pompey-第6章

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up　the　roads；　plundering　and　destroying　their　villages　and
country…houses。　Once　they　seized　upon　two　Roman　praetors；　Sextilius
and　Bellinus；　in　their　purple…edged　robes；　and　carried　them　off
together　with　their　officers　and　lictors。　The　daughter　also　of
Antonius。　a　man　that　had　had　the　honour　of　a　triumph；　taking　a　journey
into　the　country；　was　seized；　and　redeemed　upon　payment　of　a　large
ransom。　But　it　was　most　abusive　of　all　that；　when　any　of　the
captives　declared　himself　to　be　a　Roman；　and　told　his　name；　they
affected　to　be　surprised；　and　feigning　fear；　smote　their　thighs　and
fell　down　at　his　feet　humbly　beseeching　him　to　be　gracious　and　forgive
them。
　　The　captives；　seeing　them　so　humble　and　suppliant；　believed　them
to　be　in　earnest；　and　some　of　them　now　would　proceed　to　put　Roman
shoes　on　his　feet；　and　to　dress　him　in　a　Roman　gown；　to　prevent；
they　said；　his　being　mistaken　another　time。　After　all　this
pageantry；　when　they　had　thus　deluded　and　mocked　him　long　enough；　at
last　putting　out　a　ship's　ladder；　when　they　were　in　the　midst　of　the
sea；　they　told　him　he　was　free　to　go；　and　wished　him　a　pleasant
journey；　and　if　he　resisted　they　themselves　threw　him　overboard　and
drowned　him。
　　This　piratic　power　having　got　the　dominion　and　control　of　all　the
Mediterranean；　there　was　left　no　place　for　navigation　or　commerce。　And
this　it　was　which　most　of　all　made　the　Romans；　finding　themselves　to
be　extremely　straitened　in　their　markets；　and　considering　that　if　it
should　continue；　there　would　be　a　dearth　and　famine　in　the　land；
determined　at　last　to　send　out　Pompey　to　recover　the　seas　from　the
pirates。　Gabinius；　one　of　Pompey's　friends；　preferred　a　law；　whereby
there　was　granted　to　him；　not　only　the　government　of　the　seas　as
admiral；　but；　in　direct　words；　sole　and　irresponsible　sovereignty　over
all　men。　For　the　decree　gave　him　absolute　power　and　authority　in　all
the　seas　within　the　pillars　of　Hercules；　and　in　the　adjacent
mainland　for　the　space　of　four　hundred　furlongs　from　the　sea。　Now
there　were　but　few　regions　in　the　Roman　empire　out　of　that　compass；
and　the　greatest　of　the　nations　and　most　powerful　of　the　kings　were
included　in　the　limit。　Moreover；　by　this　decree　he　had　a　power　of
selecting　fifteen　lieutenants　out　of　the　senate；　and　of　assigning　to
each　his　province　in　charge；　then　he　might　take　likewise　out　of　the
treasury　and　out　of　the　hands　of　the　revenue…farmers　what　moneys　he
pleased；　as　also　two　hundred　sail　of　ships；　with　a　power　to　press
and　levy　what　soldiers　and　seamen　he　thought　fit。
　　When　this　law　was　read；　the　common　people　approved　of　it
exceedingly；　but　the　chief　men　and　most　important　among　the　senators
looked　upon　it　as　an　exorbitant　power；　even　beyond　the　reach　of
envy；　but　well　deserving　their　fears。　Therefore　concluding　with
themselves　that　such　unlimited　authority　was　dangerous；　they　agreed
unanimously　to　oppose　the　bill；　and　all　went　against　it；　except
Caesar；　who　gave　his　vote　for　the　law；　not　to　gratify　Pompey；　but
the　people；　whose　favour　he　had　courted　underhand　from　the
beginning；　and　hoped　to　compass　for　himself。　The　rest　inveighed
bitterly　against　Pompey；　insomuch　that　one　of　the　consuls　told　him
that；　if　he　was　ambitious　of　the　place　of　Romulus；　he　would　scarce
avoid　his　end；　but　he　was　in　danger　of　being　torn　to　pieces　by　the
multitude　for　his　speech。　Yet　when　Catulus　stood　up　to　speak　against
the　law；　the　people　in　reverence　to　him　were　silent　and　attentive。　And
when；　after　saying　much　in　the　most　honourable　terms　in　favour　of
Pompey；　he　proceeded　to　advise　the　people　in　kindness　to　spare　him；
and　not　to　expose　a　man　of　his　value　to　such　a　succession　of　dangers
and　wars；　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃where　could　you　find　another　Pompey；　or
whom　would　you　have　in　case　you　should　chance　to　lose　him？〃　they　all
cried　out　with　one　voice；　〃Yourself。〃　And　so　Catulus；　finding　all
his　rhetoric　ineffectual；　desisted。　Then　Roscius　attempted　to　speak；
but　could　obtain　no　hearing；　and　made　signs　with　his　fingers；
intimating；　〃Not　him　alone；〃　but　that　there　might　be　a　second　Pompey
or　colleague　in　authority　with　him。　Upon　this；　it　is　said；　the
multitude；　being　extremely　incensed；　made　such　a　loud　outcry；　that　a
crow　flying　over　the　market…place　at　that　instant　was　struck；　and
dropped　down　among　the　crowd；　whence　it　would　appear　that　the　cause　of
birds　falling　down　to　the　ground　is　not　any　rupture　or　division　of　the
air　causing　a　vacuum；　but　purely　the　actual　stroke　of　the　voice；
which；　when　carried　up　in　a　great　mass　and　with　violence；　raises　a
sort　of　tempest　and　billow；　as　it　were；　in　the　air。
　　The　assembly　broke　up　for　that　day；　and　when　the　day　was　come　on
which　the　bill　was　to　pass　by　suffrage　into　a　decree；　Pompey　went
privately　into　the　country；　but　hearing　that　it　was　passed　and
confirmed；　he　returned　again　into　the　city　by　night；　to　avoid　the　envy
that　might　be　occasioned　by　the　concourse　of　people　that　would　meet
and　congratulate　him。　The　next　morning　he　came　abroad　and　sacrificed
to　the　gods；　and　having　audience　at　an　open　assembly；　so　handled　the
matter　that　they　enlarged　his　power；　giving　him　many　things　besides
what　was　already　granted；　and　almost　doubling　the　preparation
appointed　in　the　former　decree。　Five　hundred　ships　were　manned　for
him；　and　an　army　raised　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　foot　and
five　thousand　horse。　Twenty…four　senators　that　had　been　generals　of
armies　were　appointed　to　serve　as　lieutenants　under　him；　and　to
these　were　added　two　quaestors。　Now　it　happened　within　this　time
that　the　prices　of　provisions　were　much　reduced　which　gave　an　occasion
to　the　joyful　people　of　saying　that　the　very　name　of　Pompey　had
ended　the　war。　However；　Pompey；　in　pursuance　of　his　charge；　divided
all　the　seas　and　the　whole　Mediterranean　into　thirteen　parts；
allotting　a　squadron　to　each；　under　the　command　of　his　officers；　and
having　thus　dispersed　his　power　into　all　quarters；　and　encompassed　the
pirates　everywhere；　they　began　to　fall　into　his　hands　by　whole　shoals；
which　he　seized　and　brought　into　his　harbours。　As　for　those　that
withdrew　themselves　betimes；　or　otherwise　escaped　his　general　chase；
they　all　made　to　Cilicia；　where　they　bid　themselves　as　in　their　hives；
against　whom　Pompey　now　proceeded　in　person　with　sixty　of　his　best
ships；　not；　however；　until　he　had　first　scoured　and　cleared　all　the
seas　near　Rome；　the　Tyrrhenian；　and　the　African；　and　all　the　waters　of
Sardinia；　Corsica；　and　Sicily；　all　which　he　performed　in　the　space
of　forty　days　by　his　own　indefatigable　industry　and　the　zeal　of　his
lieutenants。
　　Pompey　met　with　some　interruption　in　Rome；　through　the　malice　and
envy　of　Piso；　the　consul；　who　had　given　some　check　to　his
proceedings　by　withholding　his　stores　and　discharging　his　seamen；
whereupon　he　sent　his　fleet　round　to　Brundusium；　himself　going　the
nearest　way　by　land　through　Tuscany　to　Rome；　which　was　no　sooner　known
by　the　people　than　they　all　flocked　out　to　meet　him　upon　the　way　as　if
they　had　not　sent　him　out　but　a　few　days　before。　What　chiefly
excited　their　joy　was　the　unexpectedly　rapid　change　in　the　markets；
which　abounded　now　with　the　greatest　plenty；　so　that　Piso　was　in　great
danger　to　have　been　deprived　of　his　consulship；　Gabinius　having　a
law　ready　prepared　for　that　purpose　but　Pompey　forbade　it；　behaving
himself　as　in　that；　so　in　all　things　else；　with　great　moderation；
and　when　he　had　made　sure　of　all　that　he　wanted　or　desired；　he
departed　for　Brundusium；　whence　he　set　sail　in　pursuit　of　the　pirates。
And　though　he　was　straitened　in　time；　and　his　hasty　voyage　forced
him　to　sail　by　several　cities　without　touching；　yet　he　would　not
pass　by　the　city　of　Athens　unsaluted；　but　landing　there；　after　he
had　sacrificed　to　the　gods；　and　made　an　address　to　the　people；　as　he
was　returning　out　of　the　city；　he　read　at　the　gates　two　epigrams；　each
in　a　single　line；　written　in　his　own　praise；　one　within　the　gate：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Thy　humbler　thoughts　make　thee　a　god　the　more；〃
the　other　without：…

　　　　　　　　　〃Adieu　we　bid；　who　welcome　bade　before。〃

Now　because　Pompey　had　shown　himself　merciful　to　some　of　these　pirates
that　were　yet　roving　in　bodies　about　the　seas；　having　upon　their
supplication　ordered　a　seizure　of　their　ships　and　persons　only；
without　any　further　process　or　severity；　therefore　the　rest　of　their
comrades；　in　hopes　of　mercy　too；　made　their　escape　from　his　other
commanders；　and　surrendered　themselves　with　their　wives　and　children
into　his　protection。　He　continued　to　pardon　all　that　came　in；　and
the　rather　because　by　them　he　might　make　discovery　of　those　who　fled
from　his　justice；　as　conscious　that　their　crimes　were　beyond　an　act　of
indemnity。　The　most　numerous　and　important　part　of　these　conveyed
their　families　and　treasures；　with　all　their　people　that　were　unfit
for　war；　into　castles　and　strong　forts　about　Mount　Taurus；　but　they
themselves；　having　well　manned　their　galleys；　embarked　for
Coracesium　in　Cilicia；　where　they　received　Pompey　and　gave　him　battle。
Here　they　had　a　final　overthrow；　and　retired　to　the　land；　where　they
were　besieged。　At　last；　having　despatched　their　heralds　to　him　with
a　submission；　they　delivered　up　to　his　mercy　themselves；　their
towns；　islands；　and　strongholds；　all　which　they　had　so　fortified
that　they　were　almost　impregnable；　and　scarcely　even　accessible。
　　Thus　was　this　war　ended；　and　the　whole　power　of　the　pirates　at　sea
dissolved　everywhere　in　the　space　of　three　months；　wherein；　besides
a　great　number　of　other　vessels；　he　took　ninety　men…of…war　with　brazen
beaks　and　likewise　prisoners　of　war　to　the　number　of　no　less　than
twenty　thousand。
　　As　regarded　the　disposal　of　these　prisoners；　he　never　so　much　as
entertained　the　thought　of　putting　them　to　death；　and　yet　it　might
be　no　less　dangerous　on　the　other　hand　to　disperse　them；　as　they　might
reunite　and　make　head　again；　being　numerous；　poor；　and　warlike。
Therefore　wisely　weighing　with　himself　that　man　by　nature　is　not　a
wild　or　unsocial　creature；　neither　was　he　born　so；　but　makes　himself
what　he　naturally　is　not　by　vicious　habit；　and　that　again；　on　the
other　side；　he　is　civilized　and　grows　gentle　by　a　change　of　place；
occupation；　and　manner　of　life；　as　beasts　themselves　that　are　wild
by　nature　become　tame　and　tractable　by　housing　and　gentler　usage；　upon
this　consideration　he　determined　to　translate　these　pirates　from　sea
to　land；　and　give　them　a　taste　of　an　honest　and　innocent　course　of
life　by　living　in　towns　and　tilling　the　ground。　Some　therefore　were
admitted　into　the　small　and　half…peopled　towns　of　the　Cilicians；
who；　for　an　enlargement　of　their　territories；　were　willing　to
receive　them。　Others　he　planted　in　the　city　of　the　Solians；　which
had　been　lately　laid　waste　by　Tigranes；　King　of　Armenia；　and　which
he　now　restored。　But　the　largest　number　were　settled　in　Dyme；　the　town
of　Achaea；　at　that　time　extremely　depopulated；　and　possessing　an
abundance　of　good　land。
　　However；　these　proceedings　could　not　escape　the　envy　and　censure
of　his　enemies；　and　the　course　he　took　against　Metellus　in　Crete　was
disapproved　of　even　by　the　chiefest　of　his　friends。　For　Metellus；　a
relation　of　Pompey's　former　colleague　in　Spain；　had　been　sent
praetor　into　Crete；　before　this　prov