pompey-第10节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


displeased；　insomuch　that　when　he　was　invited　to　supper　he　replied；
that　he　did　not　stand　in　need　of　Pompey　for　that　sort　of　honour；　for
he　would　find　out　some　other　Roman　to　sup　with。　Upon　this　he　was　put
into　close　arrest；　and　reserved　for　the　triumph。
　　Not　long　after　this　Phraates；　King　of　Parthia；　sent　to　Pompey；　and
demanded　to　have　young　Tigranes；　as　his　son…in…law；　given　up　to　him；
and　that　the　river　Euphrates　should　be　the　boundary　of　the　empires。
Pompey　replied；　that　for　Tigranes；　he　belonged　more　to　his　own　natural
father　than　his　father…in…law；　and　for　the　boundaries；　he　would　take
care　that　they　should　be　according　to　right　and　justice。
　　So　Pompey；　leaving　Armenia　in　the　custody　of　Afranius；　went
himself　in　chase　of　Mithridates；　to　do　which　he　was　forced　of
necessity　to　march　through　several　nations　inhabiting　about　Mount
Caucasus。　Of　these　the　Albanians　and　Iberians　were　the　two　chiefest。
The　Iberians　stretch　out　as　far　as　the　Moschian　mountains　and　the
Pontus；　the　Albanians　lie　more　eastwardly；　and　towards　the　Caspian
Sea。　These　Albanians　at　first　permitted　Pompey；　upon　his　request；　to
pass　through　the　country；　but　when　winter　had　stolen　upon　the　Romans
whilst　they　were　still　in　the　country；　and　they　were　busy
celebrating　the　festival　of　Saturn；　they　mustered　a　body　of　no　less
than　forty　thousand　fighting　men；　and　set　upon　them；　having　passed
over　the　river　Cyrnus；　which　rising　from　the　mountains　of　Iberia；
and　receiving　the　river　Araxes　in　its　course　from　Armenia；
discharges　itself　by　twelve　mouths　into　the　Caspian。　Or；　according
to　others；　the　Araxes　does　not　fall　into　it；　but　they　flow　near　one
another；　and　so　discharge　themselves　as　neighbours　into　the　same
sea。　It　was　in　the　power　of　Pompey　to　have　obstructed　the　enemy's
passage　over　the　river；　but　he　suffered　them　to　pass　over　quietly；　and
then　leading　on　his　forces　and　giving　battle　he　routed　them　and　slew
great　numbers　of　them　in　the　field。　The　king　sent　ambassadors　with　his
submission；　and　Pompey　upon　his　supplication　pardoned　the　offence；　and
making　a　treaty　with　him；　he　marched　directly　against　the　Iberians；
a　nation　no　less　in　number　than　the　other；　but　much　more　warlike；
and　extremely　desirous　of　gratifying　Mithridates　and　driving　out
Pompey。
　　These　Iberians　were　never　subject　to　the　Medes　or　Persians；　and　they
happened　likewise　to　escape　the　dominion　of　the　Macedonians；　because
Alexander　was　so　quick　in　his　march　through　Hyrcania。　But　these　also
Pompey　subdued　in　a　great　battle；　where　there　were　slain　nine　thousand
upon　the　spot；　and　more　than　ten　thousand　taken　prisoners。　From　thence
he　entered　into　the　country　of　Colchis；　where　Servilius　met　him　by　the
river　Phasis；　bringing　the　fleet　with　which　he　was　guarding　the
Pontus。
　　The　pursuit　of　Mithridates；　who　had　thrown　himself　among　the
tribes　inhabiting　Bosphorus　and　the　shores　of　the　Maeotian　Sea；
presented　great　difficulties。　News　was　also　brought　to　Pompey　that　the
Albanians　had　again　revolted。　This　made　him　turn　back；　out　of　anger
and　determination　not　to　be　beaten　by　them；　and　with　difficulty　and
great　danger　passed　back　over　the　Cyrnus；　which　the　barbarous　people
had　fortified　a　great　way　down　the　banks　with　palisadoes。　And　after
this；　having　a　tedious　march　to　make　through　a　waterless　and　difficult
country；　he　ordered　ten　thousand　skins　to　be　filled　with　water；　and　so
advanced　towards　the　enemy；　whom　he　found　drawn　up　in　order　of
battle　near　the　river　Abas；　to　the　number　of　sixty　thousand　horse
and　twelve　thousand　foot；　ill…armed　generally；　and　most　of　them
covered　only　with　the　skins　of　wild　beasts。　Their　general　was　Cosis；
the　king's　brother；　who；　as　soon　as　the　battle　was　begun；　singled
out　Pompey；　and　rushing　in　upon　him　darted　his　javelin　into　the　joints
of　his　breastplate；　while　Pompey；　in　return；　struck　him　through　the
body　with　his　lance　and　slew　him。　It　is　related　that　in　this　battle
there　were　Amazons　fighting　as　auxiliaries　with　the　barbarians；　and
that　they　came　down　from　the　mountains　by　the　river　Thermodon。　For
that　after　the　battle；　when　the　Romans　were　taking　the　spoils　and
plunder　of　the　field；　they　met　with　several　targets　and　buskins　of　the
Amazons；　but　no　woman's　body　was　found　among　the　dead。　They　inhabit
the　parts　of　Mount　Caucasus　that　reach　down　to　the　Hyrcanian　Sea；
not　immediately　bordering　upon　the　Albanians；　for　the　Gelae　and　the
Leges　lie　betwixt；　and　they　keep　company　with　these　people　yearly；　for
two　months　only；　near　the　river　Thermodon；　after　which　they　retire
to　their　own　habitations；　and　live　alone　all　the　rest　of　the　year。
　　After　this　engagement；　Pompey　was　eager　to　advance　with　his　forces
upon　the　Hyrcanian　and　Caspian　Sea；　but　was　forced　to　retreat　at　a
distance　of　three　days'　march　from　it　by　the　number　of　venomous
serpents；　and　so　he　retreated　into　Armenia　the　Less。　Whilst　he　was
there；　the　kings　of　the　Elymaeans　and　Medes　sent　ambassadors　to　him；
to　whom　he　gave　friendly　answer　by　letter；　and　sent　against　the　King
of　Parthia；　who　had　made　incursions　upon　Gordyene；　and　despoiled　the
subjects　of　Tigranes；　an　army　under　the　command　of　Afranius；　who　put
him　to　the　rout；　and　followed　him　in　chase　as　far　as　the　district　of
Arbela。
　　Of　the　concubines　of　King　Mithridates　that　were　brought　before
Pompey；　he　took　none　to　himself；　but　sent　them　all　away　to　their
parents　and　relations；　most　of　them　being　either　the　daughters　or
wives　of　princes　and　great　commanders。　Stratonice；　however；　who　had
the　greatest　power　and　influence　with　him；　and　to　whom　he　had
committed　the　custody　of　his　best　and　richest　fortress；　had　been；　it
seems；　the　daughter　of　a　musician；　an　old　man；　and　of　no　great
fortune；　and　happening　to　sing　one　night　before　Mithridates　at　a
banquet；　she　struck　his　fancy　so　that　immediately　he　took　her　with
him；　and　sent　away　the　old　man　much　dissatisfied；　the　king　having
not　so　much　as　said　one　kind　word　to　himself。　But　when　he　rose　in
the　morning；　and　saw　tables　in　his　house　richly　covered　with　gold
and　silver　plate；　a　great　retinue　of　servants；　eunuchs；　and　pages
bringing　him　rich　garments；　and　a　horse　standing　before　the　door
richly　caparisoned；　in　all　respects　as　was　usual　with　the　king's
favourites；　he　looked　upon　it　all　as　a　piece　of　mockery；　and
thinking　himself　trifled　with；　attempted　to　make　off　and　run　away。　But
the　servants　laying　hold　upon　him；　and　informing　him　really　that　the
king　had　bestowed　on　him　the　house　and　furniture　of　a　rich　man
lately　deceased；　and　that　these　were　but　the　first　fruits　or
earnests　of　greater　riches　and　possession　that　were　to　come；　he　was
persuaded　at　last　with　much　difficulty　to　believe　them。　And　so　putting
on　his　purple　robes；　and　mounting　his　horse；　he　rode　through　the　city；
crying　out；　〃All　this　is　mine；〃　and　to　those　at　laughed　at　him；　he
said；　there　was　no　such　wonder　in　this；　but　it　was　a　wonder　rather
that　he　did　not　throw　stones　at　all　he　met；　he　was　so　transported　with
joy。　Such　was　the　parentage　and　blood　of　Stratonice。　She　now　delivered
up　this　castle　into　the　hands　of　Pompey；　and　offered　him　many　presents
of　great　value　of　which　he　accepted　only　such　as　he　thought　might
serve　to　adorn　the　temples　of　the　gods　and　add　to　the　splendour　of　his
triumph：　the　rest　he　left　to　Stratonice's　disposal；　bidding　her　please
herself　in　the　enjoyment　of　them。
　　And　in　the　same　manner　he　dealt　with　the　presents　offered　him　by　the
King　of　Iberia；　who　sent　him　a　bedstead；　table；　and　a　chair　of
state；　all　of　gold；　desiring　him　to　accept　of　them；　but　he　delivered
them　all　into　the　custody　of　the　public　treasurers；　for　the　use　of　the
commonwealth。
　　In　another　castle　called　Caenum；　Pompey　found　and　read　with　pleasure
several　secret　writings　of　Mithridates；　containing　much　that　threw
light　on　his　character。　For　there　were　memoirs　by　which　it　appeared
that；　besides　others；　he　had　made　away　with　his　son　Ariarathes　by
poison；　as　also　with　Alcaeus　the　Sardian；　for　having　robbed　him　of　the
first　honours　in　a　horse…race。　There　were　several　judgments　upon　the
interpretation　of　dreams；　which　either　he　himself　or　some　of　his
mistresses　had　had；　and　besides　these；　there　was　a　series　of　wanton
letters　to　and　from　his　concubine　Monime。　Theophanes　tells　us　that
there　was　found　also　an　address　by　Rutilius；　in　which　he　attempted
to　exasperate　him　to　the　slaughter　of　all　the　Romans　in　Asia；　though
most　men　justly　conjecture　this　to　be　a　malicious　invention　of
Theophanes；　who　probably　hated　Rutilius　because　he　was　a　man　in
nothing　like　himself；　or　perhaps　it　might　be　to　gratify　Pompey；
whose　father　is　described　by　Rutilius　in　his　history　as　the　vilest　man
alive。
　　From　thence　Pompey　came　to　the　city　of　Amisus；　where　his　passion　for
glory　put　him　into　a　position　which　might　be　called　a　punishment　on
himself。　For　whereas　he　had　often　sharply　reproached　Lucullus；　in　that
while　the　enemy　was　still　living　he　had　taken　upon　him　to　issue
decrees；　and　distribute　rewards　and　honours；　as　conquerors　usually
do　only　when　the　war　is　brought　to　an　end；　yet　now　was　he　himself；
while　Mithridates　was　paramount　in　the　kingdom　of　Bosphorus；　and　at
the　head　of　a　powerful　army；　as　if　all　were　ended；　just　doing　the　same
thing；　regula