For Perpenna, who had got possession
of the writings of Sertorins, offered to produce letters from the most
powerful men in Rome, who being desirous to disturb the present
settlement and to change the constitution, invited Sertorius to Italy.
Now Pompeius, apprehending that this might give rise to greater wars
than those which were just ended, put Perpenna to death, and burnt the
letters without even reading them.
XXI. After staying[226] long enough to extinguish the chief
disturbances, and to quiet and settle those affairs which were in the
most inflammatory state, he led his army back to Italy, and happened
to arrive at the time when the servile war[227] was at its height.
This was the reason why Crassus the commander urged on the hazard of a
battle, which he gained, with the slaughter of twelve thousand three
hundred of the enemy. Fortune, however, in a manner adopted Pompeius
into this success also, for five thousand men who escaped from the
battle fell in his way, all of whom he destroyed, and he took the
opportunity of writing first to the senate, to say that Crassus indeed
had conquered the gladiators in a pitched battle, but he had pulled up
the war by the roots. And this was agreeable to the Romans to hear,
owing to their good-will towards Pompeius, and also to speak of. As to
Iberia and Sertorius, no one even in jest would have said that the
conquest was due to any one else than Pompeius.
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