pompey-第9节

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own；　and　adorned　and　crowned　his　rods　with　fresh　laurels。　This　was
thought　ominous；　and　looked　as　if　Pompey　came　to　take　away　the
reward　and　honour　of　Lucullus's　victories。　Lucullus　had　the　priority
in　the　order　of　consulships；　and　also　in　age；　but　Pompey's　two
triumphs　made　him　the　greater　man。　Their　first　addresses　in　this
interview　were　dignified　and　friendly；　each　magnifying　the　other's
actions；　and　offering　congratulations　upon　his　success。　But　when
they　came　to　the　matter　of　their　conference　or　treaty；　they　could
agree　on　no　fair　or　equitable　terms　of　any　kind；　but　even　came　to
harsh　words　against　each　other；　Pompey　upbraiding　Lucullus　with
avarice；　and　Lucullus　retorting　ambition　upon　Pompey；　so　that　their
friends　could　hardly　part　them。　Lucullus　remaining　in　Galatia；　made
a　distribution　of　the　lands　within　his　conquests；　and　gave　presents　to
whom　he　pleased；　and　Pompey　encamping　not　far　distant　from　him；　sent
out　his　prohibitions；　forbidding　the　execution　of　any　of　the　orders　of
Lucullus；　and　commanded　away　all　his　soldiers；　except　sixteen　hundred；
whom　he　thought　likely　to　be　unserviceable　to　himself；　being
disorderly　and　mutinous；　and　whom　he　knew　to　be　hostile　to　Lucullus；
and　to　these　acts　he　added　satirical　speeches；　detracting　openly
from　the　glory　of　his　actions；　and　giving　out　that　the　battles　of
Lucullus　had　been　but　with　the　mere　stage…shows　and　idle　pictures　of
royal　pomp；　whereas　the　real　war　against　a　genuine　army；　disciplined
by　defeat；　was　reserved　to　him；　Mithridates　having　now　begun　to　be
in　earnest；　and　having　betaken　himself　to　his　shields；　swords；　and
horses。　Lucullus；　on　the　other　side；　to　be　even　with　him；　replied；
that　Pompey　came　to　fight　with　the　mere　image　and　shadow　of　war；　it
being　his　usual　practice；　like　a　lazy　bird　of　prey；　to　come　upon　the
carcass　when　others　had　slain　the　dead；　and　to　tear　in　pieces　the
relics　of　a　war。
　　Thus　he　had　appropriated　to　himself　the　victories　over　Sertorius；
over　Lepidus；　and　over　the　insurgents　under　Spartacus；　whereas　this
last　had　been　achieved　by　Crassus；　that　obtained　by　Catulus；　and　the
first　won　by　Metellus。　And　therefore　it　was　no　great　wonder　that　the
glory　of　the　Pontic　and　Armenian　war　should　be　usurped　by　a　man　who
had　condescended　to　any　artifices　to　work　himself　into　the　honour　of　a
triumph　over　a　few　runaway　slaves。
　　After　this　Lucullus　went　away；　and　Pompey　having　placed　his　whole
navy　in　guard　upon　the　seas　betwixt　Phoenicia　and　Bosphorus；　himself
marched　against　Mithridates；　who　had　a　phalanx　of　thirty　thousand
foot；　with　two　thousand　horse；　yet　durst　not　bid　him　battle。　He　had
encamped　upon　a　strong　mountain　where　it　would　have　been　hard　to
attack　him；　but　abandoned　it　in　no　long　time　as　destitute　of　water。　No
sooner　was　be　gone　but　Pompey　occupied　it；　and　observing　the　plants
that　were　thriving　there；　together　with　the　hollows　which　he　found
in　several　places；　conjectured　that　such　a　plot　could　not　be　without
springs；　and　therefore　ordered　his　men　to　sink　wells　in　every
corner。　After　which　there　was；　in　a　little　time；　great　plenty　of　water
throughout　all　the　camp；　insomuch　that　he　wondered　how　it　was　possible
for　Mithridates　to　be　ignorant　of　this；　during　all　that　time　of　his
encampment　there。　After　this　Pompey　followed　him　to　his　next　camp；　and
there　drawing　lines　round　about　him；　shut　him　in。　But　he；　after　having
endured　a　siege　of　forty…five　days；　made　his　escape　secretly；　and　fled
away　with　all　the　best　part　of　his　army；　having　first　put　to　death　all
the　sick　and　unserviceable。　Not　long　after　Pompey　overtook　him　again
near　the　banks　of　the　river　Euphrates；　and　encamped　close　by　him；
but　fearing　lest　he　should　pass　over　the　river　and　give　him　the　slip
there　too；　he　drew　up　his　army　to　attack　him　at　midnight。　And　at
that　very　time　Mithridates；　it　is　said；　saw　a　vision　in　his　dream
foreshowing　what　should　come　to　pass。　For　he　seemed　to　be　under　sail
in　the　Euxine　Sea　with　a　prosperous　gale；　and　just　in　view　of
Bosphorus；　discoursing　pleasantly　with　the　ship's　company；　as　one
overjoyed　for　his　past　danger　and　present　security；　when　on　a　sudden
he　found　himself　deserted　of　all；　and　floating　upon　a　broken　plank
of　the　ship　at　the　mercy　of　the　sea。　Whilst　he　was　thus　labouring
under　these　passions　and　phantasms；　his　friends　came　and　awaked　him
with　the　news　of　Pompey's　approach；　who　was　now　indeed　so　near　at　hand
that　the　fight　must　be　for　the　camp　itself；　and　the　commanders
accordingly　drew　up　the　forces　in　battle　array。
　　Pompey　perceiving　how　ready　they　were　and　well　prepared　for
defence　began　to　doubt　with　himself　whether　he　should　put　it　to　the
hazard　of　a　fight　in　the　dark；　judging　it　more　prudent　to　encompass
them　only　at　present；　lest　they　should　fly；　and　to　give　them　battle
with　the　advantage　of　numbers　the　next　day。　But　his　oldest　officers
were　of　another　opinion；　and　by　entreaties　and　encouragements　obtained
permission　that　they　might　charge　them　immediately。　Neither　was　the
night　so　very　dark；　but　that；　though　the　moon　was　going　down；　it　yet
gave　light　enough　to　discern　a　body；　and　indeed　this　was　one
especial　disadvantage　to　the　king's　army。　For　the　Romans　coming　upon
them　with　the　moon　on　their　backs；　the　moon；　being　very　low；　and
just　upon　setting；　cast　the　shadows　a　long　way　before　their　bodies；
reaching　almost　to　the　enemy；　whose　eyes　were　thus　so　much　deceived
that　not　exactly　discerning　the　distance；　but　imagining　them　to　be
near　at　hand；　they　threw　their　darts　at　the　shadows　without　the
least　execution。　The　Romans　therefore；　perceiving　this；　ran　in　upon
them　with　a　great　shout；　but　the　barbarians；　all　in　a　panic；　unable　to
endure　the　charge；　turned　and　fled；　and　were　put　to　great　slaughter；
above　ten　thousand　being　slain；　the　camp　also　was　taken。　As　for
Mithridates　himself；　he　at　the　beginning　of　the　onset；　with　a　body
of　eight　hundred　horse；　charged　through　the　Roman　army；　and　made　his
escape。　But　before　long　all　the　rest　dispersed；　some　one　way；　some
another；　and　he　was　left　only　with　three　persons；　among　whom　was　his
concubine；　Hypsicratia；　a　girl　always　of　a　manly　and　daring　spirit；
and　the　king　called　her　on　that　account　Hypsicrates。　She　being　attired
and　mounted　like　a　Persian　horseman；　accompanied　the　king　in　all　his
flight；　never　weary　even　in　the　longest　journey；　nor　ever　failing　to
attend　the　king　in　person；　and　look　after　his　horse　too；　until　they
came　to　Inora；　a　castle　of　the　king's　well　stored　with　gold　and
treasure。　From　thence　Mithridates　took　his　richest　apparel；　and　gave
it　among　those　that　had　resorted　to　him　in　their　flight；　and　so　to
every　one　of　his　friends　he　gave　a　deadly　poison；　that　they　might
not　fall　into　the　power　of　the　enemy　against　their　wills。　From
thence　he　designed　to　have　gone　to　Tigranes　in　Armenia；　but　being
prohibited　by　Tigranes；　who　put　out　a　proclamation　with　a　reward　of
one　hundred　talents　to　any　one　that　should　apprehend　him；　he　passed　by
the　headwaters　of　the　river　Euphrates　and　fled　through　the　country
of　Colchis。
　　Pompey　in　the　meantime　made　an　invasion　into　Armenia　upon　the
invitation　of　young　Tigranes；　who　was　now　in　rebellion　against　his
father；　and　gave　Pompey　a　meeting　about　the　river　Araxes；　which
rises　near　the　head　of　Euphrates；　but　turning　its　course　and　bending
towards　the　east；　falls　into　the　Caspian　Sea。　They　two；　therefore；
marched　together　through　the　country；　taking　in　all　the　cities　by
the　way；　and　receiving　their　submission。　But　King　Tigranes；　having
lately　suffered　much　in　the　war　with　Lucullus；　and　understanding
that　Pompey　was　of　a　kind　and　gentle　disposition；　admitted　Roman
troops　into　his　royal　palaces；　and　taking　along　with　him　his　friends
and　relations；　went　in　person　to　surrender　himself　into　the　hands　of
Pompey。　He　came　as　far　as　the　trenches　on　horseback；　but　there　he
was　met　by　two　of　Pompey's　lictors；　who　commanded　him　to　alight　and
walk　on　foot；　for　no　man　ever　was　seen　on　horseback　within　a　Roman
camp。　Tigranes　submitted　to　this　immediately；　and　not　only　so；　but
loosing　his　sword；　delivered　up　that　too；　and　last　of　all；　as　soon
as　he　appeared　before　Pompey；　he　pulled　off　his　royal　turban；　and
attempted　to　have　laid　it　at　his　feet。　Nay；　worst　of　all；　even　he
himself　had　fallen　prostrate　as　an　humble　suppliant　at　his　knees　had
not　Pompey　prevented　it；　taking　him　by　the　hand　and　placing　him　near
him；　Tigranes　himself　on　one　side　of　him　and　his　son　upon　the　other。
Pompey　now　told　him　that　the　rest　of　his　losses　were　chargeable　upon
Lucullus；　by　whom　he　had　been　dispossessed　of　Syria；　Phoenicia；
Cilicia；　Galatia；　and　Sophene；　but　all　that　he　had　preserved　to
himself　entire　till　that　time　he　should　peaceably　enjoy；　paying　the
sum　of　six　thousand　talents　as　a　fine　or　penalty　for　injuries　done
to　the　Romans；　and　that　his　son　should　have　the　kingdom　of　Sophene。
Tigranes　himself　was　well　pleased　with　these　conditions　of　peace；
and　when　the　Romans　saluted　him　king；　seemed　to　be　overjoyed；　and
promised　to　every　common　soldier　half　a　mina　of　silver；　to　every
centurion　ten　minas；　and　to　every　tribune　a　talent；　but　the　son　was
displeased；　insomuch　that　when　he　was　invited　to　supper　he　replied；
that　he　did　not　stand　in　need　of　Pompey　f