their
successes, he alighted from his horse, and being first, as was
his due, saluted by them with the title of Imperator, he
returned the salutation upon Pompey, in the same term and style
of Imperator, which might well cause surprise, as none could
have ever anticipated that he would have imparted, to one so
young in years and not yet a senator, a title which was the
object of contention between him and the Scipios and Marii.
And indeed all the rest of his deportment was agreeable to this
first compliment; whenever Pompey came into his presence, he
paid some sort of respect to him, either in rising and being
uncovered, or the like, which he was rarely seen to do to
anyone else, notwithstanding that there were many about him of
great rank and honor. Yet Pompey was not puffed up at all, or
exalted with these favors. And when Sylla would have sent him
with all expedition into Gaul, a province in which it was
thought Metellus who commanded in it had done nothing worthy of
the large forces at his disposal, Pompey urged, that it could
not be fair or honorable for him, to take a province out of the
hands of his senior in command and superior in reputation;
however, if Metellus were willing, and should request his
service, he should be very ready to accompany and assist him in
the war. Which when Metellus came to understand, he approved
of the proposal, and invited him over by letter. And on this
Pompey fell immediately into Gaul, where he not only achieved
wonderful exploits of himself, but also fired up and kindled
again that bold and warlike spirit, which old age had in a
manner extinguished in Metellus, into a new heat; just as
molten copper, they say, when poured upon that which is cold
and solid, will dissolve and melt it faster than fire itself.
But as when a famous wrestler has gained the first place among
men, and borne away the prizes at all the games, it is not
usual to take account of his victories as a boy, or to enter
them upon record among the rest; so with the exploits of Pompey
in his youth, though they were extraordinary in themselves, yet
because they were obscured and buried in the multitude and
greatness of his later wars and conquests, I dare not be
particular in them, lest, by trifling away time in the lesser
moments of his youth, we should be driven to omit those greater
actions and fortunes which best illustrate his character.
Now, when Sylla had brought all Italy under his dominion, and
was proclaimed dictator, he began to reward the rest of his
followers, by giving them wealth, appointing them to offices in
the State, and granting them freely and without restriction any
favors they asked for. But as for Pompey, admiring his valor
and conduct, and thinking that he might prove a great stay and
support to him hereafter in his affairs, he sought means to
attach him to himself by some personal alliance, and his wife
Metella joining in his wishes, they two persuaded Pompey to put
away Antistia, and marry Aemilia, the step-daughter of Sylla,
borne by Metella to Scaurus her former husband, she being at
that very time the wife of another man, living with him, and
with child by him. These were the very tyrannies of marriage,
and much more agreeable to the times under Sylla, than to the
nature and habits of Pompey; that Aemilia great with child
should be, as it were, ravished from the embraces of another
for him, and that Antistia should be divorced with dishonor and
misery by him, for whose sake she had been but just before
bereft of her father. For Antistius was murdered in the
senate, because he was suspected to be a favorer of Sylla for
Pompey's sake; and her mother, likewise, after she had seen all
these indignities, made away with herself; a new calamity to be
added to the tragic accompaniments of this marriage, and that
there might be nothing wanting to complete them, Aemilia
herself died, almost immediately after entering Pompey's house,
in childbed.
About this time news came to Sylla, that Perpenna was
fortifying himself in Sicily, that the island was now become a
refuge and receptacle for the relics of the adverse party; that
Carbo was hovering about those seas with a navy, that Domitius
had fallen in upon Africa and that many of the exiled men of
note who had escaped from the proscriptions were daily flocking
into those parts. Against these, therefore, Pompey was sent
with a large force; and no sooner was he arrived in Sicily but
Perpenna immediately departed, leaving the whole island to him.
Pompey received the distressed cities into favor, and treated
all with great humanity, except the Mamertines in Messena; for
when they protested against his court and jurisdiction,
alleging their privilege and exemption founded upon an ancient
charter or grant of the Romans, he replied sharply, "What!
will you never cease prating of laws to us that have swords by
our sides?" It was thought, likewise, that he showed some