Page images
PDF
EPUB

laft who fled, and went to take refuge in Prænefte, a ftrong city that was still ftedfaft in his caufe. Sylla clofely pursued him there, and invefted the city on every fide. Then having difpofed his army in fuch a manner as that none of the defendants could efcape, and no forces could be thrown into the garrifon from without, he marched at the head of a detachment to Rome.

The partizans of Marius, having been apprized of his defeat, abandoned the city with precipitation; fo that Sylla approached without refiftance. The inhabitants, thinned by famine and the ravages that attend a civil war, opened their gates upon his arrival. Upon this, entering the Forum, and affembling the people, he reprimanded them for their infidelity. However, he exhorted them not to be dejected, for he was ftill refolved to pardon and protect them. He obferved that he was obliged by the neceffity of the times to take vigorous measures, and that none but their enemies and his own fhould fuffer. He then put up the goods of thefe, who fled to fale; and, leaving a small garrifon in the city, returned to befiege his rival.

Young Marius, on the other hand, made many attempts to raise the fiege, but all his defigns were known to Sylla, before they were put into execution. Wherever his fallies were pointed, the peculiar attention of Sylla's lieutenant feemed to be directed there. Thus frequently fruftrated in his attempts to repulfe, or at leaft to efcape his befiegers, he gave way to that refentment which was remarkable in his family, and, afcribing his want of fuccefs to the treachery of Sylla's friends, who pretended to remain neuter, he fent orders to Rome, to Brutus, who was prætor there, to put all those fenators to death, whom he fufpected to be in the intereft of his rival. With this cruel command Brutus immediately complied, and many of the firft rank, among whom where Domitius, Antiftius, and Scævola, were flain as they they were leaving the fenate. Thus, whatever party was victorious, Rome was a miferable fufferer.

for

Both factions, thus exafperated to the highest degree, and expecting no mercy on either part, gave vent to their fury in feveral engagements. The forces on the fide of Marius were the most numerous, but thofe of Sylla better united and more under fubordination. Carbo, who commanded an army Marius in the field, fent eight legions to Prænefte, to relieve his colleague? but they were met by Pompey in a defile, who flew many of them, and difperfed the reft. Carbo, joined by Urbanus, foon after engaged Metellus, but was overcome with the lofs of ten thousand men flain, and fix

thoufand

thoufand taken prifoners. In confequence of this defeat, Urbanus, one of the confuls, killed himself, and Carbo fled to Africa, where, after wandering a long time, he was at last delivered up to Pompey; who, to please Sylla, ordered him to be beheaded. Still, however, a numerous army of the Samnites were in the field, headed by feveral Roman generals, and by Telefinus; who, though a Samnite, had fhewn himfelf equal to the greatest commanders of the

age.

They were foon after joined by four legions, commanded by Carianus, who was obftinately bent upon continuing the war. In confequence of this junction, a refolution was formed to make one defperate effort to raise the fiege of Prænefte, or perith in the attempt. Accordingly, Telefinus made a fhew of advancing with great boldnefs, to force the enemy's lines of circumvallation. At the fame time Sylla, at the head of a victorious army, opposed him in front; while orders were sent to Pompey to follow and attack him in the rear. The Samnite general, however, fhewed himself fuperior to both in these operations; for, judging of their defigns by their motions, he led off his troops by night; and, by forced marches, appeared next morning upon the mountains that overlooked Rome.

This devoted city had just time to fhut its gates, to prevent his entrance; but he hoped to feize the place by a bold affault, and encouraging his foldiers, both by their ancient enmity to the Roman ftate, and their hopes of immense riches when the city was taken, he brought on his men, and led them boldly to the very walls. Appius Claudius, who was at that time in Rome, and in the intereft of Sylla, made a fally to oppofe him, rather with hopes of delaying the affailants, than of entirely repreffing them. The Romans fought with that vigour, which the consciousness of defending every thing dear infpires. But Appius was killed in the combat; and the reft, difheartened by the lofs of their general, feemed preparing for flight. Juft at this interval, a part of Sylla's horfe appeared at the oppofite gates, who throwing themselves into the city, and haftening through it, met the affailants on the other fide. The defparate fury of thefe, in fome meafure, fufpended the fate of the battle, till Sylla with his whole army had time to arrive. It was then that a general and dreadful conflict enfued between the Samnite and the Roman army. The citizens from their walls beheld thousands fall on both fides. At first the forces commanded by Sylla on the left, gave way, but his lieutenant Craffus was victorious on the right. The battle continued

N 2

til

till late at night; nor was it till morning, that Sylla found himself victorious. He then vifited the field of battle, on which more than fifty thoufand of the vanquished and the victors lay promifcuoufly. Eight thoufand of the Samnites were made prifoners, and killed in cold blood after the engagement. Marcius and Carinus, attempting to efcape, were taken, and their heads being cut off, were fent, by Sylla's command, to be carried round the walls of Prænefte. At this forrowful fight, the inhabitants of the place, being now destitute of provifions, and defpairing of all fuccour from without, refolved to furrender; but it was only to experience the unrelenting fury of the conqueror, who ordered all the males to be flain.

Marius, the caufe of thefe calamities, was at first miffing, and it was thought had escaped; but he was at laft difcovered lying dead with a captain of the Samnites, at the iffue of one of the fubterranean paffages that led from the city, where they had tried to efcape, but finding it guarded by the enemy, killed themselves. The city of Norba was all that remained unfubdued in Italy; but, the inhabitants, after a long refiftance, dreading the fate of Prænefte, fet their town on fire, and defperately perished in the flames. The deftruction of this place put an end to the civil war. Sylla was now become undisputed mafter of his country, and entered Rome at the head of his army. Happy, had he fupported in peace the glory which he had acquired in war; or had he ceafed to live, when he ceafed to conquer.

Being now no longer obliged to wear the mafk of lenity, he began his tyranny by affembling the people, and defiring an implicit obedience to his commands, if they expected favour. He then published, that thofe who expected pardon for their late offences, fhould gain it by deftroying the enemies of the state. This was a new mode of profcription, by which the arms of all were turned againft all. Great num bers perifhed by this mutual power, which was given the people of deftroying each other; and nothing was to be found in every place, but menaces, diftruft and treachery.

The fenate, amazed at the horrid outcries of the fufferers, at firft thought that the city was given to plunder; but Sylla, with an unembarraffed air, informed them, that it was only fome criminals who were punifhed by his order, and that they needed not make themselves uneafy about their fate. The day after, he profcribed forty fenators and fixteen hundred knights; and, after an intermiffion of two days, forty fenators more, with an infinite number of the richest citizens. of Rome. He declared the children and the grand-children

of

of the oppofite party, infamous, and divefted of the rights of freedom. He ordained, by a public edict, that thofe who faved or harboured any of the profcribed fhould fuffer in their place. He fet a price upon the heads of fuch as were thus to be deftroyed, two talents being the reward affixed for every murder. Slaves, invited by fuch offers, were seen to kill their mafters; and, ftill more fhocking to humanity, children, whofe hands ftill reeked with the blood of their parents, came confidently to demand the wages of parricide*,

Nor were the enemies of the ftate the only fufferers. Sylla permitted his foldiers to revenge their private injuries, fo that hufbands were murdered by fuch as defired to enjoy their widows; and children were flain in the embraces of their pa rents, who were foon to fhare the fame fate. Riches now became dangerous to the poffeffor, and even the reputation of fortune was equivalent to guilt. Aurelius, a peaceable citizen, without any other crime, found his name among the number of the profcribed, and could not help crying out, just before his affaffination, that he owed his death to the magnificence of his palace at Alba. But the brother of Marius felt the conqueror's most refined cruelty! Firft, he had his eyes plucked out deliberately; then his hands and legs cut off at feveral times, to lengthen his torments; and in this agonizing fituation was left to expire. But thefe barbarities were not confined to Rome; the profcription was extended to many of the inhabitants of the cities of Italy; and even whole towns and diftricts were ordered to be laid defolate. These were given to his foldiers as rewards for their fidelity; who, ftill wanting more, excited him to new cruelty. In this general flaughter, Julius Cæfar who had married Cinna's daughter, very hardly efcaped the miferies of the times. Sylla was prevailed upon to let him live, though he was heard to fay, that there were many Mariufes in Cæfar.

As public affairs ftill remained unfettled, Sylla gave orders that application fhould be made to the people, to create a dictator; and that not for any limited time, but till the public grievances fhould be redreffed. To thefe directions he added his requeft, which was equivalent to a command, that himself fhould be chofen. To this the people being constrained to yield, chofe him perpetual dictator, and thus received a master, invefted with authority far more abfolute, than any of their kings had been ever poffeffed of.

The government of Rome having now paffed through all the forms of monarchy, ariftocracy, and democracy at length began to fettle into defpotifm; from which though it made. • Universal History. N 3

fome

fome faint ftruggles to be free, yet it never compleatly extricated itself. Sylla being now poffeffed of unlimited power, used it with greater moderation than might have been expected; and, contrary to the expectations of all mankind, Sylla laid down the dictatorship, having held it not quite three years.

It was not without the greateft furprize, that the people faw this conqueror, who had made himself fo many enemies in every part of the ftate, quitting a power he had earned by fuch various dangers, and reducing himself to the rank of a private citizen. But their wonder increased, when they heard him after fo many acts of cruelty, and fuch numberlefs maffacres, offering to take his trial before the people, whom he conftituted judges of his conduct. Having divefted himself in their prefence of his office, and difmiffed the lictors who guarded him, he continued to walk for fome time inthe forum, unattended and alone. At the approach of evening he retired homewards, the people following him all the way in a kind of filent aftonishment, mixed with the profoundest respect. Of all that great multitude, which he had fo often infulted and terrified, none were found hardy enough to reproach or accuse him, except one young man, who purfued him with infulting language to his own door. Sylla difdained replying to fo mean an adverfary; but turning to those who attended him, obferved, that this fellow's infolence would, for the future, prevent any man's laying down an office of fuch fupreme authority.

It is not eafy to explain the motives of Sylla's abdication; whether they proceeded from vanity, or a deep-laid scheme of policy. Whether, being fatiated with the ufual adulation which he received for his conquefts, he was now defirous of receiving fome for his patriotifm; or whether, dreading an affaffination from fome fecret enemy, he was willing to difarm him, by retiring from the fplendors of an envied filuation. However this may be, he foon retired into the country, in order to enjoy the pleasures of tranquillity and focial happinefs, but he did not long furvive his abdication. He died of that disease, which is called the morbus pedicularis, a loathfome and mortifying object to human ambition. A little before his death he made his own epitaph, the tenor of which was "That no man had ever exceeded him, in doing good to "his friends, or injury to his enemies."

CHAP.

« PreviousContinue »