SYLLA
  138…78　B。C。
  by　Plutarch
  translated　by　John　Dryden
  LUCIUS　Cornelius　Sylla　was　descended　of　a　patrician　or　noble　family。
  Of　his　ancestors；　Rufinus；　it　is　said；　had　been　consul；　and　incurred　a
  disgrace　more　signal　than　his　distinction。　For　being　found　possessed
  of　more　than　ten　pounds　of　silver　plate；　contrary　to　the　law；　he　was
  for　this　reason　put　out　of　the　senate。　His　posterity　continued　ever
  after　in　obscurity；　nor　had　Sylla　himself　any　opulent　parentage。　In
  his　younger　days　he　lived　in　hired　lodgings；　at　a　low　rate；　which　in
  aftertimes　was　adduced　against　him　as　proof　that　he　had　been　fortunate
  above　his　quality。　When　he　was　boasting　and　magnifying　himself　for　his
  exploits　in　Libya；　a　person　of　noble　station　made　answer；　〃And　how　can
  you　be　an　honest　man；　who；　since　the　death　of　a　father　who　left　you
  nothing；　have　become　so　rich？〃　The　time　in　which　he　lived　was　no
  longer　an　age　of　pure　and　upright　manners；　but　had　already　declined；
  and　yielded　to　the　appetite　for　riches　and　luxury；　yet　still；　in　the
  general　opinion；　they　who　deserted　the　hereditary　poverty　of　their
  family　were　as　much　blamed　as　those　who　had　run　out　a　fair　patrimonial
  estate。　And　afterwards；　when　he　had　seized　the　power　into　his　hands；
  and　was　putting　many　to　death；　a　freedman；　suspected　of　having
  concealed　one　of　the　proscribed；　and　for　that　reason　sentenced　to　be
  thrown　down　the　Tarpeian　rock；　in　a　reproachful　way　recounted　how　they
  had　lived　long　together　under　the　same　roof；　himself　for　the　upper
  rooms　paying　two　thousand　sesterces；　and　Sylla　for　the　lower　three
  thousand；　so　that　the　difference　between　their　fortunes　then　was　no
  more　than　one　thousand　sesterces；　equivalent　in　Attic　coin　to　two
  hundred　and　fifty　drachmas。　And　thus　much　of　his　early　fortune。
  His　general　personal　appearance　may　be　known　by　his　statues；　only
  his　blue；　eyes；　of　themselves　extremely　keen　and　glaring；　were
  rendered　all　the　more　forbidding　and　terrible　by　the　complexion　of　his
  face；　in　which　white　was　mixed　with　rough　blotches　of　fiery　red。
  Hence；　it　is　said；　he　was　surnamed　Sylla；　and　in　allusion　to　it　one　of
  the　scurrilous　jesters　at　Athens　made　the　verse　upon　him…
  〃Sylla　is　a　mulberry　sprinkled　o'er　with　meal。〃
  Nor　is　it　out　of　place　to　make　use　of　marks　of　character　like　these；
  in　the　case　of　one　who　was　by　nature　so　addicted　to　raillery；　that
  in　his　youthful　obscure　years　he　would　converse　freely　with　players
  and　professed　jesters；　and　join　them　in　all　their　low　pleasures。　And
  when　supreme　master　of　all；　he　was　often　wont　to　muster　together　the
  most　impudent　players　and　stage…followers　of　the　town；　and　to　drink
  and　bandy　jests　with　them　without　regard　to　his　age　or　the　dignity
  of　his　place；　and　to　the　prejudice　of　important　affairs　that
  required　his　attention。　When　he　was　once　at　table；　it　was　not　in
  Sylla's　nature　to　admit　of　anything　that　was　serious；　and　whereas　at
  other　times　he　was　a　man　of　business　and　austere　of　countenance；　he
  underwent　all　of　a　sudden；　at　his　first　entrance　upon　wine　and
  good…fellowship；　a　total　revolution；　and　was　gentle　and　tractable　with
  common　singers　and　dancers；　and　ready　to　oblige　any　one　that　spoke
  with　him。　It　seems　to　have　been　a　sort　of　diseased　result　of　this
  laxity　that　he　was　so　prone　to　amorous　pleasures；　and　yielded
  without　resistance　to　any　temptation　of　voluptuousness；　from　which
  even　in　his　old　age　he　could　not　refrain。　He　had　a　long　attachment　for
  Metrobius；　a　player。　In　his　first　amours；　it　happened　that　he　made
  court　to　a　common　but　rich　lady；　Nicopolis　by　name；　and　what　by　the
  air　of　his　youth；　and　what　by　long　intimacy；　won　so　far　on　her
  affections；　that　she　rather　than　he　was　the　lover；　and　at　her　death
  she　bequeathed　him　her　whole　property。　He　likewise　inherited　the
  estate　of　a　step…mother　who　loved　him　as　her　own　son。　By　these　means
  he　had　pretty　well　advanced　his　fortunes。
  He　was　chosen　quaestor　to　Marius　in　his　first　consulship；　and　set
  sail　with　him　for　Libya；　to　war　upon　Jugurtha。　Here；　in　general；　he
  gained　approbation；　and　more　especially；　by　closing　in　dexterously
  with　an　accidental　occasion；　made　a　friend　of　Bocchus；　King　of
  Numidia。　He　hospitably　entertained　the　king's　ambassadors　on　their
  escape　from　some　Numidian　robbers；　and　after　showing　them　much
  kindness；　sent　them　on　their　journey　with　presents；　and　an　escort　to
  protect　them。　Bocchus　had　long　hated　and　dreaded　his　son…in…law；
  Jugurtha；　who　had　now　been　worsted　in　the　field　and　had　fled　to　him
  for　shelter；　and　it　so　happened　he　was　at　this　time　entertaining　a
  design　to　betray　him。　He　accordingly　invited　Sylla　to　come　to　him；
  wishing　the　seizure　and　surrender　of　Jugurtha　to　be　effected　rather
  through　him；　than　directly　by　himself。　Sylla；　when　he　had　communicated
  the　business　to　Marius；　and　received　from　him　a　small　detachment；
  voluntarily　put　himself　into　this　imminent　danger；　and　confiding　in
  a　barbarian；　who　had　been　unfaithful　to　his　own　relations；　to
  apprehend　another　man's　person；　made　surrender　of　his　own。　Bocchus；
  having　both　of　them　now　in　his　power；　was　necessitated　to　betray　one
  or　other；　and　after　long　debate　with　himself；　at　last　resolved　on
  his　first　design；　and　gave　up　Jugurtha　into　the　hands　of　Sylla。
  For　this　Marius　triumphed；　but　the　glory　of　the　enterprise；　which
  through　people's　envy　of　Marius　was　ascribed　to　Sylla；　secretly
  grieved　him。　And　the　truth　is；　Sylla　himself　was　by　nature
  vainglorious；　and　this　being　the　first　time　that　from　a　low　and
  private　condition　he　had　risen　to　esteem　amongst　the　citizens　and
  tasted　of　honour；　his　appetite　for　distinction　carried　him　to　such　a
  pitch　of　ostentation；　that　he　had　a　representation　of　this　action
  engraved　on　a　signet　ring；　which　he　carried　about　with　him；　and　made
  use　of　ever　after。　The　impress　was　Bocchus　delivering；　and　Sylla
  receiving；　Jugurtha。　This　touched　Marius　to　the　quick；　however；
  judging　Sylla　to　be　beneath　his　rivalry；　he　made　use　of　him　as
  lieutenant；　in　his　second　consulship；　and　in　his　third　as　tribune；　and
  many　considerable　services　were　effected　by　his　means。　When　acting
  as　lieutenant　he　took　Copillus；　chief　of　the　Tectosages；　prisoner；　and
  compelled　the　Marsians；　a　great　and　populous　nation；　to　become　friends
  and　confederates　of　the　Romans。
  Henceforward；　however；　Sylla；　perceiving　that　Marius　bore　a
  jealous　eye　over　him；　and　would　no　longer　afford　him　opportunities
  of　action；　but　rather　opposed　his　advance；　attached　himself　to
  Catulus；　Marius's　colleague；　a　worthy　man；　but　not　energetic　enough　as
  a　general。　And　under　this　commander；　who　intrusted　him　with　the
  highest　and　most　important　commissions；　he　rose　at　once　to
  reputation　and　to　power。　He　subdued　by　arms　most　part　of　the　Alpine
  barbarians；　and　when　there　was　a　scarcity　in　the　armies；　he　took
  that　care　upon　himself　and　brought　in　such　a　store　of　provisions　as
  not　only　to　furnish　the　soldiers　of　Catulus　with　abundance；　but
  likewise　to　supply　Marius。　This；　as　he　writes　himself；　wounded
  Marius　to　the　very　heart。　So　slight　and　childish　were　the　first
  occasions　and　motives　of　that　enmity　between　them；　which；　passing
  afterwards　through　a　long　course　of　civil　bloodshed　and　incurable
  divisions　to　find　its　end　in　tyranny；　and　the　confusion　of　the　whole
  state；　proved　Euripides　to　have　been　truly　wise　and　thoroughly
  acquainted　with　the　causes　of　disorders　in　the　body　politic；　when　he
  forewarned　all　men　to　beware　of　Ambition；　as　of　all　the　higher
  Powers　the　most　destructive　and　pernicious　to　her　votaries。
  Sylla；　by　this　time　thinking　that　the　reputation　of　his　arms
  abroad　was　sufficient　to　entitle　him　to　a　part　in　the　civil
  administration；　betook　himself　immediately　from　the　camp　to　the
  assembly；　and　offered　himself　as　a　candidate　for　a　praetorship；　but
  failed。　The　fault　of　this　disappointment　he　wholly　ascribes　to　the
  populace；　who；　knowing　his　intimacy　with　King　Bocchus；　and　for　that
  reason　expecting；　that　if　he　was　made　aedile　before　his　praetorship；
  he　would　then　show　them　magnificent　hunting…shows　and　combats
  between　Libyan　wild　beasts；　chose　other　praetors；　on　purpose　to
  force　him　into　the　aedileship。　The　vanity　of　this　pretext　is
  sufficiently　disproved　by　matter…of…fact。　For　the　year　following；
  partly　by　flatteries　to　the　people；　and　partly　by　money；　he　got
  himself　elected　praetor。　Accordingly；　once　while　he　was　in　office；
  on　his　angrily　telling　Caesar　that　he　should　make　use　of　his　authority
  against　him；　Caesar　answered　him　with　a　smile；　〃You　do　well　to　call　it
  your　own；　as　you　bought　it。〃　At　the　end　of　his　praetorship　he　was　sent
  over　into　Cappadocia；　under　the　pretence　of　reestablishing
  Ariobarzanes　in　his　kingdom；　but　in　reality　to　keep　in　check　the
  restless　movements　of　Mithridates；　who　was　gradually　procuring　himself
  as　vast　a　new　acquired　power　and　dominion　as　was　that　of　his　ancient
  inheritance。　He　carried　over　with　him　no　great　forces　of　his　own；
  but　making　use　of　the　cheerful　aid　of　the　confederates；　succeeded；
  with　considerable　slaughter　of　the　Cappadocians；　and　yet　greater　of
  the　Armenian　succours；　in　expelling　Gordiu