them。　But　what　was　greatest　of　all；　in　a　calm　and　clear　sky　there
  was　heard　the　sound　of　a　trumpet；　with　such　a　loud　and　dismal　blast；
  as　struck　terror　and　amazement　into　the　hearts　of　the　people。　The
  Etruscan　sages　affirmed　that　this　prodigy　betokened　the　mutation　of
  the　age；　and　a　general　revolution　in　the　world。　For　according　to
  them　there　are　in　all　eight　ages；　differing　one　from　another　in　the
  lives　and　the　characters　of　men；　and　to　each　of　these　God　has　allotted
  a　certain　measure　of　time；　determined　by　the　circuit　of　the　great
  year。　And　when　one　age　is　run　out；　at　the　approach　of　another；　there
  appears　some　wonderful　sign　from　earth　or　heaven；　such　as　makes　it
  manifest　at　once　to　those　who　have　made　it　their　business　to　study
  such　things；　that　there　has　succeeded　in　the　world　a　new　race　of
  men；　differing　in　customs　and　institutes　of　life；　and　more　or　less
  regarded　by　the　gods　than　the　preceding。　Among　other　great　changes
  that　happen；　as　they　say；　at　the　turn　of　ages；　the　art　of
  divination；　also；　at　one　time　rises　in　esteem；　and　is　more
  successful　in　its　predictions；　clearer　and　surer　tokens　being　sent
  from　God；　and　then；　again；　in　another　generation　declines　as　low；
  becoming　mere　guesswork　for　the　most　part；　and　discerning　future
  events　by　dim　and　uncertain　intimations。　This　was　the　mythology　of　the
  wisest　of　the　Tuscan　sages；　who　were　thought　to　possess　a　knowledge
  beyond　other　men。　Whilst　the　senate　sat　in　consultation　with　the
  soothsayers；　concerning　these　prodigies；　in　the　temple　of　Bellona；　a
  sparrow　came　flying　in；　before　them　all；　with　a　grasshopper　in　its
  mouth；　and　letting　fall　one　part　of　it；　flew　away　with　the
  remainder。　The　diviners　foreboded　commotions　and　dissensions　between
  the　great　landed　proprietors　and　the　common　city　populace；　the　latter；
  like　the　grasshopper；　being　loud　and　talkative；　while　the　sparrow
  might　represent　the　〃dwellers　in　the　field。〃
  Marius　had　taken　into　alliance　Sulpicius；　the　tribune；　a　man
  second　to　none　in　any　villainies；　so　that　it　was　less　the　question
  what　others　he　surpassed；　but　rather　in　what　respects　he　most
  surpassed　himself　in　wickedness。　He　was　cruel；　bold；　rapacious；　and　in
  all　these　points　utterly　shameless　and　unscrupulous；　not　hesitating　to
  offer　Roman　citizenship　by　public　sale　to　freed　slaves　and　aliens；　and
  to　count　out　the　price　on　public　money…tables　in　the　forum。　He
  maintained　three　thousand　swordsmen；　and　had　always　about　him　a
  company　of　young　men　of　the　equestrian　class　ready　for　all
  occasions；　whom　he　styled　his　Anti…senate。　Having　had　a　law　enacted；
  that　no　senator　should　contract　a　debt　of　above　two　thousand　drachmas；
  he　himself；　after　death；　was　found　indebted　three　millions。　This　was
  the　man　whom　Marius　let　in　upon　the　Commonwealth；　and　who；　confounding
  all　things　by　force　and　the　sword；　made　several　ordinances　of
  dangerous　consequence；　and　amongst　the　rest　one　giving　Marius　the
  conduct　of　the　Mithridatic　war。　Upon　this　the　consuls　proclaimed　a
  public　cessation　of　business；　but　as　they　were　holding　an　assembly
  near　the　temple　of　Castor　and　Pollux；　he　let　loose　the　rabble　upon
  them；　and　amongst　many　others　slew　the　consul　Pompeius's　young　son
  in　the　forum；　Pompeius　himself　hardly　escaping　in　the　crowd。　Sylla；
  being　closely　pursued　into　the　house　of　Marius；　was　forced　to　come
  forth　and　dissolve　the　cessation；　and　for　his　doing　this；　Sulpicius；
  having　deposed　Pompeius；　allowed　Sylla　to　continue　his　consulship；
  only　transferring　the　Mithridatic　expedition　to　Marius。
  There　were　immediately　despatched　to　Nola　tribunes　to　receive　the
  army；　and　bring　it　to　Marius；　but　Sylla；　having　got　first　to　the　camp；
  and　the　soldiers；　upon　hearing　the　news；　having　stoned　the　tribunes；
  Marius；　in　requital；　proceeded　to　put　the　friends　of　Sylla　in　the　city
  to　the　sword；　and　rifled　their　goods。　Every　kind　of　removal　and　flight
  went　on；　some　hastening　from　the　camp　to　the　city；　others　from　the
  city　to　the　camp。　The　senate；　no　more　in　its　own　power；　but　wholly
  governed　by　the　dictates　of　Marius　and　Sulpicius；　alarmed　at　the
  report　of　Sylla's　advancing　with　his　troops　towards　the　city；　sent
  forth　two　of　the　praetors；　Brutus　and　Servilius；　to　forbid　his
  nearer　approach。　The　soldiers　would　have　slain　these　praetors　in　a
  fury；　for　their　bold　language　to　Sylla；　contenting　themselves；
  however；　with　breaking　their　rods；　and　tearing　off　their
  purple…edged　robes；　after　much　contumelious　usage　they　sent　them　back；
  to　the　sad　dejection　of　the　citizens；　who　beheld　their　magistrates
  despoiled　of　their　badges　of　office；　and　announcing　to　them　that
  things　were　now　manifestly　come　to　a　rupture　past　all　cure。　Marius　put
  himself　in　readiness；　and　Sylla　with　his　colleague　moved　from　Nola；　at
  the　head　of　six　complete　legions；　all　of　them　willing　to　march　up
  directly　against　the　city；　though　he　himself　as　yet　was　doubtful　in
  thought；　and　apprehensive　of　the　danger。　As　he　was　sacrificing；
  Postumius　the　soothsayer；　having　inspected　the　entrails；　stretching
  forth　both　hands　to　Sylla；　required　to　be　bound　and　kept　in　custody
  till　the　battle　was　over；　as　willing；　if　they　had　not　speedy　and
  complete　success；　to　suffer　the　utmost　punishment。　It　is　said；　also；
  that　there　appeared　to　Sylla　himself；　in　a　dream；　a　certain　goddess；
  whom　the　Romans　learnt　to　worship　from　the　Cappadocians；　whether　it　be
  the　Moon；　or　Pallas；　or　Bellona。　This　same　goddess；　to　his　thinking；
  stood　by　him；　and　put　into　his　hand　thunder　and　lightning；　then　naming
  his　enemies　one　by　one；　bade　him　strike　them；　who；　all　of　them；　fell
  on　the　discharge　and　disappeared。　Encouraged　by　this　vision；　and
  relating　it　to　his　colleague；　next　day　he　led　on　towards　Rome。　About
  Picinae　being　met　by　a　deputation；　beseeching　him　not　to　attack　at
  once；　in　the　heat　of　a　march；　for　that　the　senate　had　decreed　to　do
  him　all　the　right　imaginable；　he　consented　to　halt　on　the　spot；　and
  sent　his　officers　to　measure　out　the　ground；　as　is　usual；　for　a
  camp；　so　that　the　deputation；　believing　it；　returned。　They　were　no
  sooner　gone；　but　he　sent　a　party　on　under　the　command　of　Lucius
  Basillus　and　Caius　Mummius；　to　secure　the　city　gate；　and　the　walls
  on　the　side　of　the　Esquiline　hill；　and　then　close　at　their　heels
  followed　himself　with　all　speed。　Basillus　made　his　way　successfully
  into　the　city；　but　the　unarmed　multitude；　pelting　him　with　stones
  and　tiles　from　off　the　houses；　stopped　his　further　progress；　and
  beat　him　back　to　the　wall。　Sylla　by　this　time　was　come　up；　and
  seeing　what　was　going　on；　called　aloud　to　his　men　to　set　fire　to　the
  houses；　and　taking　a　flaming　torch；　he　himself　led　the　way；　and
  commanded　the　archers　to　make　use　of　their　fire…darts；　letting　fly
  at　the　tops　of　houses；　all　which　he　did；　not　upon　any　plan；　but　simply
  in　his　fury；　yielding　the　conduct　of　that　day's　work　to　passion；　and
  as　if　all　he　saw　were　enemies；　without　respect　or　pity　either　to
  friends；　relations；　or　acquaintance；　made　his　entry　by　fire；　which
  knows　no　distinction　betwixt　friend　or　foe。
  In　this　conflict；　Marius；　being　driven　into　the　temple　of
  Mother…Earth；　thence　invited　the　slaves　by　proclamation　of　freedom；
  but　the　enemy　coming　on　he　was　overpowered　and　fled　the　city。
  Sylla　having　called　a　senate；　had　sentence　of　death　passed　on
  Marius；　and　some　few　others；　amongst　whom　was　Sulpicius；　tribune　of
  the　people。　Sulpicius　was　killed；　being　betrayed　by　his　servant；
  whom　Sylla　first　made　free；　and　then　threw　him　headlong　down　the
  Tarpeian　rock。　As　for　Marius；　he　set　a　price　on　his　life；　by
  proclamation；　neither　gratefully　nor　politically；　if　we　consider
  into　whose　house；　not　long　before；　he　put　himself　at　mercy；　and　safely
  dismissed。　Had　Marius　at　that　time　not　let　Sylla　go；　but　suffered
  him　to　be　slain　by　the　hands　of　Sulpicius；　he　might　have　been　lord
  of　all：　nevertheless　he　spared　his　life；　and　a　few　days　after；　when　in
  a　similar　position　himself；　received　a　different　measure。
  By　these　proceedings　Sylla　excited　the　secret　distaste　of　the
  senate；　but　the　displeasure　and　free　indignation　of　the　commonalty
  showed　itself　plainly　by　their　actions。　For　they　ignominiously
  rejected　Nonius；　his　nephew；　and　Servius；　who　stood　for　offices　of
  state　by　his　interest；　and　elected　others　as　magistrates；　by　honouring
  whom　they　thought　they　should　most　annoy　him。　He　made　semblance　of
  extreme　satisfaction　at　all　this；　as　if　the　people　by　his　means　had
  again　enjoyed　the　liberty　of　doing　what　seemed　best　to　them。　And　to
  pacify　the　public　hostility；　he　created　Lucius　Cinna　consul；　one　of
  the　adverse　party；　having　first　bound　him　under　oaths　and　imprecations
  to　be　favourable　to　his　interest。　For　Cinna；　ascending　the　capitol
  with　a　stone　in　his　hand；　swore　solemnly；　and　prayed　with　direful
  curses；　that　he　himself；　if　he　were　not　true　to　his　friendship　with
  Sylla；　might　be　cast　out　of　the　city；　as　that　stone　out　of　his　hand；
  and　thereupon　cast　the　stone　to　the　ground；　in　the　presence　of　many
  people。　Nevertheless　Cinna　had　no　sooner　entered　on　his　charge；　but　he
  took　measures　to　disturb　the　present　settlement；　having　prepared　an
  impeachment　against　Sylla；　got　Virginius；　one　of　the　tribunes　of　the
  people；　to　be　his　accuser；　but　Sylla；　leaving　him　and　the　court　of
  judicature