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He began his campaign for world-domination with the murder of all Roman citizens who happened to be in Asia Minor, men, women and children. Such an act, of course, meant war. The Senate equipped an army to march against the King of Pontus and punish him for his crime. But who was to be commander-in-chief? "Sulla," said the Senate, "because he is Consul.""Marius," said the mob, "because he has been Consul five times and because he is the champion of our rights."
作為其世界遠(yuǎn)征的開始，米特拉達(dá)特斯先是殺光了小亞細(xì)亞一帶的所有羅馬公民，連婦孺都不放過。這樣的行為對羅馬當(dāng)然意味著戰(zhàn)爭。元老院裝備了一支軍隊去征討這位國王，懲罰他的罪行。但究竟由誰來擔(dān)任統(tǒng)帥呢？元老院說，'當(dāng)然由蘇拉擔(dān)任，因為他是執(zhí)政官。"而民眾卻說，"我們擁護馬略，他應(yīng)該擔(dān)任軍隊總指揮。因為他不僅做過五次執(zhí)政官，而且他維護我們的利益。"
Possession is nine points of the law. Sulla happened to be in actual command of the army. He went west to defeat Mithridates and Marius fled to Africa. There he waited until he heard that Sulla had crossed into Asia. He then returned to Italy, gathered a motley crew of malcontents, marched on Rome and entered the city with his professional highwaymen, spent five days and five nights, slaughtering the enemies of the Senatorial party, got himself elected Consul and promptly died from the excitement of the last fortnight.
爭執(zhí)中，擁有財產(chǎn)的最終獲勝。蘇拉事實上控制了軍隊。他率軍東征，討伐米特拉達(dá)特斯，馬略被迫逃到非洲，靜待反擊的時機。當(dāng)他聽說蘇拉率領(lǐng)的軍隊已抵達(dá)亞洲，便返回意大利，糾集了一批不滿現(xiàn)狀的烏合之眾，氣勢洶洶地朝羅馬進軍。馬略率領(lǐng)著這幫人輕而易舉地進人羅馬城，用五天五夜的時間來-一清洗他在元老院的政治對手。最終，馬略讓自己順利當(dāng)選為執(zhí)政官，可隨即因前兩周的過度興奮而猝死。
There followed four years of disorder. Then Sulla, having defeated Mithridates, announced that he was ready to return to Rome and settle a few old scores of his own. He was as good as his word. For weeks his soldiers were busy executing those of their fellow citizens who were suspected of democratic sympathies. One day they got hold of a young fellow who had been often seen in the company of Marius. They were going to hang him when some one interfered. "The boy is too young," he said, and they let him go. His name was Julius Caesar. You shall meet him again on the next page.
接下來的4年里，羅馬一直處于混亂狀態(tài)。此時，蘇拉打垮了米特拉達(dá)特斯，聲言已準(zhǔn)備好回羅馬來了結(jié)一些個人恩怨。他確實言出必行。一連好幾個星期，他的士兵起勁地屠殺 自己的同胞，只要是被懷疑同情民主 改革的人他們都不放過。一天，他們抓住一個常常陪同馬略出人的年輕人，準(zhǔn)備將他吊死。這時有旁人說，"饒了他吧！這孩子還太小。"于是士兵放過了他。這位逃過一劫的年輕人名叫裘利斯·愷撒，我們下面馬上會講到他。
