138-78 B.C. page 14
The next day
again, Sylla, leading forth his men up to their quarters, went on
finishing the lines of intrenchment, and when they issued out again
with larger numbers to give him battle, fell on them and put them to
the rout, and in the consternation ensuing, none daring to abide, he
took the camp by storm. The marshes were filled with blood, and the
lake with dead bodies, insomuch that to this day many bows, helmets,
fragments of iron, breastplates, and swords of barbarian make continue
to be found buried deep in mud, two hundred years after the fight.
Thus much of the actions of Chaeronea and Orchomenus.
At Rome, Cinna and Carbo were now using injustice and violence
towards persons of the greatest eminence, and many of them to avoid
this tyranny repaired, as to a safe harbour, to Sylla's camp, where,
in a short space, he had about him the aspect of a senate. Metella,
likewise, having with difficulty conveyed herself and children away by
stealth, brought him word that his houses, both in town and country,
had been burnt by his enemies, and entreated his help at home.
Whilst he was in doubt what to do, being impatient to hear of his
country being thus outraged, and yet not knowing how to leave so great
a work as the Mithridatic war unfinished, there comes to him
Archelaus, a merchant of Delos, with hopes of an accommodation, and
private instructions from Archelaus, the king's general. Sylla liked
the business so well as to desire a speedy conference with Archelaus
in person, and a meeting took place on the seacoast near Delium, where
the temple of Apollo stands.
When Archelaus opened the conversation,
and began to urge Sylla to abandon his pretensions to Asia and Pontus,
and to set sail for the war in Rome, receiving money and shipping, and
such forces as he should think fitting from the king, Sylla
interposing, bade Archelaus take no further care for Mithridates,
but assume the crown to himself, and become a confederate of Rome,
delivering up the navy.
Archelaus professing his abhorrence of such
treason, Sylla proceeded: "So you, Archelaus, a Cappadocian, and
slave, or if it so please you friend, to a barbarian king, would
not, upon such vast considerations, be guilty of what is
dishonourable, and yet dare to talk to me, Roman general and Sylla, of
treason? as if you were not the self-same Archelaus who ran away at
Chaeronea, with few remaining out of one hundred and twenty thousand
men; who lay for two days in the fens of Orchomenus, and left
Boeotia impassable for heaps of dead carcasses."
Archelaus, changing
his tone at this, humbly besought him to lay aside the thoughts of
war, and make peace with Mithridates. Sylla consenting to this
request, articles of agreement were concluded on. That Mithridates
should quit Asia and Paphlagonia, restore Bithynia to Nicomedes,
Cappadocia to Ariobarzanes, and pay the Romans two thousand talents,
and give him seventy ships of war with all their furniture.
On the
other hand, that Sylla should confirm to him his other dominions,
and declare him a Roman confederate. On these terms he proceeded by
the way of Thessaly and Macedon towards the Hellespont, having
Archelaus with him, and treating him with great attention. For
Archelaus being taken dangerously ill at Larissa, he stopped the march
of the army, and took care of him, as if he had been one of his own
captains, or his colleague in command.
This gave suspicion of foul
play in the battle of Chaeronea; as it was also observed that Sylla
had released all the friends of Mithridates taken prisoners in war,
except only Aristion the tyrant, who was at enmity with Archelaus, and
was put to death by poison; and, above all, ten thousand acres of land
in Euboea had been given to the Cappadocian, and he had received
from Sylla the style of friend and ally of the Romans. On all which
points Sylla defends himself in his Memoirs.
The ambassadors of Mithridates arriving and declaring that they
accepted of the conditions, only Paphlagonia they could not part with;
and as for the ships, professing not to know of any such capitulation,
Sylla in a rage exclaimed, "What say you? Does Mithridates then
withhold Paphlagonia? and as to the ships, deny that article? I
thought to have seen him prostrate at my feet to thank me for
leaving him so much as that right hand of his, which has cut off so
many Romans. He will shortly, at my coming over into Asia, speak
another language; in the meantime, let him at his ease in Pergamus sit
managing a war which he never saw."
The ambassadors in terror stood
silent by, but Archelaus endeavoured with humble supplications to
assuage his wrath, laying hold on his right hand and weeping. In
conclusion he obtained permission to go himself in person to
Mithridates; for that he would either mediate a peace to the
satisfaction of Sylla, or if not, slay himself. Sylla having thus
despatched him away, made an inroad into Maedica, and after wide
depopulations returned back again into Macedon, where he received
Archelaus about Philippi, bringing word that all was well, and that
Mithridates earnestly requested an interview.