with　considerable　slaughter　of　the　Cappadocians；　and　yet　greater　of
  the　Armenian　succours；　in　expelling　Gordius　and　establishing
  Ariobarzanes　as　king。
  During　his　stay　on　the　banks　of　the　Euphrates；　there　came　to　him
  Orobazus；　a　Parthian；　ambassador　from　King　Arsaces；　as　yet　there
  having　been　no　correspondence　between　the　two　nations。　And　this　also
  we　may　lay　to　the　account　of　Sylla's　felicity；　that　he　should　be　the
  first　Roman　to　whom　the　Parthians　made　address　for　alliance　and
  friendship。　At　the　time　of　which　reception；　the　story　is；　that；　having
  ordered　three　chairs　of　state　to　be　set；　one　for　Ariobarzanes；　one　for
  Orobazus；　and　a　third　for　himself；　he　placed　himself　in　the　middle；
  and　so　gave　audience。　For　this　the　King　of　Parthia　afterwards　put
  Orobazus　to　death。　Some　people　commended　Sylla　for　his　lofty
  carriage　towards　the　barbarians；　others　again　accused　him　of　arrogance
  and　unseasonable　display。　It　is　reported　that　a　certain　Chaldaean；
  of　Orobazus's　retinue；　looking　Sylla　wistfully　in　the　face；　and
  observing　carefully　the　motions　of　his　mind　and　body；　and　forming　a
  judgment　of　his　nature；　according　to　the　rules　of　his　art；　said　that
  it　was　impossible　for　him　not　to　become　the　greatest　of　men；　it　was
  rather　a　wonder　how　he　could　even　then　abstain　from　being　head　of　all。
  At　his　return；　Censorinus　impeached　him　of　extortion；　for　having
  exacted　a　vast　sum　of　money　from　a　well…affected　and　associate
  kingdom。　However；　Censorinus　did　not　appear　at　the　trial；　but
  dropped　his　accusation。　His　quarrel；　meantime；　with　Marius　began　to
  break　out　afresh；　receiving　new　material　from　the　ambition　of　Bocchus；
  who；　to　please　the　people　of　Rome；　and　gratify　Sylla；　set　up　in　the
  temple　of　Jupiter　Capitolinus　images　bearing　trophies；　and　a
  representation　in　gold　of　the　surrender　of　Jugurtha　to　Sylla。　When
  Marius；　in　great　anger；　attempted　to　pull　them　down；　and　others
  aided　Sylla；　the　whole　city　would　have　been　in　tumult　and　commotion
  with　this　dispute；　had　not　the　Social　War；　which　had　long　lain
  smouldering；　blazed　forth　at　last；　and　for　the　present　put　an　end　to
  the　quarrel。
  In　the　course　of　this　war；　which　had　many　great　changes　of
  fortune；　and　which；　more　than　any；　afflicted　the　Romans；　and；
  indeed；　endangered　the　very　being　of　the　Commonwealth；　Marius　was
  not　able　to　signalize　his　valour　in　any　action；　but　left　behind　him
  a　clear　proof；　that　warlike　excellence　requires　a　strong　and　still
  vigorous　body。　Sylla；　on　the　other　hand；　by　his　many　achievements；
  gained　himself；　with　his　fellow…citizens；　the　name　of　a　great
  commander；　while　his　friends　thought　him　the　greatest　of　all
  commanders；　and　his　enemies　called　him　the　most　fortunate。　Nor　did
  this　make　the　same　sort　of　impression　on　him　as　it　made　on　Timotheus
  the　son　of　Conon；　the　Athenian；　who；　when　his　adversaries　ascribed　his
  successes　to　his　good　luck；　and　had　a　painting　made；　representing
  him　asleep；　and　Fortune　by　his　side；　casting　her　nets　over　the　cities；
  was　rough　and　violent　in　his　indignation　at　those　who　did　it；　as　if；
  by　attributing　all　to　Fortune；　they　had　robbed　him　of　his　just
  honours；　and　said　to　the　people　on　one　occasion　at　his　return　from
  war；　〃In　this；　ye　men　of　Athens；　Fortune　had　no　part。〃　A　piece　of
  boyish　petulance；　which　the　deity；　we　are　told；　played　back　upon
  Timotheus；　who　from　that　time　was　never　able　to　achieve　anything
  that　was　great；　but　proving　altogether　unfortunate　in　his　attempts；
  and　falling　into　discredit　with　the　people；　was　at　last　banished　the
  city。　Sylla；　on　the　contrary；　not　only　accepted　with　pleasure　the
  credit　of　such　divine　felicities　and　favours；　but　joining　himself
  and　extolling　and　glorifying　what　was　done；　gave　the　honour　of　all
  to　Fortune；　whether　it　were　out　of　boastfulness；　or　a　real　feeling
  of　divine　agency。　He　remarks；　in　his　Memoirs；　that　of　all　his
  well…advised　actions；　none　proved　so　lucky　in　the　execution　as　what　he
  had　boldly　enterprised；　not　by　calculation；　but　upon　the　moment。
  And；　in　the　character　which　he　gives　of　himself；　that　he　was　born
  for　fortune　rather　than　war；　he　seems　to　give　Fortune　a　higher　place
  than　merit；　and；　in　short；　makes　himself　entirely　the　creature　of　a
  superior　power；　accounting　even　his　concord　with　Metellus；　his　equal
  in　office；　and　his　connection　by　marriage；　a　piece　of　preternatural
  felicity。　For　expecting　to　have　met　in　him　a　most　troublesome；　he
  found　him　a　most　accommodating；　colleague。　Moreover；　in　the　Memoirs
  which　he　dedicated　to　Lucullus；　he　admonished　him　to　esteem　nothing
  more　trustworthy　than　what　the　divine　powers　advise　him　by　night。
  And　when　he　was　leaving　the　city　with　an　army；　to　fight　in　the
  Social　War；　he　relates　that　the　earth　near　the　Laverna　opened；　and　a
  quantity　of　fire　came　rushing　out　of　it；　shooting　up　with　a　bright
  flame　into　the　heavens。　The　soothsayers　upon　this　foretold　that　a
  person　of　great　qualities；　and　of　a　rare　and　singular　aspect；　should
  take　the　government　in　hand；　and　quiet　the　present　troubles　of　the
  city。　Sylla　affirms　he　was　the　man；　for　his　golden　head　of　hair　made
  him　an　extraordinary…looking　man；　nor　had　he　any　shame；　after　the
  great　actions　he　had　done；　in　testifying　to　his　own　great　qualities。
  And　thus　much　of　his　opinion　as　to　divine　agency。
  In　general　he　would　seem　to　have　been　of　a　very　irregular　character；
  full　of　inconsistencies　with　himself　much　given　to　rapine；　to
  prodigality　yet　more；　in　promoting　or　disgracing　whom　he　pleased；
  alike　unaccountable；　cringing　to　those　he　stood　in　need　of；　and
  domineering　over　others　who　stood　in　need　of　him；　so　that　it　was
  hard　to　tell　whether　his　nature　had　more　in　it　of　pride　or　of
  servility。　As　to　his　unequal　distribution　of　punishments；　as；　for
  example；　that　upon　slight　grounds　he　would　put　to　the　torture；　and
  again　would　bear　patiently　with　the　greatest　wrongs；　would　readily
  forgive　and　he　reconciled　after　the　most　heinous　acts　of　enmity；　and
  yet　would　visit　small　and　inconsiderable　offences　with　death　and
  confiscation　of　goods；　one　might　judge　that　in　himself　he　was　really
  of　a　violent　and　revengeful　nature；　which；　however；　he　could
  qualify；　upon　reflection；　for　his　interest。　In　this　very　Social　War；
  when　the　soldiers　with　stones　and　clubs　had　killed　an　officer　of
  praetorian　rank；　his　own　lieutenant；　Albinus　by　name；　he　passed　by
  this　flagrant　crime　without　any　inquiry；　giving　it　out　moreover　in　a
  boast；　that　the　soldiers　would　behave　all　the　better　now；　to　make
  amends；　by　some　special　bravery；　for　their　breach　of　discipline。　He
  took　no　notice　of　the　clamours　of　those　that　cried　for　justice；　but
  designing　already　to　supplant　Marius；　now　that　he　saw　the　Social　War
  near　its　end；　he　made　much　of　his　army；　in　hopes　to　get　himself
  declared　general　of　the　forces　against　Mithridates。
  At　his　return　to　Rome　he　was　chosen　consul　with　Quintus　Pompeius；　in
  the　fiftieth　year　of　his　age；　and　made　a　most　distinguished　marriage
  with　Caecilia；　daughter　of　Metellus；　the　chief　priest。　The　common
  people　made　a　variety　of　verses　in　ridicule　of　the　marriage；　and
  many　of　the　nobility　also　were　disgusted　at　it；　esteeming　him；　as　Livy
  writes；　unworthy　of　this　connection；　whom　before　they　thought　worthy
  of　a　consulship。　This　was　not　his　only　wife；　for　first；　in　his　younger
  days；　he　was　married　to　Ilia；　by　whom　he　had　a　daughter；　after　her
  to　Aelia；　and　thirdly　to　Cloelia；　whom　he　dismissed　as　barren；　but
  honourably；　and　with　professions　of　respect；　adding；　moreover；
  presents。　But　the　match　between　him　and　Metella；　falling　out　a　few
  days　after；　occasioned　suspicions　that　he　had　complained　of　Cloelia
  without　due　cause。　To　Metella　he　always　showed　great　deference；　so
  much　so　that　the　people；　when　anxious　for　the　recall　of　the　exiles
  of　Marius's　party；　upon　his　refusal；　entreated　the　intercession　of
  Metella。　And　the　Athenians；　it　is　thought；　had　harder　measure；　at
  the　capture　of　their　town；　because　they　used　insulting　language　to
  Metella　in　their　jests　from　the　walls　during　the　siege。　But　of　this
  hereafter。
  At　present　esteeming　the　consulship　but　a　small　matter　in　comparison
  of　things　to　come；　he　was　impatiently　carried　away　in　thought　to　the
  Mithridatic　War。　Here　he　was　withstood　by　Marius；　who　out　of　mad
  affectation　of　glory　and　thirst　for　distinction；　those　never　dying
  passions；　though　he　were　now　unwieldy　in　body；　and　had　given　up
  service；　on　account　of　his　age；　during　the　late　campaigns；　still
  coveted　after　command　in　a　distant　war　beyond　the　seas。　And　whilst
  Sylla　was　departed　for　the　camp；　to　order　the　rest　of　his　affairs
  there；　he　sate　brooding　at　home；　and　at　last　hatched　that　execrable
  sedition；　which　wrought　Rome　more　mischief　than　all　her　enemies
  together　had　done；　as　was　indeed　foreshown　by　the　gods。　For　a　flame
  broke　forth　of　its　own　accord；　from　under　the　staves　of　the　ensigns；
  and　was　with　difficulty　extinguished。　Three　ravens　brought　their　young
  into　the　open　road；　and　ate　them；　carrying　the　relics　into　the　nest
  again。　Mice　having　gnawed　the　consecrated　gold　in　one　of　the
  temples；　the　keepers　caught　one　of　them；　a　female；　in　a　trap；　and
  she　bringing　forth　five　young　ones　in　the　very　trap；　devoured　three　of
  them。　But　what　was　greatest　of　all；　in　a　calm　and　clear　sky　there
  was　heard　t