XVI. As soon as Sulla's death made his prophetic warnings manifest,
and Lepidus was attempting to put himself in Sulla's place, not by any
circuitous movement or contrivance, but by taking up arms forthwith,
and again stirring up and gathering round him the remnants of the
factions which had long been enfeebled and had escaped from Sulla; and
his colleague Catulus, to whom the most honest and soundest part of
the Senate and the people attached themselves, was the first of the
Romans of the day for reputation of temperance and integrity, but was
considered to be better adapted for the conduct of civil than of
military affairs, and circumstances themselves were calling for
Pompeius, he did not hesitate what course to take, but attaching
himself to the optimates,[220] he was appointed commander of a force
to oppose Lepidus, who had already stirred up a large part of Italy
and held with an army under the command of Brutus, Gaul within the
Alps. Now Pompeius easily defeated the rest whom he attacked, but at
Mutina[221] in Gaul he sat down for some time opposite to Brutus,
while Lepidus having hurried on to Rome and posted himself before the
walls was demanding a second consulship and terrifying the citizens
with a numerous army. But the alarm was ended by a letter from
Pompeius, who had brought the war to a fortunate issue without a
battle. For Brutus, whether it was that he gave up his force himself
or was betrayed by his army changing sides, surrendered his person to
Pompeius and with some horsemen as an escort retired to one of the
small towns near the Padus, where after the interval of a single day
he was put to death by Geminius, whom Pompeius sent to him; and
Pompeius was much blamed for this.
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