138-78 B.C. page 7
For having wrested Asia from the Romans, and Bithynia and
Cappadocia from their kings, he made Pergamus his royal seat,
distributing among his friends riches, principalities, and kingdoms.
Of his sons, one residing in Pontus and Bosporus held his ancient
realm as far as the deserts beyond the lake Maeotis, without
molestation; while Ariarathes, another, was reducing Thrace and
Macedon, with a great army, to obedience.
His generals, with forces
under them, were establishing his supremacy in other quarters.
Archelaus, in particular, with his fleet, held absolute mastery of the
sea, and was bringing into subjection the Cyclades, and all the
other islands as far as Malea, and had taken Euboea itself. Making
Athens his headquarters, from thence as far as Thessaly he was
withdrawing the states of Greece from the Roman allegiance, without
the least ill-success, except at Chaeronea.
For here Bruttius Sura,
lieutenant to Sentius, governor of Macedon, a man of singular valour
and prudence, met him, and, though he came like a torrent pouring over
Boeotia, made stout resistance, and thrice giving him battle near
Chaeronea, repulsed and forced him back to the sea. But being
commanded by Lucius Lucullus to give place to his successor, Sylla,
and resign the war to whom it was decreed, he presently left
Boeotia, and retired back to Sentius, although his success had outgone
all hopes, and Greece was well disposed to a new revolution, upon
account of his gallant behaviour. These were the glorious actions of
Bruttius.
Sylla, on his arrival, received by their deputations the compliments
of all the cities of Greece, except Athens, against which, as it was
compelled by the tyrant Aristion to hold for the king, he advanced
with all his forces, and investing the Piraeus, laid formal siege to
it, employing every variety of engines, and trying every manner of
assault; whereas, had he forborn but a little while, he might
without hazard have taken the Upper City by famine, it being already
reduced to the last extremity, through want of necessaries.
But
eager to return to Rome, and fearing innovation there, at great
risk, with continual fighting and vast expense, he pushed on the
war. Besides other equipage, the very work about the engines of
battery was supplied with no less than ten thousand yoke of mules,
employed daily in that service. And when timber grew scarce, for
many of the works failed, some crushed to pieces by their own
weight, others taking fire by the continual play of the enemy, he
had recourse to the sacred groves, and cut down the trees of the
Academy, the shadiest of all the suburbs, and the Lyceum. And a vast
sum of money being wanted to carry on the war, he broke into the
sanctuaries of Greece, that of Epidaurus and that of Olympia,
sending for the most beautiful and precious offerings deposited there.
He wrote, likewise, to the Amphictyons at Delphi, that it were
better to remit the wealth of the god to him, for that he would keep
it more securely, or in case he made use of it, restore as much. He
sent Caphis, the Phocian, one of his friends, with this message,
commanding him to receive each item by weight.
About the time that Sylla was making ready to put off with his force
from Italy, besides many other omens which befell Mithridates, then
staying at Pergamus, there goes a story that a figure of Victory, with
a crown in her hand, which the Pergamenians by machinery from above
let down on him, when it had almost reached his head, fell to
pieces, and the crown tumbling down into the midst of the theatre,
there broke against the ground, occasioning a general alarm among
the populace, and considerably disquieting Mithridates himself,
although his affairs at that time were succeeding beyond
expectation.