XXIX
Sub adventum in Italiam L.Sullae Cn.Pompeius, eius Cn. Pompei filius, quem magnificentissimas res in consulatu gessisse bello Marsico praediximus, tris et viginti annos natus, abhinc annos centum et tredecim privatis ut opibus, ita consiliis magna ausus magnificeque conata executus, ad vindicandam restituendamque dignitatem patriae firmuma ex agro Piceno, qui totus paternis eius clientelis refertus erat, contraxit exercitum: cuius viri magnitudo multorum voluminum instar exigit, sed operis modus paucis eum narrari iubet. Fuit hic genitus matre Lucilia stirpis senatoriae, forma excellens, non ea, qua flos commendatur aetatis, sed ea dignitate constantiaque, quae in illam conveniens amplitudinem fortunamque eum ad ultimum vitae comitata est diem; innocentia eximius, sanctitate praecipuus, eloquentia medius, potentiae, quae honoris causa ad eum deferretur, non vi ab eo occuparetur, cupidissimus, dux bello peritissimus, civis in toga, nisi ubi vereretur ne quem haberet parem, modestissimus, amicitiarum tenax, in offensis exorabilis, in reconcilianda gratia fidelissimus, in accipienda satisfactione facillimus, potentia sua numquam aut raro ad impotentiam usus, paene omnium vitiorum expers, nisi numeraretur inter maxima in civitate libera dominaque gentium indignari, cum omnes cives iure haberet pares, quemquam aequalem dignitate conspicere. Hic a toga virili adsuetus commilitio prudentissimi ducis, parentis sui, bonum et capax recta discendi ingenium singulari rerum militarium prudentia excoluerat, ut a Sertorio Metellus laudaretur magis, Pompeius timeretur validius.
[29] (1) Just before the arrival of Lucius Sulla in Italy, Gnaeus Pompeius, the son of the Gnaeus Pompeius who, as has already been mentioned, won such brilliant successes in the Marsian war during his consulship, though but twenty-three years of age — it was one hundred and thirteen years ago — on his own initiative and with his own private funds conceived and brilliantly executed a daring plan. To avenge his country and restore her dignity he raised a strong army from the district of Picenum which was filled with the retainers of his father. (2) To do justice to the greatness of this man would require many volumes, but the brief compass of my work compels me to limit my description to a few words.
On the side of his mother Lucilia he was of senatorial stock. He was distinguished by a personal beauty, not of the sort which gives the bloom of youth its charm, but stately and unchanging, as befitted the distinction and good fortune of his career, and this beauty attended him to the last day of his life. He was a man of exceptional purity of life, of great uprightness of character, (3) of but moderate oratorical talent, ambitious of such power as might be conferred upon him as a mark of honour, but not that which had to be forcibly usurped. In war a resourceful general, in peace a citizen of temperate conduct except when he feared a rival, constant in his friendships, easily placated when offended, loyal in re-establishing terms of amity, very ready to accept satisfaction, never or at least rarely abusing his power, (4) Pompey was free from almost every fault, unless it be considered one of the greatest of faults for a man to chafe at seeing anyone his equal in dignity in a free state, the mistress of the world, where he should justly regard all citizens as his equals. (5) From the day on which he had assumed the toga he had been trained to military service on the staff of that sagacious general, his father, and by a singular insight into military tactics had so developed his excellent native talent, which showed great capacity to learn what was best, that, while Sertorius bestowed the greater praise upon Metellus, it was Pompey he feared the more strongly.
XXX
Tum M.Perpenna praetorius, e proscriptis, gentis clarioris quam animi, Sertorium inter cenam Oscae interemit Romanisque certam victoriam, partibus suis excidium, sibi turpissimam mortem pessimo auctoravit facinore. Metellus et Pompeius ex Hispaniis triumphaverunt; sed Pompeius, hoc quoque triumpho adhuc eques Romanus, ante diem quam consulatum iniret, curru urbem invectus est. Quem virum quis non miretur per tot extraordinaria imperia in summum fastigium evectum iniquo tulisse animo, C.Caesaris absentis in altero consulatu petendo senatum populumque Romanum rationem habere: adeo familiare est hominibus omnia sibi ignoscere, nihil aliis remittere, et invidiam rerum non ad causam, sed ad voluntatem personasque dirigere. Hoc consulatu Pompeius tribuniciam potestatem restituit, cuius Sulla imaginem sine re reliquerat. Dum Sertorianum bellum in Hispania geritur, quattuor et sexaginta fugitivi e ludo gladiatorio Capua profugientes duce Spartaco, raptis ex ea urbe gladiis, primo Vesuvium montem petiere, mox crescente in dies multitudine gravibus variisque casibus adfecere Italiam. Quorum numerus in tantum adulevit, ut qua ultima dimicavere acie, nonaginta milia hominum se Romano exercitui opposuerint. Huius patrati gloria penes M.Crassum fuit, mox rei publicae omnium consensu principem.
[30] (1) Shortly afterwards Marcus Perpenna, an ex-praetor, one of those who had been proscribed, a man more distinguished for his birth than for his character, assassinated Sertorius at Osca at a banquet. By this wicked deed he ensured success to the Romans, and destruction to his own faction, and for himself a death of extreme dishonour. Metellus and Pompey won triumphs for their victories in Spain. (2) Pompey, who even at the time of his triumph was still a Roman knight, entered the city in his triumphal car on the day before his entrance upon his consulate. (3) Who is there who does not feel surprise that this man, who owed his elevation to the highest position in the state to so many extraordinary commands, should have taken it ill that the senate and the Roman people were willing to consider Gaius Caesar as a candidate for the consulship a second time, though suing for it in absentia? So common a failing is it for mankind to overlook every irregularity in their own case, but to make no concessions to others, and to let their discontent with conditions be vented upon suspected motives and upon persons instead of the real cause. (4) In this consulship Pompey restored the power of the tribunes, of which Sulla had left the shadow without the substance.
(5) While war was being waged against Sertorius in Spain sixty-four runaway slaves, escaping from a gladiatorial school in Capua, seized swords in that city, and at first took refuge on Mount Vesuvius; then, as their number increased daily, they afflicted Italy with many serious disasters. (6) Their number grew to such an extent that in the last battle which they fought they confronted the Roman army with ninety thousand men. The glory of ending this war belongs to Marcus Crassus, who was soon by unanimous consent to be regarded as the first citizen in the state.
XXXI
Converterat Cn.Pompei persona totum in se terrarum orbem et per omnia maior civi habebatur. Qui cum consul perquam laudabiliter iurasset se in nullam provinciam ex eo magistratu iturum idque servasset, post biennium A.Gabinius tribunus legem tulit, ut cum belli more, non latrociniorum, orbem classibus iam, non furtivis expeditionibus piratae terrerent quasdamque etiam Italiae urbes diripuissent, Cn.Pompeius ad eos opprimendos mitteretur essetque ei imperium aequum in omnibus provinciis cum proconsulibus usque ad quinquagesimum miliarium a mari. Quo scito paene totius terrarum orbis imperium uni viro deferebatur; sed tamen idem hoc ante septennium in M.Antonii praetura decretum erat. Sed interdum persona ut exemplo nocet, ita invidiam auget aut levat: in Antonio homines aequo animo passi erant; raro enim invidetur eorum honoribus, quorum vis non timetur: contra in iis homines extraordinaria reformidant, qui ea suo arbitrio aut deposituri aut retenturi videntur et modum in voluntate habent. Dissuadebant optimates, sed consilia impetu victa sunt.
[31] (1) The personality of Pompey had now turned the eyes of the world upon itself, and in all things he was now regarded as more than a mere citizen. As consul he made the laudable promise, which he also kept, that he would not go from that office to any province. (2) But, two years afterwards, when the pirates were terrifying the world, not as heretofore by furtive marauding expeditions but with fleets of ships in the manner of regular warfare, and had already plundered several cities of Italy, Aulus Gabinius, a tribune, proposed an enactment to the effect that Gnaeus Pompeius should be sent to crush them, and that in all the provinces he should have a power equal to that of the proconsular governors to a distance of •fifty miles from the sea. By this decree the comma
nd of almost the entire world was being entrusted to one man. (3) Seven years before, it is true, like power had been decreed to Marcus Antonius as praetor. (4) But sometimes the personality of the recipient of such power, just as it renders the precedent more or less dangerous, increases or diminishes its invidiousness. In the case of Antonius people had looked upon his position with no concern. For it is not often that we begrudge honours to those whose power we do not fear. On the other hand men shrink from conferring extraordinary powers upon those who seem likely to retain them or lay them aside only as they themselves choose, and whose inclinations are their only check. The optimates advised against the grant to Pompey, but sane advice succumbed to impulse.
XXXII
Digna est memoria Q.Catuli cum auctoritas tum verecundia. Qui cum dissuadens legem in contione dixisset esse quidem praeclarum virum Cn.Pompeium, sed nimium iam liberae rei publicae neque omnia in uno reponenda adiecissetque: “si quid huic acciderit, quem in eius locum substituetis?” subclamavit universa contio, te, Q.Catule. Tum ille victus consensu omnium et tam honorifico civitatis testimonio e contione discessit. Hic hominis verecundiam, populi iustitiam mirari libet, huius, quod non ultra contendit, plebis, quod dissuadentem et adversarium voluntatis suae vero testimonio fraudare noluit. Per idem tempus Cotta iudicandi munus, quod C.Gracchus ereptum senatui ad equites, Sulla ab illis ad senatum transtulerant, aequaliter in utrumque ordinem partitus est; Otho Roscius lege sua equitibus in theatro loca restituit. At Cn.Pompeius multis et praeclaris viris in id bellum adsumptis discriptoque paene in omnis recessus maris praesidio navium, brevi inexsuperabili manu terrarum orbem liberavit praedonesque saepe multis iam aliis locis victos circa Ciliciam classe adgressus fudit ac fugavit; et quo maturius bellum tam late diffusum conficeret, reliquias eorum contractas in urbibus remotoque mari loco in certa sede constituit. Sunt qui hoc carpant, sed quamquam in auctore satis rationis est, tamen ratio quemlibet magnum auctorem faceret; data enim facultate sine rapto vivendi rapinis arcuit.
[32] (1) The sterling character of Quintus Catulus and his modesty on this occasion are worthy of record. Opposing the law before the assembled people he had said that Pompey was without question a great man, but that he was now becoming too great for a free republic, and that all powers ought not to be reposed in one man. “If anything happens to Pompey,” he added, “whom will you put in his place?” The people shouted with one accord, “You, Catulus.” Then, yielding to the unanimous desire of the people for the proposed law and to this honourable tribute of his fellow-citizens, he left the assembly. (2) At this point one would fain express admiration for the modesty of the man and the fairness of the people; in the case of Catulus, because he ceased his opposition, and, in the case of the people, because it was unwilling to withhold from one who was speaking against the measure in opposition to them this real evidence of their esteem.
(3) About the same time Cotta divided service upon the juries equally between the senatorial and equestrian orders. Gaius Gracchus had taken this privilege from the senate and given it to the knights, while Sulla had again transferred it from the knights to the senate. Otho Roscius by his law restored to the knights their places in the theatre.
(4) Meanwhile Gnaeus Pompey enlisted the services of many illustrious men, distributed detachments of the fleet to all the recesses of the sea, and in a short time with an invincible force he freed the world from the menace of piracy. Near the Cilician coast he delivered his final attack upon the pirates, who had already met with frequent defeats in many other places, and completely routed them. Then, in order that he might the more quickly put an end to a war that spread over so wide an area, (5) he collected the remnants of the pirates and established them in fixed abodes in cities far from the sea. (6) Some criticize him for this; but although the plan is sufficiently recommended by its author, it would have made its author great whoever he might have been; for, by giving the pirates the opportunity to live without brigandage, he restrained them from brigandage.
XXXIII
Cum esset in fine bellum piraticum et L. Lucullus, qui ante septem annos ex consulatu sortitus Asiam Mithridati oppositus erat magnasque et memorabiles res ibi gesserat, Mithridatem saepe multis locis fuderat, egregia Cyzicum liberarat victoria, Tigranem, regum maximum, in Armenia vicerat ultimamque bello manum paene magis noluerat imponere quam non potuerat, quia alioqui per omnia laudabilis et bello paene invictus pecuniae pellebatur cupidine, idem bellum adhuc administraret, Manilius tribunus plebis, semper venalis et alienae minister potentiae, legem tulit, ut bellum Mithridaticum per Cn. Pompeium administraretur. Accepta ea magnisque certatum inter imperatores iurgiis, cum Pompeius Lucullo infamiam pecuniae, Lucullus Pompeio interminatam cupiditatem obiiceret imperii neuterque ab altero quod arguebat mentitus argui posset. Nam neque Pompeius, ut primum ad rem publicam adgressus est, quemquam omnino parem tulit, et in quibus rebus primus esse debebat, solus esse cupiebat (neque eo viro quisquam aut alia omnia minus aut gloriam magis concupiit, in adpetendis honoribus inmodicus, in gerendis verecundissimus, ut qui eos ut libentissime iniret, ita finiret aequo animo, et quod cupisset, arbitrio suo sumeret, alieno deponeret) et Lucullus, summus alioqui vir, profusae huius in aedificiis convictibusque et apparatibus luxuriae primus auctor fuit, quem ob iniectas moles mari et receptum suffossis montibus in terras mare haud infacete Magnus Pompeius Xerxen togatum vocare adsueverat.
[33] (1) When the war with the pirates was drawing to a close, Pompey was assigned to the command against Mithridates in place of Lucius Lucullus. Seven years before this, Lucullus, at the conclusion of his consulship, had obtained the proconsulship of Asia, and had been placed in command against Mithridates. In this post he had performed some great and notable exploits, having defeated Mithridates several times in different regions, freed Cyzicus by a brilliant victory, and conquered Tigranes, the greatest of kings, in Armenia. That he had not put an end to the war was due, one might say, to lack of inclination rather than of ability; for although in all other respects he was a man of laudable character and in war had scarcely ever been defeated, he was a victim to the love of money. He was still engaged in carrying on the same struggle when Manilius, tribune of the people, a man of venal character always, and ready to abet the ambitions of others, proposed a law that Pompey should be given the chief command in the Mithridatic war. (2) The law was passed, and the two commanders began to vie with each other in recriminations, Pompey charging Lucullus with his unsavoury greed for money, and Lucullus taunting Pompey with his unbounded ambition for military power. Neither could be convicted of falsehood in his charge against the other. (3) In fact Pompey, from the time when he first took part in public life, could not brook an equal at all. In undertakings in which he should have been merely the first he wished to be the only one. No one was ever more indifferent to other things or possessed a greater craving for glory; he knew no restraint in his quest for office, though he was moderate to a degree in the exercise of his powers. Entering upon each new office with the utmost eagerness, he would lay them aside with unconcern, and, although he consulted his own wishes in attaining what he desired, he yielded to the wishes of others in resigning it. (4) As for Lucullus, who was otherwise a great man, he was the first to set the example for our present lavish extravagance in building, in banquets, and in furnishings. Because of the massive piles which he built in the sea, and of his letting the sea in upon the land by digging through mountains, Pompey used to call him, and not without point, the Roman Xerxes.
XXXIV
Per id tempus a Q. Metello Creta insula, in populi Romani potestatem redacta est, quae ducibus Panare et Lasthene quattuor et viginti milibus iuvenum coactis, velocitate pernicibus, armorum laborumque patientissimis, sagittarum usu celeberrimis, per triennium Romanos exercitus fatigaverat. Ne ab huius quidem usura gloriae temperavit animum Cn.Pompeius, quin victoriae partem conaretur vindicare. Sed et Luculli et Metelli triumphum cum ipsorum singularis virtus, tum etiam invidia Pompei apud optimum quemque fecit favorabilem. Per haec tempora M. Cicero, qui omnia inc
rementa sua sibi debuit, vir novitatis nobilissimae et ut vita clarus, ita ingenio maximus, quique effecit, ne quorum arma viceramus, eorum ingenio vinceremur, consul Sergii Catilinae Lentulique et Cethegi et aliorum utriusque ordinis virorum coniurationem singulari virtute, constantia, vigilia curaque aperuit. Catilina metu consularis imperi urbe pulsus est; Lentulus consularis et praetor iterum Cethegusque et alii clari nominis viri auctore senatu, iussu consulis in carcere necati sunt.
[34] (1) During the same period the island of Crete was brought under the sovereignty of the Roman people by Quintus Metellus. For three years this island, under the leadership of Panares and Lasthenes who had collected a force of twenty-four thousand men, swift in their movements, hardened to the toils of war, and famous in their use of the bow, had worn out the Roman armies. (2) Gnaeus Pompeius could not refrain from coveting some of this glory also, and sought to claim a share in his victory. But the triumphs, both of Lucullus and of Metellus, were rendered popular in the eyes of all good citizens not only by the distinguished merits of the two generals themselves but also by the general unpopularity of Pompey.
(3) At this time the conspiracy of Sergius Catiline, Lentulus, Cethegus, and other men of both the equestrian and senatorial orders was detected by the extraordinary courage, firmness, and careful vigilance of the consul Marcus Cicero, a man who owed his elevation wholly to himself, who had ennobled his lowly birth, who was as distinguished in his life as he was great in genius, and who saved us from being vanquished in intellectual accomplishments by those whom we had vanquished in arms. (4) Catiline was driven from the city by fear of the authority of the consul; Lentulus, a man of consular rank and twice a praetor, Cethegus, and other men of illustrious family were put to death in prison on the order of the consul, supported by the authority of the senate.
Complete Works of Velleius Paterculus Page 48