pompey-第8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！



Now　because　Pompey　had　shown　himself　merciful　to　some　of　these　pirates
that　were　yet　roving　in　bodies　about　the　seas；　having　upon　their
supplication　ordered　a　seizure　of　their　ships　and　persons　only；
without　any　further　process　or　severity；　therefore　the　rest　of　their
comrades；　in　hopes　of　mercy　too；　made　their　escape　from　his　other
commanders；　and　surrendered　themselves　with　their　wives　and　children
into　his　protection。　He　continued　to　pardon　all　that　came　in；　and
the　rather　because　by　them　he　might　make　discovery　of　those　who　fled
from　his　justice；　as　conscious　that　their　crimes　were　beyond　an　act　of
indemnity。　The　most　numerous　and　important　part　of　these　conveyed
their　families　and　treasures；　with　all　their　people　that　were　unfit
for　war；　into　castles　and　strong　forts　about　Mount　Taurus；　but　they
themselves；　having　well　manned　their　galleys；　embarked　for
Coracesium　in　Cilicia；　where　they　received　Pompey　and　gave　him　battle。
Here　they　had　a　final　overthrow；　and　retired　to　the　land；　where　they
were　besieged。　At　last；　having　despatched　their　heralds　to　him　with
a　submission；　they　delivered　up　to　his　mercy　themselves；　their
towns；　islands；　and　strongholds；　all　which　they　had　so　fortified
that　they　were　almost　impregnable；　and　scarcely　even　accessible。
　　Thus　was　this　war　ended；　and　the　whole　power　of　the　pirates　at　sea
dissolved　everywhere　in　the　space　of　three　months；　wherein；　besides
a　great　number　of　other　vessels；　he　took　ninety　men…of…war　with　brazen
beaks　and　likewise　prisoners　of　war　to　the　number　of　no　less　than
twenty　thousand。
　　As　regarded　the　disposal　of　these　prisoners；　he　never　so　much　as
entertained　the　thought　of　putting　them　to　death；　and　yet　it　might
be　no　less　dangerous　on　the　other　hand　to　disperse　them；　as　they　might
reunite　and　make　head　again；　being　numerous；　poor；　and　warlike。
Therefore　wisely　weighing　with　himself　that　man　by　nature　is　not　a
wild　or　unsocial　creature；　neither　was　he　born　so；　but　makes　himself
what　he　naturally　is　not　by　vicious　habit；　and　that　again；　on　the
other　side；　he　is　civilized　and　grows　gentle　by　a　change　of　place；
occupation；　and　manner　of　life；　as　beasts　themselves　that　are　wild
by　nature　become　tame　and　tractable　by　housing　and　gentler　usage；　upon
this　consideration　he　determined　to　translate　these　pirates　from　sea
to　land；　and　give　them　a　taste　of　an　honest　and　innocent　course　of
life　by　living　in　towns　and　tilling　the　ground。　Some　therefore　were
admitted　into　the　small　and　half…peopled　towns　of　the　Cilicians；
who；　for　an　enlargement　of　their　territories；　were　willing　to
receive　them。　Others　he　planted　in　the　city　of　the　Solians；　which
had　been　lately　laid　waste　by　Tigranes；　King　of　Armenia；　and　which
he　now　restored。　But　the　largest　number　were　settled　in　Dyme；　the　town
of　Achaea；　at　that　time　extremely　depopulated；　and　possessing　an
abundance　of　good　land。
　　However；　these　proceedings　could　not　escape　the　envy　and　censure
of　his　enemies；　and　the　course　he　took　against　Metellus　in　Crete　was
disapproved　of　even　by　the　chiefest　of　his　friends。　For　Metellus；　a
relation　of　Pompey's　former　colleague　in　Spain；　had　been　sent
praetor　into　Crete；　before　this　province　of　the　seas　was　assigned　to
Pompey。　Now　Crete　was　the　second　source　of　pirates　next　to　Cilicia；
and　Metellus　having　shut　up　a　number　of　them　in　their　strongholds
there　was　engaged　in　reducing　and　extirpating　them。　Those　that　were
yet　remaining　and　besieged　sent　their　supplications　to　Pompey；　and
invited　him　into　the　island　as　a　part　of　his　province；　alleging　it
to　fall；　every　part　of　it；　within　the　distance　from　the　sea
specified　in　his　commission；　and　so　within　the　precincts　of　his
charge。　Pompey　receiving　the　submission；　sent　letters　to　Metellus；
commanding　him　to　leave　off　the　war；　and　others　in　like　manner　to
the　cities；　in　which　he　charged　them　not　to　yield　any　obedience　to　the
commands　of　Metellus。　And　after　these　he　sent　Lucius　Octavius；　one
of　his　lieutenants；　to　act　as　general；　who　entering　the　besieged
fortifications；　and　fighting　in　defence　of　the　pirates；　rendered
Pompey　not　odious　only；　but　even　ridiculous　too；　that　he　should　lend
his　name　as　a　guard　to　a　nest　of　thieves；　that　knew　neither　god　nor
law；　and　made　his　reputation　serve　as　a　sanctuary　to　them；　only　out　of
pure　envy　and　emulation　to　Metellus。　For　neither　was　Achilles
thought　to　act　the　part　of　a　man；　but　rather　of　a　mere　boy；　mad
after　glory；　when　by　signs　he　forbade　the　rest　of　the　Greeks　to　strike
at　Hector…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃For　fear
　　　　　　　　　　Some　other　hand　should　give　the　blow；　and　he
　　　　　　　　　　Lose　the　first　honour　of　the　victory。〃

Whereas　Pompey　even　sought　to　preserve　the　common　enemies　of　the　world
only　that　he　might　deprive　a　Roman　praetor；　after　all　his　labours　of
the　honour　of　a　triumph。　Metellus；　however；　was　not　daunted；　but
prosecuted　the　war　against　the　pirates；　expelled　them　from　their
strongholds　and　punished　them；　and　dismissed　Octavius　with　the　insults
and　reproaches　of　the　whole　camp。
　　When　the　news　came　to　Rome　that　the　war　with　the　pirates　was　at　an
end；　and　that　Pompey　was　unoccupied；　diverting　himself　in　visits　to
the　cities　for　want　of　employment；　one　Manlius；　a　tribune　of　the
people；　preferred　a　law　that　Pompey　should　have　all　the　forces　of
Lucullus；　and　the　provinces　under　his　government；　together　with
Bithynia；　which　was　under　the　command　of　Glabrio；　and　that　he　should
forthwith　conduct　the　war　against　the　two　kings；　Mithridates　and
Tigranes；　retaining　still　the　same　naval　forces　and　the　sovereignty　of
the　seas　as　before。　But　this　was　nothing　less　than　to　constitute　one
absolute　monarch　of　all　the　Roman　empire。　For　the　provinces　which
seemed　to　be　exempt　from　his　commission　by　the　former　decree；　such
as　were　Phrygia；　Lycaonia；　Galatia；　Cappadocia；　Cilicia；　the　upper
Colchis；　and　Armenia；　were　all　added　in　by　this　latter　law；　together
with　all　the　troops　and　forces　with　which　Lucullus　had　defeated
Mithridates　and　Tigranes。　And　though　Lucullus　was　thus　simply　robbed
of　the　glory　of　his　achievements　in　having　a　successor　assigned　him；
rather　to　the　honour　of　his　triumph　than　the　danger　of　the　war；　yet
this　was　of　less　moment　in　the　eyes　of　the　aristocratical　party；
though　they　could　not　but　admit　the　injustice　and　ingratitude　to
Lucullus。　But　their　great　grievance　was　that　the　power　of　Pompey
should　be　converted　into　a　manifest　tyranny；　and　they　therefore
exhorted　and　encouraged　one　another　privately　to　bend　all　their　forces
in　opposition　to　this　law；　and　not　tamely　to　cast　away　their
liberty；　yet　when　the　day　came　on　which　it　was　to　pass　into　a
decree；　their　hearts　failed　them　for　fear　of　the　people；　and　all
were　silent　except　Catulus；　who　boldly　inveighed　against　the　law　and
its　proposer；　and　when　he　found　that　he　could　do　nothing　with　the
people；　turned　to　the　senate；　crying　out　and　bidding　them　seek　out
some　mountain　as　their　forefathers　had　done；　and　fly　to　the　rocks
where　they　might　preserve　their　liberty。　The　law　passed　into　a　decree；
as　it　is　said；　by　the　suffrages　of　all　the　tribes。　And　Pompey；　in
his　absence；　was　made　lord　of　almost　all　that　power　which　Sylla　only
obtained　by　force　of　arms；　after　a　conquest　of　the　very　city　itself。
　　When　Pompey　had　advice　by　letters　of　the　decree；　it　is　said　that
in　the　presence　of　his　friends；　who　came　to　give　him　joy　of　his
honour；　he　seemed　displeased；　frowning　and　smiting　his　thigh；　and
exclaimed　as　ore　over…burdened　and　weary　of　government；　〃Alas；　what
a　series　of　labours　upon　labours！　If　I　am　never　to　end　my　service　as　a
soldier；　nor　to　escape　from　this　invidious　greatness　and　live　at
home　in　the　country　with　my　wife；　I　had　better　have　been　an　unknown
man。〃　But　all　this　was　looked　upon　as　mere　trifling；　neither　indeed
could　the　best　of　his　friends　call　it　anything　else；　well　knowing　that
his　enmity　with　Lucullus；　setting　a　flame　just　now　to　his　natural
passion　for　glory　and　empire；　made　him　feel　more　than　usually
gratified。
　　As　indeed　appeared　not　long　afterwards　by　his　actions；　which　clearly
unmasked　him；　for；　in　the　first　place；　he　sent　out　his　proclamations
into　all　quarters；　commanding　the　soldiers　to　join　him；　and　summoned
all　the　tributary　kings　and　princes　within　his　charge；　and　in　short；
as　soon　as　he　had　entered　upon　his　province；　he　left　nothing　unaltered
that　had　been　done　and　established　by　Lucullus。　To　some　he　remitted
their　penalties；　and　deprived　others　of　their　rewards；　and　acted　in
all　respects　as　if　with　the　express　design　that　the　admirers　of
Lucullus　might　know　that　all　his　authority　was　at　an　end。
　　Lucullus　expostulated　by　friends；　and　it　was　thought　fitting　that
there　should　be　a　meeting　betwixt　them；　and　accordingly　they　met　in
the　country　of　Galatia。　As　they　were　both　great　and　successful
generals；　their　officers　bore　their　rods　before　them　all　wreathed　with
branches　of　laurel；　Lucullus　came　through　a　country　full　of　green
trees　and　shady　woods；　but　Pompey's　march　was　through　a　cold　and
barren　district。　Therefore　the　lictors　of　Lucullus；　perceiving　that
Pompey's　laurels　were　withered　and　dry；　helped　him　to　some　of　their
own；　and　adorned　and　crowned　his　rods　with　fresh　laurels。　This　was
thought　ominous