CHAP. VI.
(Of the World, 3908—Of Rome, 608.)
[1]About the same time the [2]Lusitanians in [3]Spain [4]beat the Romans most [5]shamefully [6]under the [7]conduct of [8]Viriathus; who from a [9]huntsman [10]became a [11]highwayman; and from a highwayman, a general, and [12]defeated the Roman [13]armies [14]several times. But that [15]overthrow was most [16]memorable of all [17]others, in which, in the year 608, having [18]routed the [19]forces of [20]Vetilius the [21]prætor, [22]he took him prisoner, and [23]put him [24]to death, according to [25]Appian. Nor was he the [26]only one that was [27]conquered by Viriathus, but several others [28]underwent the same [29]fate. The first that was [30]successful [31]against him was [32]C. Lælius the prætor, in the year 609. After which the proconsul [33]Quintius Fabius Maximus [34]defeated him. In the year 614, [35]Q. Servilius Cæpio [36]basely [37]procured him to be [38]assassinated by some of his own [39]officers, whom he had [40]bribed [41]for that purpose, to the great [42]dishonour of the Roman [43]name.
After this a much more [44]dangerous war [45]broke out in Celtiberia. The Numantini having [46]received the [47]Segidenses their [48]allies, that had [49]escaped the [50]hands of the Romans, were [51]commanded by Metellus the proconsul, [52]to deliver up the [53]refugees, and [54]lay down their [55]arms, but they [56]refused both: and [57]though they were so much [58]inferior to the Romans, in [59]number and [60]strength, they [61]made a [62]gallant [63]resistance for some [64]years. The [65]army of [66]M. Popilius the proconsul, was [67]cut off by them, and the year [68]following, [69]thirty [70]thousand Romans, under the consul Mancinus, were [71]routed by four thousand of the Numantini; which [72]disgrace was [73]followed by a most [74]shameful [75]peace; but the senate [76]refused to [77]ratify it; [78]wherefore Mancinus was [79]delivered up into their hands, but the Numantini would not [80]receive him. [81]At last they were [82]vanquished in the [83]field by Scipio, who had [84]destroyed Carthage; and being [85]shut up within their own [86]walls, were [87]reduced to [88]so desperate a condition, that they all [89]laid violent hands upon themselves; and Numantia was [90]levelled with the ground, in the ninth year after their [91]revolt from the Romans, and from the [92]foundation of the city 621.
[93]Whilst the Romans were [94]still at war with the [95]Achæans and Carthaginians, Macedon was [96]conquered a third time. [97]Andriscus, a [98]man of [99]mean birth, who [100]pretended to be [101]Philip the son of [102]Perseus, had [103]possessed himself of it. He was conquered by [104]Q. Cæcilius Metellus, with the [105]slaughter of 25,000 [106]of his men. Metellus had [107]from thence [108]the surname of [109]Macedonicus.
At the time that the Romans were [110]engaged in the [111]Numantine war, there was a [112]rising of the [113]slaves in Sicily. A [114]Syrian, [115]by name Eunus, [116]pretending to a [117]divine [118]inspiration, [119]called the slaves to [120]arms and [121]liberty, [122]as it were by the [123]order of the [124]gods; and having [125]raised a [126]vast [127]army, [128]consisting of no less than 70,000 men, he [129]vanquished four Roman prætors, and was [130]at last [131]routed himself, by P. Rupilius the consul, in the year of the city 622.
Attalus, son of [132]Eumenes, king of [133]Phrygia, when his [134]uncle Attalus was [135]dead (who after Eumenes’ death had [136]managed the [137]kingdom as his [138]guardian), [139]reigned five years, and dying about the year of the city 621, made the Roman people his [140]heir: which [141]Aristonicus, a son of Eumenes by one of his [142]mistresses, [143]taking amiss, he [144]seized upon Asia, and [145]cut off the army of Crassus the prætor. Afterwards he was [146]vanquished by the consul Peperna, and an [147]end was put to the war the year [148]following, 625, by M. Aquilius the consul. This was a [149]melancholy year for the [150]death of Scipio Africanus, who was [151]found dead in his [152]bed, not without the [153]suspicion of having been [154]poisoned by his [155]wife.
The year in which Attalus [156]made the Roman people his [157]heir, there was a [158]formidable [159]sedition at Rome. For T. Gracchus, [160]tribune of the [161]people, having made the [162]Agrarian law, that [163]nobody should [164]possess above 500 [165]acres of [166]land, and [167]proposing to have the [168]money of king Attalus [169]divided amongst the people, and [170]likewise [171]suing for the [172]tribuneship against the year following, the senators being very much [173]disturbed at the [174]matter, he was, by the [175]order of P. Corn. Nasica, [176]slain in the [177]Capitol, [178]whither he had [179]fled for [180]refuge.
After the death of Tiberius, his [181]brother Caius [182]pursuing the same [183]design, was [184]taken off by Opimius, the consul, and [185]together with him, Fulvius Flaccus, who had been consul.
In the year of the city 629, the Romans first made war upon the [186]Gauls [187]beyond the Alps. They [188]began with the Salii, and [189]Allobroges, whom Fulvius Flaccus [190]subdued. In the year 633, Fabius the consul made an end of the war with the Allobroges. He [191]conquered Bituitus, king of the Arverni, in [192]battle. The king himself [193]coming to Rome to [194]satisfy the senate, was [195]confined at Alba. Then Gallia Narbonensis was made a [196]province, and a [197]colony [198]sent to Narbon in the year 636.
The Romans were after this [199]almost [200]perpetually at war with the Gauls, by whom they were [201]oftentimes [202]soundly beaten; but, above all others, the Cimbri and Teutones were [203]terrible to them. They [204]marching for Italy, and not [205]being able to [206]prevail with the senate for [207]room to [208]settle in, they [209]routed M. Silanus the consul; the year following Scaurus was [210]defeated by the Cimbri, and L. Cassius by the Helvetii Tigurini the year after that. But the [211]overthrow of Q. Cæpio was more [212]memorable than all the [213]rest. He had [214]plundered [215]Tholouse in the [216]country of the Tectosagæ, and had [217]carried off an hundred thousand [218]pounds of [219]gold, and fifteen hundred thousand pounds of [220]silver. This was done in the year of the city 648. But the following, he, with C. Manilius, [221]paid for this [222]sacrilege, with the [223]utter, [224]destruction of the Roman army. It is certain there were [225]slain in this [226]battle of the Romans and their [227]allies, [228]fourscore thousand, and of [229]servants that [230]followed the [231]camp [232]threescore thousand.
At length the Teutones and the [233]Ambrones were almost all [234]destroyed, two hundred thousand being slain, and seventy thousand [235]taken [236]prisoners, by C. Marius the consul, in the year 652; and the following year, the same Marius, [237]in conjunction with Catulus, defeated the Cimbri, that were [238]making their way through [239]Noricum, [240]slew an hundred and twenty thousand, and took sixty thousand prisoners.
With so many [241]victories did Marius [242]consummate the [243]glory he had [244]got in the war with Jugurtha. For in the year of the city 643, a war was [245]undertaken against Jugurtha, king of Numidia, because he had [246]deprived his [247]cousins Hiempsal and Adherbal, the sons of Micipsa, and [248]grandsons of Masanissa, of their [249]lives and [250]kingdom. He [251]prevailed against the Romans for some years, more by his gold than by his arms; but was at last [252]brought low by Metellus the consul, and [253]finally [254]entirely [255]subdued by Marius, and [256]delivered up by Bocchus, king of Mauritania, to whom he had [257]fled for refuge; after which he was [258]carried to Rome, to [259]grace the [260]triumph of Marius, and [261]put to death in [262]prison.
This [263]happy [264]progress of the [265]empire [266]abroad, was [267]interrupted by [268]frequent and [269]shameful [270]disorders at [271]home, which were [272]occasioned by the tribunes. Saturninus having [273]had the Agrarian law [274]passed, to [275]divide among the people the land which Marius had got, by [276]driving the Cimbri out of Gaul, [277]banished Metellus Numidicus, who [278]opposed him; but at last was [279]slain himself by Marius, then consul for the sixth time, in the year 654; and the following year Metellus was [280]recalled from [281]banishment.
After Saturninus, Livius Drusus, tribune of the people, but [282]favouring the senate, being [283]desirous to [284]restore them to their [285]ancient [286]splendor, and to [287]put the [288]execution of their laws into their [289]hands, which C. Gracchus had [290]divided [291]between them and the [292]knights, he passed the same Agrarian laws, and put the [293]allies in [294]hopes of the [295]freedom of the city; which [296]being not able to [297]bring about, he [298]fell under an universal [299]odium, and was [300]stabbed, nobody [301]knew how, in the year 663.
After this, the Romans were [302]engaged in two most [303]difficult and terrible wars, almost at the same time; one in Italy, and the other without. That was [304]called the [305]Social or [306]Marsic war, because the Marsi had been the first [307]beginners of it; for all the [308]Latins, and most of the people of Italy, being [309]disgusted, that they who were [310]sharers in all the [311]hardships and [312]dangers of the war, should be [313]excluded from the [314]honours and [315]dignities of the [316]state; and being [317]frustrated in the hopes of [318]obtaining the [319]freedom of the city by Drusus, [320]endeavoured to [321]compass that by [322]force of arms, which they could not obtain [323]by fair means. They first [324]attempted in the Latin [325]Feriæ, to [326]assassinate both the consuls, Philip and Cæsar; but the [327]matter being [328]discovered, they [329]openly [330]revolted, [331]massacred Q. Servilius the proconsul, [332]Fonteius and all the Romans at [333]Asculum. After this the war was [334]carried on with [335]various [336]success. Cn. [337]Pompey Strabo, father of Pompey the [338]Great, [339]distinguished himself upon this [340]occasion. He [341]forced the Vestini and Peligni to [342]submission, and [343]triumphed upon that [344]account. [345]Likewise L. Sylla Cæsar, the consul’s [346]lieutenant, did, by his great successes against the enemy, [347]obtain the [348]consulship, in which he [349]made an end of the war.
Soon after [350]broke out a war between the Romans and [351]Mithridates, who having [352]taken off Ariarthes, king of Cappadocia, his [353]sister’s [354]husband, together with his son of the same [355]name, had [356]seized upon the kingdom; but being forced to [357]forego what he had [358]unjustly got, Ariobarzanes was [359]nominated king of Cappadocia by the senate, but forced out of his [360]dominions by Mithridates, and [361]restored by Sylla. After this he was once more [362]driven out of Cappadocia by Mithridates, [363]as was likewise Nicomedes out of Bithynia. But both [364]recovered their dominions again by a [365]decree of the senate; which Mithridates being [366]offended at, he [367]invaded Cappadocia and Bithynia, [368]routed the Roman armies, [369]massacred all the Italians, [370]throughout Asia in one day; and [371]reduced Macedon, [372]Thrace, [373]Greece, and [374]Athens. The consul Sylla [375]marching against him, [376]took Athens, and having [377]defeated his generals, forced him to a peace upon the [378]conditions of his [379]quitting Asia, Bithynia, and Cappadocia.
FOOTNOTES
[1] incirca
[2] Lusitáni
[3] Spagna
[4] báttere
[5] ignominiosaménte
[6] sotto
[7] condótta
[8] Viriato
[9] cacciatóre
[10] diventáre
[11] ladro di strada
[12] sconfíggere
[13] armáta
[14] più volte
[15] sconfítta
[16] memorábile
[17] altro
[18] rotto
[19] truppa
[20] Vetílio
[21] pretóre
[22] fare
[23] méttere
[24] morte
[25] Appiáno
[26] solo
[27] vinto
[28] soffríre
[29] fato
[30] fortunáto
[31] contro
[32] C. Lelio
[33] Quinto Fabio Mássimo
[34] sconfíggere
[35] Q. Servílio Cepióne
[36] vilménte
[37] fare
[38] assassináre
[39] uffiziále
[40] corrótto
[41] a questo effétto
[42] disonóre
[43] nome
[44] pericolóso
[45] accendérsi
[46] ricevúto
[47] Segidénsi
[48] alleáto
[49] scampáto
[50] mano
[51] comandáto
[52] consegnáre
[53] rifuggiáto
[54] cédere
[55] arma
[56] ricusáre
[57] benchè
[58] inferióre
[59] número
[60] forza
[61] fare
[62] valente
[63] resisténza
[64] anno
[65] armáta
[66] M. Popílio
[67] tagliata fuori
[68] seguénte
[69] trenta
[70] mila
[71] sconfitto
[72] disastro
[73] seguíto
[74] vergognóso
[75] pace
[76] ricusáre
[77] ratificáre
[78] perciò
[79] consegnáto
[80] ricévere
[81] alla fine
[82] vinto
[83] battáglia campále
[84] distrútto
[85] rinchiúso
[86] muro
[87] ridótto
[88] estréma disperazióne
[89] uccidérsi
[90] spianáto
[91] sollevazióne
[92] fondaziòne
[93] mentre
[94] ancóra
[95] Achei
[96] conquistáto
[97] Andrísco
[98] uómo
[99] bassa nascita
[100] preténdere
[101] Filíppo
[102] Perséo
[103] impadroníto
[104] Q. Cecílio Metéllo
[105] macéllo
[106] de’ suoí
[107] quindi
[108] cognóme
[109] Macedónico
[110] impegnáto
[111] Numantíno
[112] ribellióne
[113] schiávo
[114] Sirio
[115] che si chiamáva Euno
[116] fingere
[117] divíno
[118] ispirazióne
[119] invitáre
[120] arma
[121] libertà
[122] come se fosse
[123] órdine
[124] nume
[125] leváto
[126] poderóso
[127] armáta
[128] compósto
[129] vincere
[130] alla fine
[131] sconfítto
[132] Euméne
[133] Frígia
[134] zio
[135] morto
[136] governáto
[137] regno
[138] curatóre
[139] regnáre
[140] erede
[141] Aristónico
[142] cortigiana
[143] avendo a male
[144] impadronírsi
[145] tagliáre a pezzi
[146] vìnto
[147] termináto
[148] seguénte
[149] malincónico
[150] morte
[151] trováto
[152] letto
[153] sospétto
[154] avvelenáto
[155] moglie
[156] fare
[157] erede
[158] formidabile
[159] sedizióne
[160] tribúno
[161] popolo
[162] legge Agrária
[163] nissúno
[164] possédere
[165] júgero
[166] terra
[167] propórre
[168] danáro
[169] spartíre
[170] pariménte
[171] sollecitáre
[172] tribunáto
[173] inquietáto
[174] cosa
[175] órdine
[176] uccíso
[177] Campidóglio
[178] dove
[179] fuggíto
[180] salvézza
[181] fratéllo
[182] proseguíre
[183] diségno
[184] uccíso
[185] insiéme
[186] Galli
[187] di là dall’Alpi
[188] principiáre
[189] Allobrógi
[190] soggiogáre
[191] víncere
[192] battáglia
[193] veníre
[194] soddisfáre
[195] rilegáto
[196] província
[197] colónia
[198] mandáto
[199] quasi
[200] perpetuamente
[201] spesso
[202] fieramente percosso
[203] terríbile
[204] marciáre
[205] potére
[206] ottenére
[207] sito
[208] stabilírsi
[209] méttere in rotta
[210] sconfítto
[211] rotta
[212] memorábile
[213] altro
[214] saccheggiáre
[215] Tolósa
[216] paése
[217] portáre via
[218] libbra
[219] oro
[220] argénto
[221] pagáre
[222] sacrilégio
[223] totále
[224] distruzióne
[225] uccíso
[226] battáglia
[227] alleáto
[228] ottánta
[229] servitóre
[230] seguíre
[231] campo
[232] sessánta
[233] Ambróni
[234] distrutto
[235] fatto
[236] prigioniéro
[237] unitaménte
[238] facéndosi strada tra
[239] Nórico
[240] uccídere
[241] vittória
[242] coronare
[243] glória
[244] acquistáre
[245] intrapréso
[246] priváto
[247] cugíno
[248] nipotíno
[249] vita
[250] regno
[251] sostenere
[252] abbassáto
[253] finalménte
[254] affátto
[255] soggiogáto
[256] consegnato
[257] fuggíto per scampo
[258] condótto
[259] adornáre
[260] triónfo
[261] messo
[262] prigióne
[263] felíce
[264] progrésso
[265] império
[266] al di fuóri
[267] interrótto
[268] frequénte
[269] vergognóso
[270] disórdine
[271] nel paése
[272] cagionáto
[273] fatto
[274] passáre
[275] spartíre
[276] scacciáre
[277] esiliáre
[278] oppórre
[279] uccíso
[280] richiamáto
[281] esílio
[282] favoreggiáre
[283] desideróso
[284] restituíre
[285] antíco
[286] splendóre
[287] méttere
[288] esecuzióne
[289] mano
[290] spartíto
[291] fra
[292] cavaliére
[293] alleáto
[294] speránza
[295] cittadinanza romana
[296] non potére
[297] effettuáre
[298] incórrere
[299] ódio
[300] pugnaláto
[301] sapére
[302] impegnáto
[303] faticóso
[304] chiamáto
[305] Sociále
[306] Mársico
[307] autóre
[308] Latíno
[309] disgustáto
[310] dividere
[311] fatíca
[312] perícolo
[313] esclúso
[314] onóre
[315] dignità
[316] stato
[317] deluso
[318] ottenére
[319] libertà
[320] procuráre
[321] spuntáre
[322] forza
[323] colle buóne
[324] tentáre
[325] Férie
[326] assassináre
[327] cosa
[328] scopérto
[329] apertaménte
[330] rivoltársi
[331] uccídere
[332] Fontéjo
[333] Ascolo
[334] continuáto
[335] vario
[336] succésso
[337] Pompeo Strabóne
[338] magno
[339] distínguersi
[340] occasióne
[341] forzáre
[342] obbediénza
[343] trionfáre
[344] cagióne
[345] pariménte
[346] luogotenénte
[347] ottenére
[348] consoláto
[349] termináre
[350] accendérsi
[351] Mitridáte
[352] uccíso
[353] sorélla
[354] maríto
[355] nome
[356] impossessáto
[357] abbandonáre
[358] ingiustaménte
[359] nomináto
[360] domínio
[361] ristabilíto
[362] scacciáto
[363] come pure lo fu
[364] ricuperáre
[365] decréto
[366] offéso
[367] invádere
[368] sconfíggere
[369] uccídere
[370] per tutta
[371] sottoporre
[372] Trácia
[373] Grécia
[374] Aténe
[375] marciáre
[376] pigliáre
[377] sconfíggere
[378] patto
[379] abbandonáre