138-78 B.C. page 3
At his return, Censorinus impeached him of extortion, for having
exacted a vast sum of money from a well-affected and associate
kingdom. However, Censorinus did not appear at the trial, but
dropped his accusation. His quarrel, meantime, with Marius began to
break out afresh, receiving new material from the ambition of Bocchus,
who, to please the people of Rome, and gratify Sylla, set up in the
temple of Jupiter Capitolinus images bearing trophies, and a
representation in gold of the surrender of Jugurtha to Sylla. When
Marius, in great anger, attempted to pull them down, and others
aided Sylla, the whole city would have been in tumult and commotion
with this dispute, had not the Social War, which had long lain
smouldering, blazed forth at last, and for the present put an end to
the quarrel.
In the course of this war, which had many great changes of
fortune, and which, more than any, afflicted the Romans, and,
indeed, endangered the very being of the Commonwealth, Marius was
not able to signalize his valour in any action, but left behind him
a clear proof, that warlike excellence requires a strong and still
vigorous body. Sylla, on the other hand, by his many achievements,
gained himself, with his fellow-citizens, the name of a great
commander, while his friends thought him the greatest of all
commanders, and his enemies called him the most fortunate. Nor did
this make the same sort of impression on him as it made on Timotheus
the son of Conon, the Athenian; who, when his adversaries ascribed his
successes to his good luck, and had a painting made, representing
him asleep, and Fortune by his side, casting her nets over the cities,
was rough and violent in his indignation at those who did it, as if,
by attributing all to Fortune, they had robbed him of his just
honours; and said to the people on one occasion at his return from
war, "In this, ye men of Athens, Fortune had no part."
A piece of
boyish petulance, which the deity, we are told, played back upon
Timotheus; who from that time was never able to achieve anything
that was great, but proving altogether unfortunate in his attempts,
and falling into discredit with the people, was at last banished the
city. Sylla, on the contrary, not only accepted with pleasure the
credit of such divine felicities and favours, but joining himself
and extolling and glorifying what was done, gave the honour of all
to Fortune, whether it were out of boastfulness, or a real feeling
of divine agency.
He remarks, in his Memoirs, that of all his
well-advised actions, none proved so lucky in the execution as what he
had boldly enterprised, not by calculation, but upon the moment.
And, in the character which he gives of himself, that he was born
for fortune rather than war, he seems to give Fortune a higher place
than merit, and, in short, makes himself entirely the creature of a
superior power, accounting even his concord with Metellus, his equal
in office, and his connection by marriage, a piece of preternatural
felicity. For expecting to have met in him a most troublesome, he
found him a most accommodating, colleague.
Moreover, in the Memoirs
which he dedicated to Lucullus, he admonished him to esteem nothing
more trustworthy than what the divine powers advise him by night.
And when he was leaving the city with an army, to fight in the
Social War, he relates that the earth near the Laverna opened, and a
quantity of fire came rushing out of it, shooting up with a bright
flame into the heavens. The soothsayers upon this foretold that a
person of great qualities, and of a rare and singular aspect, should
take the government in hand, and quiet the present troubles of the
city. Sylla affirms he was the man, for his golden head of hair made
him an extraordinary-looking man, nor had he any shame, after the
great actions he had done, in testifying to his own great qualities.
And thus much of his opinion as to divine agency.
It is reported that a certain Chaldaean,
of Orobazus's retinue, looking Sylla wistfully in the face, and
observing carefully the motions of his mind and body, and forming a
judgment of his nature, according to the rules of his art, said that
it was impossible for him not to become the greatest of men; it was
rather a wonder how he could even then abstain from being head of all.