Eutropius: BREVIARIVM HISTORIAE ROMANAE

[1] Dum bellum in Numidia contra Iugurtham geritur, Romani consules M. Manlius et Q. Caepio a Cimbris et Teutonis et Tugurinis et Ambronibus, quae erant Germanorum et Gallorum gentes, victi sunt iuxta flumen Rhodanum et ingenti internicione; etiam castra sua et magnam partem exercitus perdiderunt.Timor Romae grandis fuit, quantus vix Hannibalis tempore Punicis bellis, ne iterum Galli Romam venirent. Ergo Marius post victoriam Iugurthinam secundo consul est factus bellumque ei contra Cimbros et Teutones decretum est.

[1] While war was being waged in Numidia against Jugurtha, the Roman consuls M. Manlius and Q. Caepio were defeated by the Cimbri and Teutones and Tugurini and Ambrones, who were peoples of the Germans and Gauls, beside the river Rhone with great slaughter; they even lost their camps and a large part of the army.The fear at Rome was great, such as hardly even in Hannibal’s time during the Punic wars, lest the Gauls come to Rome again. Therefore Marius, after the Jugurthine victory, was made consul a second time and a war was decreed for him against the Cimbri and Teutones.

Tertio quoque ei et quarto delatus est consulatus, quia bellum Cimbricum protrahebatur. Sed in quarto consulatu collegam habuit Q. Lutatium Catulum. Cum Cimbris itaque conflixit et duobus proeliis CC milia hostium cecidit, LXXX milia cepit et ducem eorum Teutobodum, propter quod meritum absens quinto consul est factus.

His consulship was conferred upon him a third time and also a fourth, because the Cimbrian war was being prolonged. But in his fourth consulship he had as colleague Q. Lutatius Catulus. He therefore joined battle with the Cimbri, and in two engagements 200,000 of the enemy fell, he took 80,000 and their leader Teutobod, and for this merit, though absent, he was made consul a fifth time.

[2] Interea Cimbri et Teutones, quorum copia adhuc infinita erat, ad Italiam transierunt.Iterum a C. Mario et Q. Catulo contra eos dimicatum est, sed a Catuli parte felicius. Nam proelio, quod simul ambo gesserunt, CXL milia aut in pugna aut in fuga caesa sunt, LX milia capta.

[2] Meanwhile the Cimbri and Teutones, whose copious force was still infinite, crossed into Italy.Again a fight was fought against them by C. Marius and Q. Catulus, but more happily on Catulus’s part. For in the battle which both together conducted, 140,000 were cut down either in fight or in flight, 60,000 taken.

Romani milites ex utroque exercitu trecenti perierunt. Tria et triginta Cimbris signa sublata sunt; ex his exercitus Marii duo reportavit, Catuli exercitus XXXI. Is belli finis fuit; triumphus utrique decretus est.

Three hundred Roman soldiers from the two armies perished. Thirty-three standards were taken from the Cimbri; of these Marius’s army recovered 2, Catulus’s army 31. That was the end of the war; a triumph was decreed to each.

[3] Sex. Iulio Caesare et L. Marcio Philippo consulibus, sexcentesimo quinquagesimo nono anno ab urbe condita, cum prope alia omnia bella cessarent, in Italia gravissimum bellum Picentes, Marsi Pelignique moverunt, qui, cum annis numerosis iam populo Romano obedirent, tum libertatem sibi aequam adserere coeperunt.Perniciosum admodum hoc bellum fuit.

[3] In the consulship of Sex. Julius Caesar and L. Marcius Philippus, in the 659th year from the founding of the city, when almost all other wars were ceasing, in Italy the Picentes, the Marsi and the Peligni raised a very grave war, who, although for many years they had already obeyed the Roman people, then began to claim for themselves an equal liberty.This war was exceedingly pernicious.

P. Rutilius consul in eo occisus est, Caepio, nobilis iuvenis, Porcius Cato, alius consul. Duces autem adversus Romanos Picentibus et Marsis fuerunt T. Vettius, Hierius Asinius, T. Herennius, A. Cluentius. A Romanis bene contra eos pugnatum est a C. Mario, qui sexies consul fuerat, et a Cn. Pompeio, maxime tamen a L. Cornelio Sulla, qui inter alia egregia ita Cluentium, hostium ducem, cum magnis copiis fudit, ut ex suis unum amitteret.

P. P. Rutilius, the consul, was killed in that engagement; Caepio, a noble youth; Porcius Cato, another consul. The leaders opposing the Romans among the Picentes and Marsi were T. Vettius, Hierius Asinius, T. Herennius, and A. Cluentius. Against them the Romans fought well under C. Marius, who had been consul six times, and under Cn. Pompeius, but most of all under L. Cornelius Sulla, who, among other outstanding deeds, so routed Cluentius, the enemy commander, with great forces that he lost only one of his own men.

Quadriennio cum gravi tamen calamitate hoc bellum tractum est. Quinto demum anno finem accepit per L. Cornelium Sullam consulem, cum antea in eodem bello ipse multa strenue, sed praetor, egisset.

This war was carried on for four years, yet with great calamity. At last in the fifth year it came to an end by L. Cornelius Sulla, consul, although previously in the same war he himself had performed many deeds bravely, but as praetor.

[4] Anno urbis conditae sexcentesimo sexagesimo secundo primum Romae bellum civile commotum est, eodem anno etiam Mithridaticum.Causam bello civili C. Marius sexiens consul dedit. Nam cum Sulla consul contra Mithridatem gesturus bellum, qui Asiam et Achaiam occupaverat, mitteretur, isque exercitum in Campania paulisper teneret, ut belli socialis, de quo diximus, quod intra Italiam gestum fuerat, reliquiae tollerentur, Marius adfectavit, ut ipse ad bellum Mithridaticum mitteretur.

[4] In the year 662 since the city's founding the first civil war at Rome was stirred, and in the same year also the Mithridatic war.The cause of the civil war was given by C. Marius, consul six times. For when Sulla, as consul, was to be sent to carry on war against Mithridates, who had seized Asia and Achaia, and he was holding his army for a little while in Campania so that the remnants of the Social War, of which we spoke, that had been waged within Italy, might be removed, Marius aspired that he himself be sent to the Mithridatic war.

Qua re Sulla commotus cum exercitu ad urbem venit. Illic contra Marium et Sulpicium dimicavit. Primus urbem Romam armatus ingressus est, Sulpicium interfecit, Marium fugavit, atque ita ordinatis consulibus in futurum annum Cn. Octavio et L. Cornelio Cinna ad Asiam profectus est.

Wherefore Sulla, roused, came with his army to the city. There he fought against Marius and Sulpicius. He first entered the city of Rome armed, killed Sulpicius, put Marius to flight, and, with the consuls for the coming year thus settled — Cn. Octavius and L. Cornelius Cinna — set out for Asia.

[5] Mithridates enim, qui Ponti rex erat atque Armeniam minorem et totum Ponticum mare in circuitu cum Bosphoro tenebat, primum Nicomeden, amicum populi Romani, Bithynia voluit expellere senatuique mandavit bellum se ei propter iniurias, quas passus fuerat, inlaturum.A senatu responsum Mithridati est, si id faceret, quod bellum a Romanis et ipse pateretur. Quare iratus Cappadociam statim occupavit et ex ea Ariobarzanen, regem et amicum populi Romani, fugavit.

[5] Mithridates, for he was king of Pontus and held Lesser Armenia and the whole Pontic sea around with the Bosphorus, first wished to expel Nicomedes, a friend of the Roman people, from Bithynia and declared to the senate that he would bring war upon him for the injuries he had suffered.The senate answered Mithridates that if he did this, he himself would suffer war from the Romans. Wherefore, enraged, he at once seized Cappadocia and from it drove out Ariobarzanes, king and friend of the Roman people.

Mox etiam Bithyniam invasit et Paphlagoniam pulsis ex ea regibus, amicis populi Romani, Pylaemene et Nicomede. Inde Ephesum contendit et per omnem Asiam litteras misit, ut ubicumque inventi essent cives Romani, uno die occiderentur.

Soon he likewise invaded Bithynia and Paphlagonia, having driven out from them the kings — friends of the Roman people — Pylaemenes and Nicomedes. From there he made for Ephesus and sent letters through all Asia, that wherever Roman citizens were found they should be slain in a single day.

[6] Interea etiam Athenae, civitas Achaiae, ab Aristone Atheniensi Mithridati tradita est.Miserat eum iam ad Achaiam Mithridates Archelaum, ducem suum, cum centum et viginti milibus equitum ac peditum, per quem etiam reliqua Graecia occupata est. Sulla Archelaum apud Piraeum, non longe ab Athenis, obsedit, ipsas Athenas cepit.

[6] Meanwhile also Athens, a city of Achaea, was delivered to Mithridates by Ariston the Athenian.Already Mithridates had sent Archelaus, his commander, into Achaea with 120,000 horse and foot, through whom also the rest of Greece was occupied. At Piraeus, not far from Athens, Sulla besieged Archelaus and took Athens itself.

Postea commisso proelio contra Archelaum ita eum vicit, ut ex CXX milibus vix decem Archelao superessent, ex Sullae exercitu XIII tantum homines interficerentur. Hac pugna Mithridates cognita septuaginta milia lectissima ex Asia Archelao misit, contra quem iterum Sulla commisit. Primo proelio quindecim milia hostium interfecta sunt et filius Archelai Diogenes; secundo omnes Mithridatis copiae extinctae sunt, Archelaus ipse triduo nudus in paludibus latuit.

Afterwards, having joined battle with Archelaus, he so overcame him that of 120,000 there scarcely remained ten to Archelaus; of Sulla’s army only 13 men were killed. When Mithridates learned of this battle he sent Archelaus seventy thousand picked troops from Asia, against whom Sulla again engaged. In the first engagement fifteen thousand of the enemy were slain and Archelaus’s son Diogenes; in the second all the forces of Mithridates were destroyed, Archelaus himself hiding naked in the marshes for three days.

Hac re audita Mithridates iussit cum Sulla de pace agi.

When this matter was heard, Mithridates ordered that negotiations about peace be held with Sulla.

[7] Interim eo tempore Sulla etiam Dardanos, Scordiscos, Dalmatas et Maedos partim vicit, alios in fidem accepit.Sed cum legati a rege Mithridate, qui pacem petebant, venissent, non aliter se daturum Sulla esse respondit, nisi rex relictis his, quae occupaverat, ad regnum suum redisset. Postea tamen ad colloquium ambo venerunt.

[7] Meanwhile at that time Sulla also partly conquered the Dardani, Scordisci, Dalmatians and Maedi, and received others into fidelity.But when envoys had come from King Mithridates, who sought peace, Sulla answered that he would not give himself otherwise, unless the king, having abandoned those things which he had seized, returned to his own kingdom. Afterwards, however, both came to a conference.

Pax inter eos ordinata est, ut Sulla ad bellum civile festinans a tergo periculum non haberet. Nam dum Sulla in Achaia atque Asia Mithridatem vincit, Marius, qui fugatus erat, et Cornelius Cinna, unus ex consulibus, bellum in Italia reparaverunt et ingressi urbem Romam nobilissimos e senatu et consulares viros interfecerunt, multos proscripserunt, ipsius Sullae domo eversa filios et uxorem ad fugam conpulerunt. Universus reliquus senatus ex urbe fugiens ad Sullam in Graeciam venit, orans, ut patriae subveniret.

A peace was arranged between them, so that Sulla, hastening to the civil war, would not have danger at his back. For while Sulla in Achaia and Asia was defeating Mithridates, Marius, who had been expelled, and Cornelius Cinna, one of the consuls, renewed war in Italy and, having entered the city of Rome, killed the most noble men of the senate and men of consular rank, proscribed many, and with Sulla’s house overturned compelled his sons and wife to flight. The whole remaining senate, fleeing from the city, came to Sulla in Greece, beseeching him to come to the aid of the fatherland.

Ille in Italiam traiecit, bellum civile gesturus adversus Norbanum et Scipionem consules. Et primo proelio contra Norbanum dimicavit non longe a Capua. Tum sex milia eius cecidit, sex milia cepit, CXXIV suos amisit.

He crossed into Italy, about to wage civil war against the consuls Norbanus and Scipio. And at first he fought a battle against Norbanus not far from Capua. Then six thousand of his fell, he captured six thousand, he lost 124 of his own.

Inde etiam ad Scipionem se convertit et ante proelium totum eius exercitum sine sanguine in deditionem accepit.

Thereupon he likewise turned to Scipio and, before the battle, received his entire army into surrender without bloodshed.

[8] Sed, cum Romae mutati consules essent, Marius, Marii filius, ac Papirius Carbo consulatum accepissent, Sulla contra Marium iuniorem dimicavit et XV milibus eius occisis CCCC de suis perdidit.Mox etiam urbem ingressus est. Marium, Marii filium, Praeneste persecutus obsedit et ad mortem conpulit.

[8] But when at Rome the consuls had been changed, Marius, son of Marius, and Papirius Carbo had taken the consulship, Sulla fought against the younger Marius and, with 15,000 of his men killed, lost 400 of his own.Soon afterward he also entered the city. Having pursued Marius, son of Marius, to Praeneste, he besieged him and forced him to death.

Rursus pugnam gravissimam habuit contra Lamponium et Carinatem, duces partis Marianae, ad portam Collinam. LXX milia hostium in eo proelio contra Sullam fuisse dicuntur. XII milia se Sullae dediderunt, ceteri in acie, in castris, in fuga insatiabili ira victorum consumpti sunt.

He again fought a very severe battle against Lamponius and Carinate, leaders of the Marian party, at the Colline Gate. Seventy thousand of the enemy are said to have been in that engagement against Sulla. Twelve thousand surrendered to Sulla; the rest, on the field, in the camps, in flight, were consumed by the insatiable wrath of the victors.

Cn. quoque Carbo, consul alter, ab Arimino ad Siciliam fugit et ibi per Cn. Pompeium interfectus est, quem adulescentem Sulla atque annos unum et viginti natum cognita eius industria exercitibus praefecerat, ut secundus a Sulla haberetur.

Cn. Carbo also, the other consul, fled from Ariminum to Sicily and there was killed by Cn. Pompey, whom, a youth of twenty-one years, Sulla, having learned of his industry, had placed over the armies, so that he might be considered Sulla’s second.

[9] Occiso ergo Carbone Siciliam Pompeius recepit.Transgressus inde ad Africam, Domitium, Marianae partis ducem, et Hiardam, regem Mauritaniae, qui Domitio auxilium ferebat, occidit. Post haec Sulla de Mithridate ingenti gloria triumphavit.

[9] Therefore, Carbo having been killed, Pompeius took possession of Sicily.Thence crossing into Africa, he killed Domitium, leader of the Marian party, and Hiarda, king of Mauretania, who was bringing help to Domitium. After these things Sulla triumphed over Mithridates with great glory.

Cn. etiam Pompeius, quod nulli Romanorum tributum erat, quartum et vicesimum annum agens de Africa triumphavit. Hunc finem habuerunt duo bella funestissima, Italicum, quod et sociale dictum est, et civile, quae ambo tracta sunt per annos decem. Consumpserunt autem ultra CL milia hominum, viros consulares XXIV, praetorios VII, aedilicios LX, senatores fere CC.

Cn. Pompeius also triumphed over Africa, which had been tributary to none of the Romans, while in his twenty-fourth year. These two most disastrous wars came to this end, the Italic, which is also called the Social, and the Civil, both of which were waged for 10 years. They destroyed moreover more than 150,000 men: 24 men of consular rank, 7 praetorian, 60 aedilician, and almost 200 senators.