88—Mithridates, king of Pontus, talented and ambitious, sought to drive the Romans out of Asia and Greece, and warred with them for twenty-five years. Sylla procured the banishment of his rival, Marius, and conducted the war against Mithridates.
86—Marius regained power in the absence of Sylla and slaughtered his enemies, the patricians, without mercy, but soon after died.
83—Sylla, after obliging Mithridates to sue for peace, hastened to Rome, conquered his enemies, and slew more than 6,000 Roman citizens in revenge.
81—Sylla caused himself to be made perpetual dictator
77—But after three years resigned and soon after died from the effects of his vices. Civil war was continued for a time in Spain and Italy, but finally put down by Pompey, 70—the greatest general of the patrician party.
The war of the gladiators—men trained to fight in the theatres for the amusement of the populace—broke out under an able leader, Spartacus, who, collecting an army of 120,000 gladiators, endangered Rome itself, but 70—he was conquered by Crassus. Spartacus was defeated and killed. It was the inhuman oppression of the patricians that produced all these dreadful conflicts.
65—Pompey and Crassus, by paying court to the people, were made consuls. Pompey proceeded to Asia and made war on Mithridates, who was again formidable, 63—whom he defeated and slew in battle. He subdued nearly all western Asia, visiting Jerusalem, and treating the Jews with kindness. He also cleared the Mediterranean of pirates, who had always infested it.
62—A dangerous conspiracy of Cataline, a patrician of the most corrupt morals, at the head of the depraved young nobility of the time, would have been successful but for the ability and eloquence of Cicero, who was consul. Cataline and his fellow conspirators were taken and slain.
59—Cæsar, Pompey, and Crassus formed the first “Triumvirate,” and divided the rule of the world between them. Cæsar was the head of the popular party. He 57—took Gaul as his government. Here he spent eight years in his “Gallic wars,” showing unparalleled talents as a general, training his army to become invincible in battle, and completely subduing the fierce Gauls. He 55—entered Britain and laid the foundation of civilization there, thus carrying the march of empire to its farthest bounds in Europe.